Selecting a Waste and Recycling Hauler for Your Business in The City of Falls Church What are the “Recycling Rules” for Businesses in the City of Falls Church? Currently, The City of Falls Church requires businesses operating for profit with greater than 200 employees or generating more than 100 tons of waste annually to recycle their primary recyclable material (PRM). PRM is the recyclable material that occurs in the highest quantity by weight in your businesses waste stream. For most offices, the principal recyclable material is office paper. For retail stores, warehouses or food service operations, the PRM tends to be corrugated cardboard and/or mixed paper; for auto repair and maintenance, the PRM may be scrap metal or used oil; and for landscapers, the PRM is usually leaves, brush and other yard waste. Why Should My Business Recycle? Recycling is good for the earth, saving natural resources and energy. But, recycling is also good for your bottom line – it is good business! When your business produces waste, it costs a waste service provider (“hauler”) about $60 per ton to drop it at the landfill or incinerator. The same hauler can sell your recycling (or pay less) and avoid the disposal tipping fee. Some of that cost saving can be passed on to your bottom line. How do I Select a Waste and Recycling Hauler? Most businesses contract with a waste service provider for removal of the trash they generate. This same hauler may also be contracted to collect your recycling. In the City of Falls Church, we ask that businesses select from a “Fairfax County Approved List of Haulers” (see Table 1). These approved vendors have the necessary permits and tracking responsibility with Fairfax County to legally collect refuse and recycling. Trash and recycling are essential services that are part of the cost of running a business, and you should try to select a hauler who will be reliable, meets your needs and gives you the best deal. Talk with neighboring businesses or local businesses similar to yours and find out who collects their waste and recyclables. Ask about their satisfaction with the service and the cost. If the volume of trash and recyclables you generate each week is small, ask other businesses adjacent to yours if they would be interested in sharing services. If you are a small business with minimal generation of recyclables, consider having a willing employee take small quantities to the Falls Church Recycling Center (217 Gordon Rd.) to recycle. Call local haulers and get price quotes. The hauler may visit you to determine your needs. If your business is small, the hauler may ask you to estimate the volume of waste and recyclables you generate. Table 1. List of Approved Commercial Waste and Recycling Haulers (updated May, 2011). Company Address Phone 4619 West Ox Rd. AAA Recycling & Trash Removal Services 703-818-8222 Fairfax, VA 22030 10370 Central Park Dr. American Disposal Svc., Inc. 703-368-0500 Manassas, VA 20110 4305 48th St. Bates Trucking Company, Inc. 301-773-2069 Bladensburg, MD 20710 P.O. Box 650490 CSI Con-Serv Industries, Inc. 703-444-3181 Sterling, VA 20165 P.O. Box 90565 Consolidated Waste Industries, Inc. 301-322-3000 Washington, D.C. 20090 4704 Kettler Ct. Disposable Trash & Hauling, Inc. 703-987-1157 Dale City, VA 22193 15049 Stillfield Pl. Early Bird Trash Service 703-830-8829 Centreville, VA 20120 P.O. Box 1411 First Choice Disposal, LLC 703-441-8880 Dumfries, VA 22026 14820 Southlawn Ln. Georgetown Paper Stock of Rockville, Inc. 301-762-6990 Rockville, MD 20856 P.O. Box 1818 Good Friends Waste Management, LLC 703-543-8671 Centreville, VA 20122 P.O. Box 851 Greenway Disposal Services 703-443-1701 Ashburn, VA 20146 P.O. Box 650821 KMG Hauling, Inc. 703-961-1100 Potomac Falls, VA 20165 4700 Lawrence St. Lawrence Street Industry, LLC 301-985-4090 Hyattsville, MD 20781 8018 Richmond Hwy. Nightingale Trucking Company, Inc. 703-360-6634 Alexandria, VA 22306 9650 Hawkins Dr. Potomac Disposal Services of Virginia, LLC 703-560-8866 Manassas, VA 20109 Republic Services AAA Recycling & Trash 4619 West Ox Rd. 703-818-8222 Removal Fairfax, VA 22030 8390-D Terminal Rd Trash Away, Inc. 703-339-4560 Lorton, VA 22079 P.O.Box 1824 VHI, Inc. 703-365-7616 Manassas, VA 20108 1505 Moran Rd. Waste Management, Inc. 703-406-7467 Sterling, VA 20166 Also, ask each hauler how they deal with: other parties using your dumpster, overflowing containers, holidays on scheduled pick-up dates, severe weather on scheduled pick-up dates. Let the haulers know you are getting competitive bids. Ask if you will receive a rebate or reduced rate based on the value of your recyclables. Some recyclables are quite valuable, and if you generate a large amount, consider getting quotes from haulers that just collect recyclables, or who primarily profit from recycling rather than land- filling (scrap metal dealers, office paper recyclers). Select a provider who supports waste reduction and can accommodate a decrease in your trash generation and an increase in your recycling generation by: making fewer trash pickups and more recycling pickups, if necessary, downscaling trash dumpster size and upscaling recycling dumpster size, or reducing the number of trash dumpsters and increasing the number of recycling dumpsters. It is important that the recycling provider transports materials to a certified recycling processing center (Material Recovery Facility or MRF) to ensure that the materials are recycled. Ask what facility will be used and how far they have to travel to get there. Ask what recyclable materials are acceptable and how they should be prepared for collection. Ask if there is a rejection policy if recyclables are contaminated. Ask if service cost is based on the weight or volume of material collected or if it is a fixed fee based on dumpster size and frequency of collection. Ask if the hauler will provide inside and outside collection bins for your business. Small businesses should ask about collection with “toters” or rolling carts rather than dumpsters. Important Contract Tips Besides the basic cost of service, frequency of pick-up, days for pick-up, and size of containers, your contract with a hauler should also answer these questions: What is the length of the contract? What is the contract renewal date? (Note: many renew automatically unless notice is given by the customer to cancel.) What are the cancellation terms? Can you change container size or frequency of pick-up without penalty? Will containers be clearly marked indicating what should be placed in them? Can extra bins/containers be provided for special events? At what cost? If your volume of trash decreases during the contractual period, can you get a rate reduction based on change in frequency of collection? What price increases are allowed during the contract period? What equipment and containers will the contractor provide? Will the contractor help train employees? Janitorial staff? Will recyclables and trash be picked up on the same days? Will revenues or rebates received from sale of recyclables be shared with customers? If so, what market information will be used to determine any rebate value, and how often will rebates be paid? Will contractor provide reports on amount of trash and recyclables collected? Cost Savings Tips Do you know what’s in your trash? A waste sort can identify the types of trash you generate so you can evaluate what can be reduced through better purchasing, reuse, recycling, or composting. The better you manage materials before they end up in the trash, the bigger your cost savings. Are your dumpsters or bins full on pick-up days? If not, reduce the number of pick-ups or size of the bins/dumpsters. Are you doing a good job collecting and separating your recyclables from the trash? Assign someone in the office to educate other staff members. Negotiation Tips Remember, you are the customer. The hauler should be meeting your needs. Expect the same level of service that you would from any other service provider. Obtain more than one bid. The difference in cost and level of service among haulers varies. Do not assume anything. Carefully review the services each hauler will provide and all the terms in the contract for the provider you select. Do not be intimidated by form contracts. Cross out any provisions you do not like. If the hauler will not agree to reasonable requests, contact other haulers. Pay close attention to duration of contract and any automatic renewal provisions. Long-term contracts may not be in your best interest. Avoid clauses that permit the hauler to raise rates during the life of the contract. Consider how the contract can be terminated if you sell or move your business or otherwise wish to end the contract. What are your rights if the hauler does not perform satisfactorily? Include some minimum performance standards in the contract. For more information or support in starting your recycling program call the City of Falls Church Environmental Programs Specialist at 703-248-5176 or email [email protected]. Thanks to City of Alexandria, Virginia and Waukesha County, Wisconsin for providing the information used to develop this document. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This document will be made available in alternate format upon request. Call 703-248-5176 (TTY 711). Updated May, 2011 .