PMRS thinks differently about recycling. In most instances, you may be familiar with a recycler supplying you with a steel drum, a dental container, or even a processor at your facility. The instructions are simple, fill up the recycling drum/dental container and call to schedule a shipment. The initial pitch though is that you can increase your metals returns and use your recycling funds to donate to charity or use them for facility enhancements.
The reality of recycling post-cremation metals is that it does not rank at the top of the list for a funeral home and crematory. Understanding that, a recycler can only recycle the materials that are sent to its facility by the crematory. So where does that leave most funeral homes and crematories with their recycling programs? It leaves most crematory owners with a program that falls flat from growth and are left with open-ended promises of bringing in an increased amount of dollars to donate to charities in their communities or impact their bottom-line for facility enhancements. Some owners then feel that the only opportunity for growth in this arena is to accept a processor that comes with a lengthy contract and surrenders their freedom to refine when and where they please.
As the PMRS team travels around the country, we often field a couple of consistent questions when it comes to recycling:
- “How well is my recycling program performing?”
- “Is there anything we can and should be doing differently?”
The truth of the matter is that every crematory across the country is unique, and 100% of the material being recycled is coming from your facility. If a recycler doesn’t take a hands-on approach to understand:
- What your crematory operators sorting processes are in place.
- How your business operates.
Then it’s nearly impossible for them to give you proper insights and feedback on the collection of your materials. Therefore, assisting in growing your recycling program organically to create larger donations and upgrade your crematories facility now seems like a deal that isn’t on the table.
You’re in luck! PMRS recognizes that recycling isn’t at the top of the list of items to do within a crematory. We’ve developed a recycling program that is unique and customizable. We do the work for you; our service is viewed as an extension of your business, and we work together alongside your crematory operators to learn their current processes in place. From there, we create an informational share with your team to help coach them up on processing and sorting best practices that we’ve learned over the years along the way from friends across the country.
What do you gain out of it? You gain a recycling program that grows organically without being a time suck for you. A program that adapts to your business’s needs and gives you the best opportunity to make larger impacts to your community through donation. It also gives you the chance to enhance your facility without sacrificing the freedom of when and where to recycle based on receiving a processor.
Do we recommend processors that sort out metal? Absolutely, there are several different types of processors in the marketplace that are wonderful tools that primarily help make a crematory operator’s job more efficient. Secondarily, they will increase your metal capture and opportunity for growth by investing in one. We’ve spent many hours training on different units in the market and are very familiar with them.
Before you go out a purchase a processor tomorrow know that part of the services PMRS provides is our free recycling consultation. If you’re interested in growing your program organically through collection best practices or even through investing in a processor, we encourage you to start by initially reaching out to our team for questions about your current program and its performance!
Written By:
Drew Osberg | National Director of Business Development
dosberg@pmrs-refining.com | 302-229-7644 (cell)
Drew Osberg brings a wealth of knowledge from within the deathcare and recycling industries. He has educated hundreds of crematories with his knowledge, tools, and analytical information needed to develop successful recycling programs.
Drew currently resides in Newtown Square, PA with his wife Brittany and two daughters Avery and Emma. He’s an avid golfer and loves to go to the shore with his family.