Waste Brokerage & Consulting
Help businesses reduce waste costs by brokering services and optimizing waste management
Overview
Waste brokers and consultants earn 5-15% commission on waste contracts or consulting fees of $150-$300 hourly.
Managing 40-150 business clients generates $120,000-$500,000 annually with 75-90% margins as service business with minimal overhead.
In 2025, businesses seek to reduce waste costs and improve sustainability, creating opportunity for brokers negotiating better rates and consultants optimizing waste management.
Services include conducting waste audits analyzing current costs, negotiating competitive bids from multiple haulers, managing contracts and service issues, providing waste reduction consulting, implementing recycling programs, tracking waste metrics and costs, vendor management, and improving sustainability performance.
Successful brokers build relationships with haulers getting volume discounts, understand waste industry pricing, provide ongoing vendor management and cost optimization, and may offer sustainability consulting.
Commercial properties, multi-location businesses, property management companies, and large employers are ideal clients.
Brokers typically take percentage of savings delivered or percentage of contract value.
Consulting on waste reduction, zero-waste programs, and sustainability initiatives provides additional revenue.
Required Skills
- Waste Industry Knowledge
- Contract Negotiation
- Vendor Relations
- Data Analysis
- Sustainability Consulting
- B2B Sales
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Very low startup costs for service business
- High margins with minimal overhead
- Recurring revenue from ongoing contracts
- Work from anywhere with no physical assets
- Growing focus on sustainability and cost reduction
Cons
- Requires deep industry knowledge and relationships
- Sales cycle can be long (3-12 months)
- Income tied to contract renewals
- Competition from established brokers
- Need credibility and track record to win clients
How to Get Started
- Build waste industry knowledge and hauler relationships
- Develop waste audit and analysis methodology
- Create marketing materials showing potential savings
- Target multi-location businesses and property managers
- Offer free waste audit to demonstrate value
- Negotiate competitive bids from multiple haulers
- Build recurring revenue managing ongoing contracts
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