How Can I Lower My Property's Trash and Recycling Expenses in Texas?

Do you own or manage a commercial property in Texas? Have you tried to find ways to lower your monthly overhead costs? Have you poured over your P & L statement in search of any areas where you can cut expenses? Have you ever thought about what your business pays for waste removal? Have you analyzed your monthly and annual expenses in this area, or even taken measures to reduce these costs?

Many Texans pay exorbitant rates for waste removal because they think of this cost as a fixed utility. Several small towns in Texas, including those along the border, have what appear to be "fixed costs" for trash and recycling removal because the city either picks up the trash themselves, or selects a hauling company to service businesses within the city limits. Some other towns have only one hauler, which limits your options for service. In larger metropolitan areas such as Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, there are more options for disposal and recycling service, however, many of the haulers in these markets charge businesses as much as they can get away with for service.

Global Trash Solutions (GTS) manages over 170 customer accounts in Texas, and we have developed cost savings strategies for our clients in Texas that translates to over 400K annually, averaging $237.00 monthly savings at the locations we serve in Texas. We have the relationships and expertise to help almost any business in Texas lower their waste and recycling costs substantially, whether they are located in a major city or rural town. If you would like us to audit your waste and recycling processes to help you obtain the most efficient and cost-effective waste management strategy, please contact us at (866) 760-8194.

Compressed Natural Gas Fuel (CNG): Why Haulers Are Using It and How It May Affect Your Business

Have you ever wondered how much diesel fuel it must take to power all of the garbage trucks that run residential and commercial routes throughout the United States? Have you considered how these emissions effect the amount of smog in urban areas, and the overall air quality? Have you paid exorbitant fuel surcharges to waste hauling companies to offset their cost as diesel prices trend upward?

It may interest you to learn that many garbage truck fleets in both the public and private sector are embracing compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel source to diesel. In fact, as of June 2014, CNG was used as the primary fuel source for approximately 10% of the nation's garbage truck fleet, with more and more companies investing in CNG trucks as their diesel trucks age and become costly to maintain. Many of the big names in the hauling industry are converting to CNG fueled trucks for environmental and long-term financial reasons, including Houston-based Waste Management, Jacksonville-based Advanced Disposal (the largest privately held hauling company in the US) and Longwood, FL based Waste Pro. In 2012, Waste Management announced that over the next five years it planned to purchase 80% of CNG powered trucks, and by 2017 to have over 50% of their fleet powered by CNG.

Although CNG trucks initially cost more per unit than traditional diesel trucks, they save each hauler approximately $27,000.00 annually per year in fuel costs, which make them attractive for financial reasons. CNG is also a greener alternative to diesel fuel, cutting down the use of 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually per truck. There is no risk of fuel leaks, as CNG evaporates when it leaves the fuel chamber, and it cuts down on emissions by roughly 50%.  The recent phenomenon of "fracking," or deriving natural gas from deposits in shale, has provided an abundant supply of CNG, which in turn has contributed to the growing reputation of CNG as the preferred fossil fuel for many trucking companies across a variety of different industries. CNG powered trucks have also been noted as being quieter and less costly to maintain than their diesel-fueled counterparts.

So, with the offset in fuel costs to haulers caused by this mass exodus from diesel-fueled trucks to their less expensive cousins, have you seen your hauling costs dropping? Practically every business would answer with a resounding "no." In our experience, we have found most of the customers who sign on with us pay a minimum of 25% in fuel or other surcharges, and if not, this cost is built into their existing price. That is why Global Trash Solutions is leading the way for many businesses in using our combined purchasing power and expertise to cut the expenses of companies like McDonald's, Panera Bread, Burger King, and many others. Please call us today at (866) 760-8194 for information about how we can help you get the best price available for trash and recycling service.          

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/ vectorolie 

How Can a Commercial Trash Compactor Benefit My Business?

Do you own a business that pays what seems to be an excessive amount for trash service? Have your Facility Managers mentioned the labor costs associated with handling the trash at your locations? Do you know how much in payroll is dedicated to trash-related maintenance at your locations each quarter? Have you ever been mystified by what seems to be "disappearing" inventory, or noticed a correlation between your merchandise cost and the number of trips made to the dumpster each day by your staff?

 Practically every retail outlet in the country has faced at least one of the above challenges at some point in the past, or if they have not had to address them yet, they will be soon. You may have invested in expensive security systems aimed at reducing shrinkage and theft to keep your inventory from "disappearing," but still face problems with inventory that is not accounted for. The rising costs of diesel fuel, government involvement in the private hauling industry, and other factors that affect the rate or trash removal have caused the price of garbage service to rise dramatically over the last few years. As a business owner, you may feel that these issues are largely beyond your sphere of influence, and you may be right.

The consulting team at Global Trash Solutions (GTS) work with hundreds of Fortune 500 retail chain store operators, so we are very familiar with the above challenges. We have developed solutions and systems aimed at addressing each one. For starters, many of the businesses who seek our help can benefit from one of our outdoor commercial trash compactors, which reduce hauling costs by as much as 50% and eliminate the need for multiple open-top dumpsters. They also reduce odor and the possibility of extra bags on the ground on an especially busy day. Some of our clients prefer an indoor model, such as the GTS 2000 which can reduce the number of trips to the dumpster, therefore cutting back on the opportunity for theft while reducing the required container size and pick-up frequency. This, in turn, reduces monthly trash costs by up to 70%.

Whatever trash problems you may face as a business owner, GTS has the experience and expertise to develop a solution specifically tailored to meet your individual needs. Please call us today at (866) 760-8194 for a free consultation.