How to Save Money on Commercial Waste Management Services

Trash and recycling are not areas that are usually high on your priority list as a business owner but these are things that will need to be dealt with. If you are hoping to cut business costs, there are ways to save money on commercial waste management services so you have more room in your budget. 

Negotiate Waste Costs

Negotiating your contract is one of the best ways you can save money on your commercial trash bill. It may not be that hard either since many haulers will pad their bill so there is room to go down. Call around to providers on your own so you know what the average price should be. When negotiating, you should be patient and not necessarily take the first offer. It’s also important to keep an eye on the details. You don’t want to get just a 15% reduction for a 48-month contract that then also has a 10% annual increases built in. Look at the details and know that every part can be negotiated. If you are willing to compromise on some services, such as less frequent trash collections, then you may get even more savings. Before you begin the process, be sure to take inventory of what you actually need so that you aren’t paying for services you don’t even use. 

Downsize Your Dumpsters

You likely aren’t spending a lot of time thinking about your dumpsters. Since you may not be the one taking out the trash you won’t notice if your dumpster is half empty when the hauler comes. Find out when your provider sends garbage trucks and check how full the dumpsters are. You may have signed up for commercial waste management services years ago but are paying more than you need. Changing the size and amount of your dumpsters may not be the only way you can save money. You may be able to switch the frequency of when your trash gets picked up. If your dumpsters are only half full then you may be able to switch to once a week service instead of twice a week service to save you money with no downside. 

Share Costs with Other Businesses

Collaborating with other businesses may be a way to grow your own. Reach out to another business near your location and work together to cut your waste. If you both have recycling dumpsters that aren’t full you may be able to drop one and then split the cost. Even if you do need your own trash services, you may still be able to band with businesses in your area to negotiate a contract with your provider and have some bargaining power. 

Reduce Waste

The less waste your business makes, the more you will be able to save on your trash service. You can also do this by recycling. Recycling is good for the environment but also good for your bottom line. Some types of recycling may even give you credit on your bill.