What Independent Recycling Services does

Independent Recycling Services, Inc. (IRS) is a privately held, family-owned waste management and recycling company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1976 by Frank Ward Sr. as Chicago's first material recovery processing facility. The company operates a fleet of approximately 60 professional DOT-licensed drivers under Teamsters Local 731, providing 24/7 collection services across the Chicago metropolitan area, Northern Illinois, and Northwest Indiana to a base of over 8,000 customers spanning commercial, industrial, construction, residential/multi-tenant, and event segments. Its physical infrastructure centers on material recovery facility (MRF) processing for single-stream recycling, plus a broad rolling stock of roll-off dumpsters, rear-load containers, stationary and self-contained compactors, and specialty vehicles for hazardous and destruction loads.

IRS monetizes through a primarily recurring, subscription-style revenue model built around monthly billing for waste collection, container rental, and compactor programs, supplemented by transactional revenue streams in special/hazardous waste hauling and recycling processing. The company supplements hauling with capital equipment monetization (compactor sales, financing, rental, and lease-to-purchase), free waste stream assessments, LEED documentation services for green-building projects, and a customer self-service portal (TruxWeb) with text-to-dispatch pickup. GTM is sales-led via an in-house sales team targeting commercial property managers, contractors, and high-rise residential associations, supported by trade affiliations (BOMA, IREM, CAA, CAI, ISRI, ILCSWMA) and community involvement. Multi-generational family leadership (Frank Ward Jr. as Vice President; Frank Ward III in sales and operations) provides operational continuity alongside COO Ed Kalebich and a tenured management team averaging over 20 years of industry experience.

Name

Independent Recycling Services

Legal name

Independent Recycling Services, Inc

Website

https://independentrecycle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Independent Recycling Services is a Chicago-based, family-owned waste and recycling hauler serving 8,000+ commercial, residential, construction, and industrial customers across Illinois and Northwest Indiana with a 60-driver fleet, MRF processing, and LEED/specialty waste capabilities since 1976.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (56211), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) & Single-Stream Recycling Processing (IMAIAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recycling Transfer & Consolidation (Single-Stream, Dual-Stream, Source-Separated) (EUAIABAC), On-site Recycling Programs (Single-Stream, Source-Separated) (BPABALAB), Recycling & E-Waste Collection/Hauling (HSAKALAJ)

Keywords

• Waste collection services
• Commercial recycling
• Roll-off dumpsters
• Hazardous waste hauling
• LEED waste management

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Waste Collection and Disposal Services: Ongoing waste collection services for commercial, residential, and industrial customers using various container sizes and pickup schedules.
2. Container and Equipment Rental: Rental of roll-off dumpsters, compactors, and rear load containers with flexible capacity and frequency options.
3. Compactor Sales, Financing, and Leasing: Sale, financing, rental, and lease-to-purchase options for compactors including stationary and self-contained units.
4. Special and Hazardous Waste Hauling: Specialized hauling services for hazardous waste streams including paints, chemicals, aerosols, corrosives, and flammables.
5. Recycling Processing: Single-stream recycling program processing where materials are sorted at the recycling facility to maximize recycling rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Independent Recycling Services provides waste collection, recycling processing, and hauling services across the Chicago metropolitan area. The company operates its own material recovery facility (MRF) to sort recyclables, and offers roll-off dumpsters, compactors, rear-load containers, hazardous and special waste hauling, LEED construction waste documentation, compost, document destruction, and snow removal. Services are sold on subscription or contract basis to commercial, industrial, construction, residential multi-tenant, and event customers.

Product overview

Independent Recycling Services offers a comprehensive suite of waste management and recycling services primarily for the Chicago metropolitan area. The company operates as a unified service portfolio organized by customer segment: Contractor services include roll-off dumpsters and packer live loads; Business/Industrial services encompass permanent dumpster and compactor rental, commercial container rental, and special services (destruction hauling, hazardous waste, special events, snow removal); Recycling services include commercial recycling, high-rise residential recycling, waste/recycling audits, compost, universal waste, and paper shredding; and Equipment services provide sales, installation, and maintenance of compactors and balers. The company also supports LEED construction projects with documentation and recycling reports. IRS does not operate as a software platform but rather as a traditional service company providing physical waste hauling, container rental, and equipment solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Roll-off Dumpsters for Construction Open-top container and dumpster rental ranging from 10 to 30 cubic yards for construction projects, with next-day pickup and permit services for Chicago locations.
• Packer Live Loads for Bulk Pickup Alternative disposal service allowing materials to be loaded directly upon the garbage truck's arrival, suitable for limited dock space, time restrictions, and small jobs.
• LEED Support Documentation and containers for LEED green building projects, including recycling reports, graded tickets, and mixed-stream C&D recycling to help achieve 50-75% waste diversion from landfills.
• Special Waste Services Comprehensive hazardous, non-hazardous, universal, and industrial waste management including asbestos, contaminated soil, e-waste, batteries, chemicals, and medical equipment disposal.
• Commercial Recycling Single-stream recycling program for commercial buildings with guidelines for accepted materials and separate programs for universal waste, compost, and document destruction.
• High-Rise Residential Recycling Mandatory recycling programs for multi-unit dwellings in Chicago, including separate containers and ongoing guidelines for compliance with city recycling mandates.
• Waste/Recycling Audits 24-Hour LEED Waste Audit and Waste Audit Walkthrough services to benchmark recycling performance, track progress, and provide detailed analysis with improvement recommendations.
• Compost Services Organics collection and offsite composting programs developed to fit specific building needs, with educational guides for implementation.
• Universal Waste Collection Collection and proper disposal of electronic waste, batteries, light bulbs, and ink cartridges through partnered recycling processors.
• Paper Shredding / Document Destruction Secure document destruction services with paper-shredding processors, developed to fit specific building needs with free evaluation.
• Permanent Roll-Off Dumpster and Compactor Rental Stationary compactors (2.0-6.0 cubic yards), self-contained compactors (20.0-31.0 cubic yards), receiver containers (20.0-42.0 cubic yards), and roll-off open top dumpsters (10.0-30.0 cubic yards) with financing, rental, purchase, and lease-to-purchase options.
• Commercial Rear Load Container Rental Free waste stream assessment with solutions to divert material from landfills, ranging from 96-gallon toters to 8-yard containers with both non-compacted and compacted options.
• Destruction Load Hauling Handling of destruction project hauling for expired products, out-of-specification items, and liquid products requiring solidification, utilizing commercial vehicles, roll-off dumpsters, or 100-yard transfer trailers.
• Hazardous Waste Hauling Collection and proper disposal of hazardous waste streams including paints, boiler treatment chemicals, aerosols, corrosives, gas cylinders, and flammables with site visits and cost estimates.
• Special Event Waste Removal Event waste management solutions including two-stream waste stations, dumpsters, portable toilets, cart rental, and live loads for marathons to multi-day festivals.
• Snow Removal Snow removal services utilizing company equipment to clear accumulated snow from Chicago customer locations.
• Equipment Sales and Services Sales and installation of stationary compactors, self-contained compactors, vertipack compactors, high-rise apartment compactors, compactor monitors, odor control systems, and horizontal/vertical balers, plus preventive maintenance and repair services.
• Residential/Multi-Tenant Waste Services Rear load container services for multi-family communities including apartments, condominiums, town homes, and senior living with customized collection schedules and recycling compliance assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Some LEED projects have recycled more than 95% of construction waste
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RecyclingIT (Trux)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner providing the TruxWeb online customer portal for account management, payments, and dispatch scheduling. Customers can access login at truxweb.recyclingit.com/login-IRS.aspx for online payments and account services.
• IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management)minorOthersIndustry affiliation showing membership in professional real estate management organization.
• ILCSWMA (Illinois Solid Waste Management Association)minorOthersState-level industry association membership for solid waste management professionals.
• BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association)minorOthersAffiliation with BOMA Chicago and national organization for commercial real estate professionals.
• CAA (Chicago Apartment Association)minorOthersAffiliation with Chicago Apartment Association serving residential property managers and owners.
• CAI (Community Associations Institute)minorOthersAffiliation with CAI serving community associations and homeowners.
• ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries)minorOthersISRI member showing commitment to scrap recycling industry standards.
• Teamsters Local 731coreOthersUnion workforce relationship ensuring professional driver standards and labor compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/312recycle
• Facebookfacebook.com/312Recycle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/independent-recycling-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Independent Recycling Services