Commercial waste is an inevitable byproduct of economic growth. Steps can and should be taken to minimize commercial waste, but that’s easier said than done. Simply disposing of commercial waste in a timely and affordable manner can be challenging, especially when labor markets are tight and diesel fuel surpasses $5 per gallon.
Thankfully, technology is making commercial waste management a little easier. Today we’ll take a closer look at commercial waste software, including our own solution RecycleERP.
3 Categories of Commercial Waste Software
Technically speaking, the phrase “commercial waste software” could be applied to any of the following waste management use cases. However, at RecycleERP, we primarily use this phrase when discussing the third example: business-to-business / industrial.
1. Hazardous Waste Management
Storing, transporting, treating, and disposing of hazardous materials involves a considerable amount of recordkeeping. TSDFs (Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities) rely on commercial waste software to track permit-specific processes and demonstrate ongoing compliance in a heavily regulated industry.
2. Residential Waste Management
Providing waste services for millions of residential customers involves a complex web of trucks, drivers, and disposal sites. Residential waste management companies rely on a variety of commercial-grade tools to streamline everything from route scheduling to customer billing and payment.
3. B2B / Industrial Waste Management
Practically every business generates waste. However, certain organizations, especially those involved in manufacturing and construction, produce large amounts of solid waste and recyclable materials. As a producer’s volumes grow, effectively managing and tracking waste volume by material type (trash, cardboard, plastic, metal, etc.) and final destination (landfill, recycling center, material recovery facility, incinerator, etc.) becomes necessary—for both economic and environmental reasons. Producers often turn to waste brokers when navigating the complexity of waste logistics and reporting. In this context, commercial waste software sits between waste brokers and their clients (aka, the waste producers) and automates many time-consuming aspects of waste management.
Using Commercial Waste Software to Achieve Clients’ Goals
Gaining a solid understanding of your business objectives is the first step to identifying the right commercial waste software. And, for many waste brokers, it’s all about helping clients efficiently achieve the following waste and recycling goals:
Getting rid of waste: Waste literally piles up if left unattended. Too much waste creates operational bottlenecks and, in some cases, can lead to health and safety issues. Producers of waste want an easy, reliable way to request service and get rid of waste and recyclable materials. They also want to be kept in the loop about service changes or delays—without picking up the phone and requesting updates.
Sustainability reporting: Sustainability reporting is increasingly important for public and private companies alike. A key aspect involves reporting on waste and recycling levels. In addition, establishing an accurate baseline makes it easier to develop recycling goals and track progress.
Cost visibility: Waste operations may never be a profit center for most organizations, but recycling credits and rebates can help offset trash-related expenditures. Large producers of waste need reliable insights to maximize recycling credits and minimize waste service costs.
Continuous improvement: Taking a “lean” approach to business should extend to every aspect of operations, including waste management. Waste and recycling tonnage data, aggregated spend data, and facility-specific metrics make lean waste management feasible.
Meet RecycleERP
RecycleERP is commercial waste software that’s built for waste brokers and vendors who want to grow faster and simultaneously provide enhanced customer service to clients.
RecycleERP is a client-facing system, which means your customers get a self-service portal and mobile app that enables:
- Online ordering: Customers can easily request service with a few clicks or taps from any web-enabled device.
- Automated communication: Keep customers in the loop with automated emails for vendor acceptance, pickup completion, and rescheduled service.
- Waste reporting: Let customers slice and dice their own data by facility, material, and other criteria. Reports can be easily downloaded to Microsoft Excel or scheduled for email delivery.
- Charts and graphs: Built-in charts and graphs make it easier for waste producers to identify recycling trends and discover opportunities for improvement.
RecycleERP also simplifies many other complexities of commercial waste management, including rebates, marketplace pricing, and complex pricing scenarios.
Request a demo to learn more about RecycleERP.
