Managing recycling output isn’t what anyone daydreams about when they first start building their business. And yet, if you’re like a lot of business owners, troubleshooting recycling issues is a frequent item on your to-do list. Boxes pile up in front of fire doors. Your sorting containers are too small, or not being used correctly. Organizing pickup is just one more thing that has to get done. And complying with recycling laws is tough; it seems like they’re constantly changing. And you might be paying too much for waste removal. Could renting recycling equipment be the solution?
Having equipment like balers and compactors onsite streamlines the recycling process, which may save you time and money. Renting recycling equipment doesn’t make sense for every business—but it might be a game-changer for yours.
Your company may need to rent recycling equipment if:
- You send or receive a lot of shipments. Managing cardboard and other shipping materials is a prime reason that many businesses opt to rent recycling equipment. A small office that receives just a few packages a week probably won’t need a baler onsite, but it can be highly useful in a business that handles a great deal of cardboard and shrink wrap.
- You handle a lot of some other kind of waste. Recycling equipment can be used to dispose of more than just cardboard. Any business that manufactures physical products may generate a lot of scrap material. Whether it’s metal, paper, plastic, fabric or some other material, compactors can be used to collect and compress it. This process makes your waste easier to handle and may lower disposal costs.
- Your recyclable waste takes up too much space. In a business that generates a lot of recyclable material but doesn’t have a good system for dealing with it, work sites can get clogged with debris. Piles of empty cardboard boxes and bins of scrap can impede foot traffic (and take up valuable workspace). Managing your recyclable material well is part of maintaining a safe and accessible workplace. Rented equipment can often be set up outdoors or in out-of-the-way spaces, minimizing the square footage your business devotes to recycling.
- You’re paying too much for recycling services. Having recycling equipment onsite may actually lower your waste removal costs. Compressing your recyclable material into manageable bales makes it easier and cheaper to transport. When you’re thinking about waste removal costs, it’s also worth estimating how much of your payroll is currently going to recycling management. Maybe you receive a lot of shipments each week, but aren’t sure you generate enough cardboard to warrant having recycling equipment onsite. But someone has to break down and manage all that cardboard each week. You’re paying employees for that time, time that they could be using to do something else.
- You’re subject to local or state recycling mandates. Recycling laws vary by state, municipality and industry. If your business is subject to any such laws, taking the steps to rent recycling equipment sets you up for easy compliance.
- You know that you need recycling equipment onsite, but aren’t ready to commit to buying it new. Maybe your business can’t afford the capital expense of new equipment right now. Maybe the future of your business is uncertain, and you don’t want to commit to any long term purchases. Maybe you just want to try it out to see whether having recycling equipment onsite is really useful for you. Some business owners opt to rent recycling equipment to ensure they have maintenance support and aren’t responsible for repairs. Whatever the reason, for many businesses it makes more sense to rent than buy.
- Your current system for managing recycling just isn’t working. Recycling isn’t what your business is about. It should be something that you can quickly and easily get done in the background, while you and your team stay focused on what you do best. If you find that you’re spending time dealing with cardboard instead of growing your business, your current system needs improving.
After decades of working in recycling, I know that business owners want to make the right decisions around recycling but often don’t know what their options are. At Miller Recycling, we don’t expect you to know for certain whether it makes sense for you to rent recycling equipment or not. That’s our area of expertise, so we’ll come to you and help you figure it out. We’ll walk your site and ask questions about your workflow and operations before making any recommendations about what equipment you may or may not need.
Miller Recycling is here to help you meet all your recycling needs, big and small. Contact us today.