Lautenbach Recycling

What Lautenbach Recycling does

Lautenbach Recycling (legal entity Lauts, Inc.) is a family-owned materials recovery and waste management company founded in 1991 by brothers Troy and Torrey Lautenbach in Northwest Washington. The company operates as the self-described largest family-owned recycling company in Washington State, providing collection, processing, and end-market services to construction contractors, commercial and industrial businesses, food processors, agricultural operations (dairies, berry farms, breweries), and residential customers across Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and Snohomish counties.

The company's service portfolio spans transportation and contract hauling (roll-off trucks, tipper trailers, live floor trailers, specialty sealed boxes for high-BOD organic waste), roll-off container rentals (15–40 yard boxes), self-haul recycling at three drop-off facilities, food waste depackaging using a Tiger Depack machine capable of processing 8–10 tons per hour, metal recycling, sustainable demolition, and materials management. Downstream processing is vertically integrated through the wholly-owned Skagit Soils composting facility (a US Composting Council Seal of Testing Assurance member that processed nearly 14,000 tons of green waste in 2020) and partnerships with anaerobic digesters that convert organic waste into renewable electricity and biogas.

Lautenbach generates revenue across six primary streams: recurring roll-off and storage container rentals (subsidiary NWR Containers), transactional self-haul tipping fees, contract hauling service revenue, per-ton food waste depackaging fees, per-cubic-yard sale of soil/compost/mulch products, and appliance/metal recycling fees. Distribution is direct — phone/email customer service, field sales for commercial accounts, waste audit consultations, and self-service facility access. The company holds third-party C&D recycling certification from the Recycling Certification Institute and is one of only two certified C&D facilities in the Pacific Northwest.

Name

Lautenbach Recycling

Legal name

Lauts, Inc

Website

https://lautenbachrecycling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lautenbach Recycling is a family-owned materials recovery and waste management company serving Northwest Washington with three facilities, providing hauling, roll-off rentals, food waste depackaging, demolition, and vertically integrated composting for commercial, agricultural, and residential customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (56211), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Solid Waste Collection (562111)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Recycling Transfer & Consolidation (Single-Stream, Dual-Stream, Source-Separated) (EUAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Yard Waste & Outdoor Debris Hauling (HSAKALAH), Recycling & E-Waste Collection/Hauling (HSAKALAJ), Special Waste Transfer (Tires, Mattresses, Appliances) (BPALABAG)

Keywords

• Construction demolition recycling
• Waste hauling services
• Organic waste recycling
• Roll-off container rental
• Food waste depackaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Vernon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Roll-off Box Rental: Rental of roll-off boxes in various sizes (15-50 yard capacity) for construction, demolition, organic waste, and manufacturing/industrial materials. Boxes can be rented by the day or for longer-term use with scheduled pick-ups.
2. Self-Haul Material Processing: Customers bring materials to recycling facilities where they are weighed, processed, and recycled. Fees are calculated based on weight and material type. Free drop-off for appliances (with Freon removal fee when applicable).
3. Contract Hauling Services: Commercial hauling services using roll-off trucks, tipper trailers, live floor trailers, and specialty transport for recyclables. Services span refineries, construction companies, dairy farms, and food manufacturing plants.
4. Food Waste Depackaging: Processing of spoiled, recalled, or aged packaged food products using the Tiger depack machine. Separates food from packaging for composting or anaerobic digestion.
5. Container and Storage Rental: Monthly rental of storage containers (7'-40'), job shacks, and steel road plates for construction and storage needs through affiliate NWR Containers.
6. Soil and Compost Products: Sale of composting products including soil mixes, compost, bark mulch, garden mulches, topsoil, playground chips, and various gravels through Skagit Soils subsidiary.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lautenbach Recycling provides integrated recycling and waste management services across Northwest Washington, including contract hauling via roll-off trucks and specialty trailers, roll-off box rentals (15-40 yard), industrial food waste depackaging using a Tiger Depack machine, organic waste collection and processing (composting and anaerobic digestion), ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling, sustainable commercial and residential demolition, and materials management/waste audit services. The company operates three self-haul drop-off facilities and sells finished compost, soil mixes, mulches, and aggregates through its Skagit Soils subsidiary, while affiliated NWR Containers supplies storage containers, job shacks, and steel road plates for rent or sale.

Product overview

Lautenbach Recycling operates a diversified portfolio of interconnected recycling and waste management services across Washington State. The core offerings center on Transportation Services (contract and specialty hauling), Roll-Off Box Rental (15-40 yard containers), Food Waste Depackaging (using a Tiger Depack machine), Organic Recycling, Metal Recycling, Commercial and Residential Construction & Demolition, Materials Management, and Self-Haul Recycling. Supporting these core services are affiliated sub-brands: Skagit Soils (composting and landscape products), San Juan Transfer Station (island services), and NWR Containers (storage solutions). The company integrates these services to provide comprehensive waste diversion solutions, from collection and transportation through processing and recycling, with waste audit services helping businesses optimize their recycling programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Skagit Soils: Provides recycling green and organic waste services
• NWR Containers
• San Juan Transfer Station

Products and services

• Transportation Services Contract and specialty hauling services for recyclables using roll-off trucks, tipper trailers, and live floor trailers; serves refineries, construction companies, dairy farms, and food manufacturing plants across Northwest Washington.
• Roll-Off Box Rental Temporary roll-off box rental in sizes ranging from 15 to 40 yards for construction, demolition, organic waste, and industrial materials; includes delivery, pickup, and swap services.
• Food Waste Depackaging Industrial depackaging service using a Tiger Depack machine that separates packaged food from its packaging at 8-10 tons per hour; processes spoiled, recalled, or aged packaged food products for downstream composting or anaerobic digestion.
• Organic Recycling Collection and processing of organic waste including high-liquid, high-BOD industrial waste from food processing, agriculture, breweries, and marine operations; uses sealed roll-off boxes and routes material to Skagit Soils composting or anaerobic digestion for biogas production.
• Metal Recycling Recycling services for ferrous and non-ferrous metals including iron, brass, copper, tin, aluminum, steel electric wire, appliances, and refrigeration units; refrigeration units carry a $30 per-unit fee and other appliances accepted free with $25 Freon removal when applicable.
• Commercial Construction and Demolition Services Environmentally responsible commercial demolition services including project assessment, comprehensive demolition planning, permit assistance, and material recovery for structures of all sizes.
• Materials Management Comprehensive waste audit and materials management services for cardboard, paper, plastics, metals, construction debris, and organic/food waste; helps businesses optimize recycling programs and identify diversion opportunities.
• Self-Haul Recycling Self-service drop-off recycling at the Mount Vernon and Bellingham facilities where customers bring materials directly; features drive-up scales, unloading assistance, and per-weight pricing for materials.
• Residential Construction and Demolition Services Safe, efficient demolition services for residential structures including barns, sheds, and homes; includes box rental options for debris removal.
• Temporary Dropbox Temporary drop box delivery and pickup service for homeowners and contractors with various sizes available for construction, landscape, and renovation projects.
• Storage Containers and Road Plates (NWR Containers) Rental and sales of storage containers (7 to 40 feet), job shacks, and steel road plates offered through the NWR Containers affiliate; monthly rental fees range from $100 (7' container) to $225 (20' job shack), with steel plates $140-$220 per month.
• Soil, Compost and Landscape Products (Skagit Soils) Sale of landscape and agricultural products through the Skagit Soils subsidiary, including compost, multiple soil mixes, fir bark, garden mulches, topsoil, playground chips, various gravels, and biochar compost; priced per cubic yard with delivery and contractor pricing available.
• Recycled Concrete 4 inch Minus Recycled Concrete available for purchase, suitable for road base or driveway base applications.
• San Juan Transfer Station Services Island recycling and garbage drop-off services on San Juan Island operating since 2014; accepts recyclables, e-waste, garbage, demolition materials, and hazardous materials with contractor-friendly special hours.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of tons of food waste diverted from landfills annually through depackaging operations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Rumpke Waste & Recycling: Family-owned regional solid waste hauler with recycling, composting, and transfer station operations across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Similar privately held, family-driven operating model; operates in a different geography.
• GreenWaste Recovery: California-based integrated recycling, composting, and solid waste company offering hauling, MRF operations, and organics processing. Comparable vertically integrated model but operating in a different geography than Lautenbach.

Broad incumbents

• Casella Waste Systems: Northeast U.S. publicly traded solid waste, recycling, and resource management operator with vertically integrated hauling, recycling, and organics services. Comparable business model and service mix; competes in a different region.
• Republic Services: National non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services company with major Pacific Northwest operations through its Allied and other subsidiaries. Overlaps with Lautenbach on commercial hauling and recycling but serves a much broader geographic market.
• Waste Management, Inc. Largest U.S. provider of integrated waste and environmental services, with substantial collection, transfer, recycling, and organics operations nationwide including Washington State. Competes on commercial accounts and recycling scale rather than regional niche.
• Waste Connections: Large publicly traded solid waste collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal provider with significant presence in Washington and Oregon. Strong overlap on commercial collection, C&D, and recycling but at national scale.
• Stericycle: Publicly traded specialty waste and compliance services company handling regulated waste streams including e-waste and confidential paper destruction. Partial overlap with Lautenbach's appliance and e-waste handling at the San Juan transfer station.

Direct peers

• Recology: Family/employee-owned integrated solid waste and recycling company headquartered in San Francisco with operating presence across the Pacific Northwest. Closely parallels Lautenbach's regional, family-led recycling model with hauling, MRF, and organics recovery.
• DTG Recycle: Seattle-based construction and demolition recycler with hauling, roll-off, and materials recovery operations across Washington State. Closest direct competitor in PNW C&D and commercial recycling routing.

Emerging players

• Rubicon Technologies (Rōnin): Tech-enabled waste and recycling marketplace connecting generators with haulers and recyclers. Adjacent business model (digital routing of recycling volumes) that competes at the customer-acquisition layer with traditional regional haulers like Lautenbach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LautenbachRecyc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lautenbach Recycling