There's no question that commercial and industrial waste hauling is an expensive and messy business. Yet, it's an unavoidable cost of business and difficult process to evaluate and measure. Most importantly, far too many corporations assume waste disposal is a fixed cost.
However, this is rarely the case! Businesses can easily slash their monthly waste management costs by partnering with AAA Polymer to create a robust industrial plastic recycling program. Continue reading to learn how commercial plastic recycling can actually save your business money.
Commercial Recycling Reduces the Cost of Disposal
When you remove plastic scrap from your waste stream, it will immediately save your business money and reduce the cost of hauling trash to the disposal site. Your disposal cost is typically a fixed expense you pay each time your trash is picked up. Implementing a stretch film recycling program will reduce the number of times your trash needs to be picked up, which reduces your total costs associated with the bailing, collection, and transportation.
The key is to right-size your trash and get the most value from the hauling service by reducing the number of pick-ups and maximizing container size. In most AAA Polymer waste audits, we find up to 50% of what businesses throw away is recyclable and can be diverted from your waste stream.
Save Money on Your Disposal Site Tipping Fee
If you're a commercial or industrial facility, you will pay a gate or tipping fee at the landfill. This charge is levied upon your waste as it's received by the processing facility. It's designed to offset the cost of opening, managing, and closing the landfill site. The tipping fee can also include any applicable landfill tax, which may vary based on the reason.
The tipping fee is a "per ton" charge that can range from as low as $20 up to $100 per ton. For example:
- The tipping fees in New York can be as low as $49.50 up to $102.00.
- The tipping fees in Massachusetts can be as low as $72.00 up to $100.
- The tipping fees in New Jersey can be as low as $44.31 up to $96.00.
Let's figure your tipping fee if you are disposing 250,000 pounds of stretch film in the New York area with an average fee of $86.30 per ton.
250,000 lbs of plastic scrap = 125 tons
125 tons x $86.30 per ton = $9,000 in tipping fees
How could your business repurpose an additional $9,000?
In addition, you have a reduced number of container "pulls" by removing your plastic stretch wrap or other recyclable from your stream of waste.
How the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Saved Thousands?
In late 2011, a few select employees at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin began looking into the benefits of diverting plastic waste materials from landfills. According to the director of environmental services for the hospital, Chris Stoll, "The nurses and doctors came to us and said, 'We think we can do this.'"
They teamed up with the hospital's environmental services department and started removing blue wrap or polypropylene surgical sheeting out of the trash. In August of 2011, the operating room effectively diverted over 5 tons of this blue wrap material from their waste stream.
This figure represented almost 6% of the hospital's total monthly waste. Financially, it saved the hospital a staggering $13,000 a year in disposal costs.
Examples of How Commercial Recycling Saves Money
Countless businesses across the United States are cashing in on commercial recycling. However, you don't have to take our word for it - check out how organizations saving money and earning profits with commercial recycling.
- The Seattle-based mechanical contractor, McKinstry Company, saves $4,800 every year recycling cardboard and mixed paper. They make an additional $40,000 a year selling scrap metal.
- Apple Computer reports a staggering $1 million in savings each year from their robust recycling program.
- Texas Instruments recycles 81% of non-hazardous solid waste in its operation in the United States. This saves them a minimum of 10% every quarter or $16 million.
Contact AAA Polymer to Make Your Business the Next Success Story
Commercial recycling equates to double benefits for businesses:
- Turn your plastic trash into cash and earn money for your plastic recyclable material
- Eliminate the cost of sending the waste to landfills and protect the environment
Best of all, the experts at AAA Polymer will work with you to design and implement a recycling program for your business.
Getting started is simple! All you have to do is contact us today for a comprehensive, no-risk, no-cost waste audit. We will closely examine what your business is throwing away, calculate the volume and types of commodities, and let you know how much your business could save and earn from your recyclable plastic.
Contact AAA Polymer today