5 Signs You Are Paying Too Much for Waste Services

Waste haulers are thriving in an industry where clients pay thousands of dollars more a year than they have to. No business wants trash lying around, but if you’re paying $10,000 or more every month on trash hauling, most likely you’re overpaying and your waste hauler is getting richer. There’s no doubt you can save, and reduce waste, with commercial waste management services, but here’s where you may getting it wrong.

1. Not Reviewing Your Invoice Carefully

Your monthly invoice probably has add-on charges you don’t have to pay. These include fees for container replacement or service. Knowing that trash containers can last for years, you probably don’t need this service, and your trash hauler is making an extra profit. Most waste management companies also charge a fuel fee; the profits from every customer more than make up for fuel expenses.

2. Paying All the Extra Fees

Waste haulers may also charge a fee to transfer recyclable material. Since you’re already paying for a trash hauling service, this fee doesn’t cover anything. Other fees made up by haulers include charges for not having a minimum amount of waste, administrative fees, and regulatory cost recovery charges that help pay for higher costs in other locations.

3. Not Negotiating Your Contract

Not having a contract means your costs will increase each year. The downside to a contract is it locks you in to paying a predetermined amount for a set time—but this can also be an advantage. For example, you can negotiate a capped fuel rate so fuel charges can’t increase more than an agreed-on percentage. You can also negotiate limits on price hikes. Most of the time, haulers raise rates because they have the upper hand, not because the service has become more expensive.

4. Forgetting to Opt Out of Auto-Renewal

Another cost-saving strategy is to eliminate the auto-renewal clause in your contract. The company doesn’t want you to change your contract or find another waste management firm. Auto-renewal isn’t bad if the contract works for you, but it can be limiting if you’re paying for unnecessary services or your trash handling requirements have changed.

5. Not Researching Waste Market Rates

Most customers don’t know the average cost of commercial waste removal in their city or state. With a little research, you may find a company that pays half the price for the same services. It helps to know what different vendors charge before signing a contract, but it also helps to have knowledgeable waste management brokers working for you who can find the best services at the most competitive rates.

Contact Global Trash Solutions

An experienced commercial waste broker, we provide waste consulting and brokering services and have established close business relationships with waste haulers nationwide. We also supply dumpsters, compactors, and balers as well as offer repair and maintenance services. If you feel your business is spending too much on recycling and waste management, contact us at 866-760-8194, and our waste management brokers will tailor a trash hauling and recycling plan that works for you.