Ver 1.0 (Jun 23)

Confidential & Proprietary | 2022 CBRE Inc.

Waste Services & Circular Economy

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I'm looking for a waste supplier - where do I start?

What are the various types of waste containers and how do I price waste services? 

We have supplier partners in all regions who can offer a range of services for linear waste (traditional waste and recycling) and resource mgt (closed loop recycling and circular economy initiatives).  For more information see the Supplier Capability Matrix asset and Supplier Profiles Asset - to ascertain who can accommodate your requirements. 

What questions should I ask potential waste providers about waste management?

There are numerous waste container sizes ranging from 240 Litres (around 53 gallons)  to over 8 Cubic Metres (around 1750 gallons).  The price of these depends on the materials being placed into them - for example dry-mixed recycling is much cheaper to dispose of than general waste.  We have information on waste costs in the How To Price Waste asset and also the How To Buy Waste asset.

What's the difference between Upstream and Downstream Waste?

Some basic questions you may want to ask a waste provider are: 

• Where does my waste go? 
• What data or tracking can you provide? 
• What types of waste removal schedules do you offer? 
• What is included in waste pickup? 
• What types of disposal units do you provide? 
• What areas do you serve?

Further information and more formal questions are available in the Developing The RFP asset.

What does contaminated recycling mean and what constitutes something being contaminated and are there extra costs associated with poor recycling?

Contamination refers to items entering the recycling stream that either do not belong there or items that make recyclable items unusable. Items that are placed in recycling bins are taken to be sorted and processed at a material recovery facility (MRF). Here a number of processes take place, both using machines and through human labour.

Yes, some waste collection companies may charge a ‘contamination charge’ if you are consistently not following the correct procedures. This is again because of increased economic pressures due to the cost of separation combined with other factors. It has been reported that commodity prices have dropped significantly over the past few years. Market price for some materials such as steel, paper and cardboard falling by as much as 50%, combining with poor recycling rates and high rates of contamination.  From an environmental point of view, there is also a cost associated with sending more potentially recycled material to landfill.   

What exactly is ‘zero waste’ and how do I ensure I'm aware of our ESG commitments when buying waste?

Downstream Waste is about dealing with used resources that have already been extracted via the 'linear economy'.  Traditional waste disposal follows a 'take, make, discard' ethos.  Upstream Waste Management will aim to address the problem at source, such as designing out waste in manufacture, preventing its generation and reusing products.

Further information on both topics available in the Downstream Waste asset and the Upstream Resource Mgt asset. 

The term ‘zero waste’ is given to describe a way of life that minimises the waste we create and our overall negative impact on the environment.

Further information is available in the Zero Waste asset and CBRE's Comittement To Zero Waste asset.