It’s no secret that gas prices have risen seemingly overnight. With no sign of slowing down, nearly every industry has been affected. Garbage trucks are more expensive than ever to own and drive, guzzling gas at only 2-4 miles per gallon. Many solid waste vendors have projected jumps in landfill tipping and hauling fees, with some surcharges topping 3-6%. The operating expenses for waste vendors have been skyrocketing with little relief in sight.
So where does that leave you? You still have waste to haul and rising costs to deal with everywhere else. Waste vendors pass these expenses down through their annual price increases (APIs), which you can read about here. These APIs, if not negotiated, can end up costing you nearly double your original contracted amount in just five years.
Lucky for you, going green and combating the traditional waste process can save you from some of these expenses. We’ve got a few tips to get you started.
OPTIMIZE DUMPSTER SERVICE
It might be possible to lower your monthly costs by restructuring, or optimizing, your services. How much garbage do you produce and how often is your dumpster emptied? If you have two Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) containers, or you have to frequently call for additional pickups, consider increasing the size of your dumpster so your hauler doesn't have to make as many trips to your service address. The fewer trips to your site, the better for your bottom line.
If you tend to go through a lot of waste, consider investing in a compactor if you have the space. Most compactors provide a 4:1 compaction ratio, meaning they can hold 4x more waste than a standard dumpster when the waste is compacted.
RECYCLE MORE
It might seem like a very simple solution. However, when you separate out recyclable materials from your standard MSW dumpsters, you can end up saving a lot of space to optimize your dumpsters further. Even better, since recyclable materials are a commodity, the cost to dispose of them through a clean-stream process is significantly less than what it costs to send them to a landfill. This means you save money over the long term when you recycle. It’s better for you and the planet.
AVOID PREVENTABLE CHARGES AND FEES
These charges often come when things get in the way of hauler trucks, recyclable materials are contaminated, or even when your container is filled overcapacity. By setting up your garbage and recycling areas for success, as well as educating others regarding processes, you can avoid these charges to avoid frustration. We have several tips and tricks for these common charge types.
If you’re looking to get started optimizing, recycling, and other green initiatives, we’ve got guides that can help! Start with our five most popular recycling guides.
If you find yourself needing a more personalized approach, RoadRunner Recycling can help you develop a waste management plan that fits your business starting from lowering your hauling rates no matter where you are in your contract, finding the right waste pick-up schedule for you, all the way to implementing best recycling initiatives for your company culture.
