Warehouse Inventory Liquidation & Recycling in Hai’an, China
WALTER completed a 5-day on-site warehouse inventory liquidation and recycling project in Hai’an, China, inventorying, classifying, transporting, and recycling approximately 727 units, equal to about 180 tons of material, while achieving 100% site clearance across both warehouse levels.
The Problem
A confidential enterprise client needed to execute a full on-site inventory liquidation and recycling project at a warehouse facility in Hai’an, China. The project had to be completed quickly, immediately following the Chinese New Year period, while supplier availability was limited and several operational constraints affected the execution. The project required a complete physical inventory count, classification, and reconciliation of all on-site materials. WALTER managed the liquidation and recycling of the warehouse inventory, sourced and selected qualified local recycling suppliers, coordinated loading, transport, and shipment, and cleared both the first-floor and second-floor warehouse areas before restoring the facility for operational reuse. The project presented several risks. There was no formal ERP system with defined storage locations, inventory was disorganized and spread across multiple areas, and components from the same products were stored separately throughout the facility. Supplier availability was limited during the Lantern Festival period, and the second floor had no forklift access, creating a heavy reliance on manual handling between warehouse levels. Varied packaging sizes also created loading challenges, all while the project had to be completed within a tight 5-day timeline. This required a single infrastructure partner capable of managing inventory assessment, supplier coordination, logistics, recycling execution, material handling, and full site clearance under time-sensitive and complex operating conditions.
Project Scope
- Materials / Assets
- 727 units of warehouse inventory, approximately 180 tons of recyclable material, including metal materials, timber, paper packaging, mixed warehouse materials, and miscellaneous inventory components requiring classification, handling, loading, transport, and recycling.
Solutions Used
Execution
- Started the project immediately after the Chinese New Year period.
- Conducted a full physical inventory count, classification, and reconciliation of all on-site materials.
- Updated the cargo processing list to restore visibility over scattered and disorganized inventory.
- Invited three recycling suppliers on-site to assess volumes, weights, operational requirements, and pricing.
- Selected and contracted a local recycling partner to move from planning into execution.
- Developed a loading and logistics plan with the local supplier and on-site facility team.
- Prepared the site by transferring materials from the second floor to the first-floor staging area.
- Managed the lack of second-floor forklift access through manual handling, added labor, and extended working hours.
- Deployed trucks for metal and timber materials, with additional flatbed trucks and forklifts added as operations progressed.
- Loaded and dispatched multiple trucks while continuously adjusting workflow, labor, and equipment allocation.
- Cleared the second-floor warehouse area and consolidated remaining materials on the first floor.
- Completed final loading, transportation, recycling, and site cleaning.
- Restored all warehouse areas and loading zones, leaving the facility cleared and ready for operational reuse.
Results
Diversion Rate
100% site clearance achieved
Space Recovered
727 units processed
Actual Timeline
Completed in 5 days
Weight by Stream
- Total Weight 360000 lbs
- Metals included in total recycled inventory lbs
- Wood included in total recycled inventory lbs
- Cardboard paper included in total recycled inventory lbs
- Mixed residue included in total recycled inventory lbs
Documents Issued
- Project Report
- Inventory / Cargo Processing List
- Supplier Documentation
- Recycling Documentation
- Site Clearance Confirmation
“Large-scale warehouse clean-outs and inventory liquidation projects require more than removal labor. They require inventory visibility, supplier coordination, material classification, recycling pathways, logistics planning, and operational control from start to finish. In this project, WALTER acted as an end-to-end infrastructure partner, managing the full lifecycle from inventory assessment and supplier structuring to recycling execution and site restoration. For enterprise clients managing obsolete inventory, warehouse transitions, excess materials, or facility clearance, WALTER provides a responsible, scalable solution that combines operational efficiency, asset recovery, and sustainability.”