Cass has over two decades of waste invoice data that shows 17% of all waste invoices are inaccurate. Even more concerning, approximately 5% of your waste spend is being billed in error.
Manual auditing and payment of invoices can take time from administrative, operations, finance, or property managers’ busy days. Companies who lack dedicated resources, can save time and money by outsourcing waste invoice audit through a Managed Services Provider who specializes in waste.
While waste might not be your company’s largest expense, billing increases around waste and recycling are on the rise. In our 2019 predictions for waste expenses we revealed some of the challenges that are driving costs including changes in global recycling policies and vendor pressures. A trending news topic getting frequent attention in industry publications such as Waste Dive, you’ll want to be aware of how this affects you.
Recent global recycling policies are already having an impact. With nowhere to ship recyclables, landfills are reaching max capacity, leaving many communities to consider abandoning recycling programs altogether. The impact you feel will likely appear on your next waste hauler bill - in the form of rate increases, new fees, and increasing fees, particularly for contamination. These changes are occurring on a hyperlocal level which means if you operate in several cities, you’ll need to watch each site carefully. Given the industry flux, waste is not a set-it-and-forget-it expense. You should be taking a closer look to avoid surprises.
- New fees are starting to appear; some of the most prominent being recycling and contamination fees. We’ve seen new recycling fees being added to base rates that range anywhere from 10% to 40%, depending on the hauler and We’ve tracked a 400% spike in contamination fees in the past few months alone with charges ranging from $150-$250 per contamination incident per container. This is another big waste expense driver for the next year.
- Costs have gone up about 10% in the past year and Cass predicts they’ll continue to rise at that pace, if not more. Contract renewals in the past few months could face serious sticker shock. The need to keep up with regulatory constraints has waste haulers adding new fees to offset rising industry costs.What is waste invoice audit?
What is waste invoice audit?
Waste invoice audit is a valuable process that helps you uncover savings and control costs in your organization’s waste expenses. Typically, this is a manual process for companies to review invoices each month and compare them to their contracted rates.
At Cass Waste Expense Management, we take a methodical, consistent approach to auditing waste invoices on your behalf. Using our Closed-Loop Methodology we’ll save you time, money, and help control costs over the long run. Our waste professionals and auditors use proprietary processes and automated technology to look at each line for variances and discrepancies such as:
- New fees, including recycling contamination fees
- Incorrect charges
- Incorrect service billed
- Charges that aren’t contracted
- Late Fees
- Invalid extra pickups
- Container removals
Cass assigns an auditor to each account as a virtual part of your team, getting to know you and your unique waste environment. Our waste auditors have access to advanced technology and business intelligence tools that provide heat maps to direct focus and provide narrow insights into what is happening region by region. For more on how we do this check out our on demand webinar: You Can’t Measure What You Can’t See.
What happens if you are overcharged?
Once the Cass audit team identifies potential issues, errors, or overbilling, they will handle the dispute process with the hauler on your behalf. Companies find that handling disputes on your own can be confusing and time-consuming as you wade through phone trees, long wait times and endless follow ups. Our team expedites and simplifies the process to saving you time and headaches.
Our waste professionals have years of experience and long-standing relationships with our waste partners. We’ve identified the requirements and processes that keep you on track and on schedule. From reporting an issue to follow up, we handle it all. We’ll inform you as needed with superior service and faster results.
Control Waste Costs with Regular Audit
Today, waste expense management is about cost control and cost avoidance. Gone are the days of one and done waste audits. With the current strains in the industry, prices and fees are on the increase. We predict that this trend will continue for the coming months and perhaps years. Audit your waste invoices regularly to stay on top of the trend.
