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Waste Management & Environmental > Recycling Practice

Recycling Practice

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Client Segments Umbrex Serves

  • Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) & C&D Sorters: Facilities sorting recyclables from MSW or C&D, optimizing automation, contracts, commodity risk, contamination, and network economics; excluding collection haulers and landfills.
  • Scrap Metal Processors & Brokers: Shredders, processors, and traders of ferrous/non‑ferrous scrap improving sourcing, quality, pricing, mill sales, export logistics, and compliance; excluding primary miners and steel/aluminum producers.
  • Plastics Recyclers (Mechanical & Advanced/Chemical): PET/PE/PP reclaimers and advanced recyclers scaling feedstock sourcing, depolymerization, food‑grade output, offtakes, permits, and economics; excluding virgin petrochemicals and waste‑to‑energy facilities.
  • Recovered Fiber & Paperboard Mills: Recovered fiber aggregators and mills using OCC/ONP to produce pulp, tissue, and paperboard; optimizing sourcing, de‑inking, quality, offtakes, and footprint; excluding virgin pulp producers.
  • Organics Recycling & Composting Operators: Composters and organics processors turning food/green waste into soil products; optimizing feedstock contracts, contamination control, permitting, PFAS risk, and markets; excluding anaerobic digestion and WtE.

Selected Capabilities of our Recycling Practice

Strategy & Corporate Development

  • Corporate Strategy And Growth Roadmap: Define where-to-play/how-to-win across plastics, fiber, metals, organics, e‑waste; quantify value pools, policy tailwinds, and competitive advantage; set targets, milestones, and value creation plan.
  • Market Entry Strategy For Advanced And Organics Recycling: Assess demand, regulation, and economics for PET/HDPE/PP, chemical recycling, anaerobic digestion; design business case, feedstock strategy, offtake contracts, and commercialization roadmap.
  • Portfolio And Capital Allocation Strategy: Prioritize MRFs, transfer stations, AD, and plastics plants by NPV and risk; sequence investments; balance geographic footprint, commodity exposure, and resilience to policy shifts.
  • M&A Strategy And Commercial Diligence: Build target pipeline, theses, and synergies; diligence feedstock security, pricing, contracts, unit economics, ESG liabilities, and integration risks; inform valuation and deal structuring.
  • EPR And Deposit Return Policy Strategy: Model impacts of EPR, recycled content mandates, and DRS; shape advocacy positions; secure funding, contracts, and advantaged feedstock; protect margins and growth.

Operations

  • MRF Throughput And Recovery Optimization: Tune screens, air, and optical recipes; rebalance line speeds and crews; streamline changeovers; lift tons per hour, capture rate, and OEE; reduce residue and jams.
  • Bale Quality And Purity Improvement: Standardize sampling and QC checks; close feedback loops to presort; calibrate opticals; meet ISRI specs; decrease contamination, downgrades, chargebacks, and bale rejections.
  • Total Productive Maintenance For Recycling Plants: Deploy TPM with autonomous maintenance, spares planning, and predictive schedules for screens, conveyors, optics, and balers; cut downtime, changeover losses, and maintenance cost per ton.
  • Organics And AD Operations Excellence: Optimize feed prep, contamination removal, digestion recipes, mixing, and gas handling; improve uptime, biogas yield, parasitic load, odor control, and digestate quality; reduce disposal cost.
  • Daily Management And Performance Control System: Install tiered huddles, visual boards, KPIs, and loss trees; stabilize shift handovers; drive root cause resolution; improve schedule adherence, recovery rate, and labor productivity.

Supply Chain

  • Collection Route Optimization And Fleet Planning: Redesign residential, commercial, and roll-off routes; right-size fleet and shifts; align MRF slots; reduce miles, overtime, missed pickups, fuel, and CO2e per ton.
  • Transfer And Intermodal Network Design: Optimize transfer station locations, flows, rail ramps, and backhauls; standardize loading; cut linehaul cost per ton, dwell time, and empty miles.
  • Inbound Feedstock Forecasting And S&OP: Forecast municipal, industrial, commercial, institutional (ICI) and construction and demolition (C&D) volumes; align processing capacity and offtake; reduce overtime, yard congestion, and missed mill appointments.
  • Bale Inventory, Storage, And Shipment Optimization: Design bale yard layout, stacking, FIFO, moisture controls; optimize bookings, railcar/container mix; reduce damage, fire risk, demurrage, detention, and working capital.
  • Supplier Collaboration And Contamination Reduction: Implement supplier scorecards, pricing incentives, and feedback loops with municipalities and haulers; lower inbound contamination, residue rates, rejections, and processing cost per ton.

Procurement & Strategic Sourcing

  • Category Strategy And Strategic Sourcing: Build category strategies for optical spare parts, MRO, PPE, chemicals, containers; run eSourcing and negotiations; deliver total cost of ownership reductions and supply assurance.
  • Capital Equipment Procurement And Should-Cost: Develop should-cost models and negotiation strategies for optical sorters, screens, conveyors, balers, robotics, digesters; optimize specifications, warranties, terms; lower capex, lifecycle cost, and downtime risk.
  • Energy Sourcing And Hedging: Source power and gas for MRFs and AD plants; negotiate PPAs, tariffs, and hedges; reduce energy cost per ton, volatility, and Scope 2 emissions.
  • Logistics And Residuals Disposal Contracting: Run RFPs for linehaul, drayage, rail, containers, and residue landfill; set SLAs, indexation, and fuel surcharges; lower transport cost, demurrage, and contamination penalties.
  • Source To Pay Transformation And Spend Analytics: Redesign policies, catalogs, contracts, and workflows; implement eSourcing, contract lifecycle, and AP automation; build spend cube; increase compliance, cycle time, savings, and working capital.

Organization

  • Operating Model And Governance Design: Define decision rights and P&L ownership across collections, MRFs, transfer, and organics; standardize roles and interfaces; accelerate decisions, accountability, and network performance.
  • Spans And Layers Optimization: Rationalize tiers and supervisory spans for drivers, sorters, maintenance, and dispatch; remove overlaps; decrease SG&A, improve responsiveness, and frontline coaching.
  • Shared Services And Centers Of Excellence: Stand up shared services for HR, finance, safety and environmental administration, and maintenance engineering; set service level agreements; lower cost-to-serve and variance across sites.
  • Talent Strategy And Capability Academy: Build workforce plans, competency models, career paths, and training for drivers, MRF operators, maintenance technicians, and automation; boost retention, certifications, and productivity.
  • Performance Management And Incentives Architecture: Design KPI tree and variable pay tied to throughput, recovery, bale purity, route efficiency, uptime, and safety; increase accountability, collaboration, and results.

Marketing

  • Brand Positioning And Value Proposition: Define operator brand and value propositions for municipalities and C&I customers; emphasize purity, transparency, and cost-to-recycle; lift awareness, municipal RFP shortlist rates, and contract wins.
  • Digital Demand Generation And Local SEO: Rebuild site architecture, local SEO, SEM, and conversion funnels for commercial recycling and roll-off services; increase qualified leads, booked appointments, and customer acquisition efficiency.
  • Contamination Reduction Education Campaigns: Design behavior-change outreach using data segmentation, cart tagging, mailers, and digital; A/B test messages; cut inbound contamination, residue cost per ton, and call‑center complaints.
  • Recycled Materials Product Marketing And Claims: Develop product specs, certifications (SCS Recycled Content, ISCC+), traceability, and storytelling for rPET, rHDPE, rPP, OCC; expand offtake demand, premiums, and contract duration.
  • Account-Based Marketing For Municipal And C&I: Build persona-led campaigns, executive narratives, and case studies; orchestrate associations and events; influence procurement criteria; raise invite‑to‑bid rates and renewal likelihood.

Pricing

  • Contract Rate Architecture For Municipal And C&I Services: Design pricing for collection, processing, cart rental, extras, contamination surcharges, fuel and Consumer Price Index indexation; boost realization, renewals, and margin stability.
  • Commodity Indexation And Revenue Share Design: Build formula pricing using Fastmarkets RISI, London Metal Exchange, and ICIS indices with floors/caps and collars; reduce volatility, downside risk, and protect EBITDA.
  • Bale And Offtake Pricing Strategy: Set rPET, rHDPE, rPP, OCC formulas with quality premiums/penalties, moisture and logistics adjustments; increase average selling price and contract duration.
  • Gate Fee And Tip Fee Optimization: Analyze local supply-demand, capacity utilization, contamination, and service level differentiation; set inbound gate fees and tip fees; grow yield per ton and third‑party volumes.
  • Cost-To-Serve Pricing And Segmentation: Build cost models by route density, lift frequency, container size, contamination, and distance; implement granular tiers; exit or reprice value‑destroying accounts; raise contribution margin.

Sales

  • Municipal Contract Capture And Proposal Pursuit: Shape municipal recycling procurements; run pre-bid engagement, qualification, win themes, site tours, and compliant proposals; raise shortlist rates, contract wins, and profitable awarded tonnage.
  • Commercial And Industrial New Business Development: Build outbound cadences, vertical playbooks, and meetings for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers; accelerate new logos, roll‑off rentals, master service agreements (MSAs), and recurring revenue.
  • Commodity Offtake Sales And Contracting: Secure long‑term offtake with mills and plastics reclaimers; negotiate specifications, volumes, quality premiums, indexation, and claims; increase demand visibility, price realization, and contract duration.
  • Key Account Management And Renewal Playbooks: Establish governance, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), scorecards, and innovation plans for municipalities and enterprise customers; grow renewals, contract expansions, references, and multi‑year backlog.
  • CRM Pipeline And Forecasting Excellence: Redesign stages, probabilities, and hygiene; integrate CRM with pricing, operations, and finance; improve forecast accuracy and visibility from lead to booked tons and revenue.

Finance

  • Integrated FP&A And Commodity Scenario Modeling: Build integrated FP&A linking tons, recovery, gate fees, bale indices (RISI, LME, ICIS), energy, labor; run scenarios; improve EBITDA predictability, pricing decisions, and covenants.
  • Commodity Risk Management And Hedging Policy: Design hedging strategy using swaps, options, floors/collars, structured offtake; set limits and governance; reduce OCC, metals, plastics price volatility and protect cash flows.
  • Revenue Assurance And Weighbridge Controls: Audit scale data, moisture deductions, quality penalties, revenue share formulas, and freight charges; fix leakages; increase realized price, accurate billing, and margin per ton.
  • Working Capital And Cash Conversion Optimization: Optimize DSO, DPO, inventory turns, and prepayments; redesign terms, dispute resolution, and factoring; free cash and stabilize liquidity across commodity cycles.
  • Site And Contract Profitability Analytics: Implement activity-based costing by route, site, line, commodity, and customer; standardize allocations; reveal value destroyers; improve mix, renewals, and capital decisions.

AI, Data & Analytics

  • Recycling Data Platform And Governance: Build cloud lakehouse integrating weighbridge, materials recovery facility (MRF) SCADA, optical sensors, robotics, ERP, and CRM; enforce data quality, lineage, and access; enable self‑service analytics.
  • Computer Vision For Contamination And Composition: Deploy cameras on trucks, conveyors, and balers; train vision models; quantify composition and contamination; trigger supplier feedback and line adjustments; increase bale purity and recovery.
  • Predictive Maintenance And OEE Analytics: Apply machine learning to vibration, current, temperature, and PLC telemetry; predict failures on screens, optics, conveyors, balers; optimize schedules; increase uptime and overall equipment effectiveness.
  • Digital Twin And Recipe Optimization: Build simulation of screens, blowers, and optical recipes; run what‑ifs by inbound mix; maximize throughput and capture rate; reduce jams and residue.
  • Bale Genealogy And Traceability Analytics: Link scale tickets, route source, composition scans, and line sensors to bale IDs; track quality, claims, and pricing; drive accountability, process improvement, and customer transparency.

Transformation

  • Enterprise Transformation Office And Value Realization: Stand up Transformation Office with cadence, benefits tracking, change governance across collections, materials recovery facilities, organics; deliver EBITDA uplift, cost per ton reduction, service reliability.
  • Multi-Site Performance Turnaround Program: Run 12‑week waves to lift throughput, recovery, bale purity, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE); address bottlenecks, maintenance, staffing, recipes; sustain gains with playbooks, coaching.
  • Lean Daily Management And Problem Solving Rollout: Deploy tiered huddles, key performance indicator (KPI) cascades, visual management, Kaizen; build leader standard work; reduce downtime, changeover losses, contamination, overtime across sites.
  • Digital Adoption And Workforce Enablement At Scale: Drive adoption of OEE dashboards, computer vision contamination alerts, route analytics, and e‑work instructions; deliver training, incentives, governance; convert digital pilots into sustained value.
  • Merger Integration And Synergy Delivery: Lead integrations or carve‑outs across routes, materials recovery facilities, contracts, and systems; realize procurement, overhead, and network synergies; protect customers, talent, safety, and bale quality.

Sustainability

  • Net Zero Strategy And Science Based Targets: Baseline Scope 1–3 across collections, MRFs, organics; develop marginal abatement cost curve, governance, and roadmaps; reduce CO2e per ton processed and improve RFP scoring.
  • Renewable Energy And Fleet Electrification Roadmap: Design on-site solar, storage, and PPAs; plan EV refuse trucks and charging; optimize tariffs and demand; cut energy cost per ton and Scope 2 emissions.
  • Circularity And Recycled Content Certification Enablement: Implement chain-of-custody, mass-balance, and audits; achieve SCS, UL, or ISCC+ recycled content certifications; substantiate claims; unlock premiums and long-term offtake contracts.
  • Product Carbon Footprint And LCA Analytics: Build lifecycle assessments for rPET, rHDPE, rPP, OCC and services; generate Environmental Product Declarations; evidence Scope 3 benefits; differentiate in municipal and brand-owner procurements.
  • Zero Waste And Diversion Program Design: Design Zero Waste programs for municipalities and enterprise customers; set targets, incentives, and measurement; increase landfill diversion, reduce contamination, and improve recycling participation rates.

Compliance

  • Environmental Compliance Management System For Recycling Sites: Build obligations register and controls for NPDES stormwater SWPPP, SPCC, air, odor, noise, waste storage; assign owners, evidence, audits; cut Notices of Violation.
  • EPR And Stewardship Reporting Compliance Operations: Manage data collection and filings for packaging EPR, WEEE, batteries, deposit return; validate calculations; prepare audits; reduce penalties, admin burden, and fee overpayments.
  • Export And Transboundary Movement Compliance For Recyclables: Implement Basel/OECD notifications, waste codes, prior informed consent, and documentation; vet downstreams; train brokers; avoid seizures, refusals, and reputational risk.
  • Weighbridge And Weights And Measures Compliance: Certify legal‑for‑trade scales, tamper seals, and calibration; enforce audit trails in scale software; reconcile tickets; lower fines, disputes, and revenue leakage.
  • Universal Waste And Refrigerant Handling Compliance: Standardize universal waste, batteries, lamps, and refrigerant recovery; align with EPA Universal Waste rules and Section 608; reduce violations, spills, and enforcement actions.

Program & Portfolio Management

  • Portfolio Prioritization And Capital Allocation: Prioritize MRF upgrades, fleet electrification, route analytics, organics capacity by NPV, risk, compliance; sequence waves; maximize ROI, recovery, purity, and service reliability.
  • Enterprise PMO And Portfolio Governance: Establish EPMO with stage gates, risk registers, standardized reporting; align priorities and funding; improve on-time delivery, budget adherence, and cross-site coordination.
  • Integrated Master Scheduling And Outage Coordination: Build integrated schedules across projects, outages, lead times, permitting windows, and peak seasons; expose critical paths; reduce slippage, conflicts, and revenue at risk.
  • Benefits Realization And Performance Tracking: Define baselines and KPIs for throughput, recovery, purity, cost per ton, CO2e; track realization; enforce gates; protect business cases and EBITDA.
  • Grants, Incentives, And Funding Program Management: Orchestrate applications and compliance for recycling infrastructure grants, fleet electrification incentives, and tax credits; stage disbursements; de-risk funding; accelerate timelines.

Information Technology

  • Enterprise Systems Roadmap And ERP/Scalehouse Selection: Assess current stack; design target architecture; select ERP, scalehouse, route management, CMMS, MES; integrate estimating and billing; improve ticket accuracy, billing speed, and asset uptime.
  • Integration And Interoperability Architecture: Implement iPaaS and APIs connecting scalehouse, ERP, CRM, TMS, CMMS, MES/SCADA; enable straight‑through processing and master data sync; reduce rekeying, latency, and errors.
  • OT Cybersecurity And Network Modernization: Harden MRF and AD OT networks, SCADA, and automation; segment and monitor remote access; align to NIST and ISA/IEC 62443; reduce ransomware risk and downtime.
  • Cloud Migration And Infrastructure Modernization: Migrate ERP, content, and analytics to cloud; modernize WAN, Wi‑Fi, identity, backup, and disaster recovery; improve reliability, scalability, and cost per site.
  • Mobile Workforce And Device Management: Deploy tablets and e‑forms for drivers, techs, and inspectors; implement mobile device management, offline sync, and integrations; cut paperwork, errors, and cycle time.

Capital Projects

  • Front-End Engineering Design: Front-end engineering design for MRF, plastics recycling, and anaerobic digestion projects; define scope, layouts, Class 3 estimates, and execution plan; de-risk capex, schedule, and interfaces.
  • Contracting Strategy And Delivery Model: Define contracting strategy and Engineering, Procurement, Construction models; allocate risks; develop tender packages, bid evaluations, and incentives; improve competition, cost certainty, and claims avoidance.
  • Cost Estimating And Schedule Risk Analysis: Build Class 4–2 estimates, work breakdowns, and Monte Carlo schedule risk analysis; set contingencies and escalation; prevent overruns and compress time to commissioning.
  • Constructability, Modularization, And Site Logistics: Conduct constructability reviews, modularization strategies, and site logistics planning; shorten outages, improve safety, reduce change orders, and accelerate ramp-up.
  • Commissioning, Performance Testing, And Ramp-Up: Plan commissioning, pre-startup safety reviews, and performance testing; resolve defects; stabilize throughput, recovery, bale quality, and energy efficiency; achieve acceptance and performance guarantees.

Health, Safety & Environment

  • HSE Management System And Governance: Design ISO 45001–aligned safety management system, life‑saving rules, and audits; strengthen culture; reduce Total Recordable Incident Rate and Serious Injury and Fatality potential.
  • Mobile Equipment And Traffic Separation Program: Redesign yard traffic plans, pedestrian segregation, one‑way flows, visibility aids, and proximity detection; train spotters and operators; reduce struck‑by incidents, near misses, and property damage.
  • Machine Safeguarding And Lockout Tagout Excellence: Audit conveyors, balers, shredders, and optics; upgrade guarding, interlocks, emergency stops, and safe access; standardize lockout tagout; reduce amputations, caught‑in hazards, and unplanned downtime.
  • Fire Prevention And Lithium-Ion Battery Risk Management: Establish lithium‑ion detection, thermal imaging, hot‑load protocols, spark suppression standards, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) fire systems; strengthen readiness; cut fires and business interruption.
  • Industrial Hygiene And Exposure Control Strategy: Design industrial hygiene programs for combustible dust, noise, bioaerosols, VOCs, and methane; optimize ventilation, sprays, personal protective equipment (PPE), and monitoring; reduce overexposures and citations.

Regulatory Affairs & Permitting

  • Permitting Strategy And Critical Path Roadmap: Map solid waste facility, air (Title V/NSR), NPDES/stormwater, building, fire, and local approvals for MRF, plastics, AD, transfer; sequence studies; compress timelines and costs.
  • Solid Waste Facility Siting And Land Use Entitlements: Secure zoning, conditional use permits, variances, traffic and noise approvals; integrate CEQA/NEPA; address environmental justice; expand capacity while avoiding appeals and delays.
  • Air Permitting And Emissions Modeling: Prepare Title V or minor source and New Source Review permits; perform dispersion and odor modeling, BACT analyses; negotiate limits; protect throughput and community acceptance.
  • Permit Application Development And Modification Management: Assemble complete applications, narratives, plans, and drawings; coordinate studies and responses; manage permit modifications for upgrades; reduce resubmittals, conditions, and review cycle time.
  • Regulatory Agency And Community Engagement Strategy: Build engagement plans, briefings, site tours, and public meeting materials; manage comment responses; incorporate EJ commitments; secure favorable conditions, flexibility, and faster approvals.

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Find a consultant in our Recycling Practice

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