Challenge

A food distribution center in North Carolina struggled with recycling expenses due to a lack of consistency and understanding of the benefits and cost savings associated with proper waste management. Some of the main challenges they faced included dump costs and training employees on how and what to recycle.

Without the proper time being spent on sorting materials, their compactors were filling up quickly, leading to frequent dumpster picks ups per week, which was becoming costly.

Solution

Within the first few weeks of managing their sanitation program, PSSI management on-site observed their recycling program and identified ways to help them define cost-saving strategies in their process. This included a detailed approach to separate and salvage materials such as cardboard, wood boards and shrink wrap. PSSI took this responsibility over and completely owned it as a value-added service at no extra cost.

With the go-ahead from the facility, PSSI began separating what goes in recycling vs. compactors, which saved space and reduced the need for frequent recycling pickups. Additionally, our team added a lock to the compactors where only supervisors and above can access, limiting employees from throwing unauthorized materials in the compactor, significantly reducing space and waste.

Result

With PSSI’s service, greater attention, and a streamlined process to waste management, our customers cut down on the number of trash pickups per week and increased overall recycling revenue.

Prior to PSSI’s focus on recycling, this facility averaged four dump pickups per week. After taking over the recycling program, our team have reduced their dump pickups to twice per week, reducing their cost by half.

“PSSI’s expertise and ability to salvage more materials and minimize waste allowed us to understand the overall impact recycling management has on our bottom line”. “This was a great unexpected value and example of the care and concern the PSSI team has for our business. It is also a testimony to the partnership between our companies.” – Warehouse Manager