A Simple Guide to Choosing and Placing Receptacles
Indoor Trash Cans
Choosing and Placing Receptacles
Your choice and placement of trash and recycling receptacles will go a long way toward ensuring that employees and guests take advantage of them properly, keeping your workplace and outdoor areas free of rubbish and odors. The following tips can help you determine the best trash bins and placement for your needs.
Choose an Appropriate Material
The best receptacle for any office or industrial location is determined in large part by the material it is made of. Trash and recycling containers come in a variety of materials to withstand different degrees of use, including:
- Steel and stainless steel
- Wood
- Plastic
- Concrete
Wood trash cans, often with decorative elements, are perfect for offices and even some outdoor spaces. Stainless steel trash cans are durable and attractive, and come in a variety of sizes and styles for office, outdoor and industrial use. For maximum durability with the bonus of anti-theft protection, concrete trash cans are perfect for very high use or park areas where theft, elements and rough use are expected.
Size According to Location and Use
When choosing receptacles for your place of business, it’s important to determine what size will fit both the space and your waste requirements. Small wastebaskets placed around the office or under desks will keep individual spaces clean, while moderately sized trash cans — preferably with lids to keep odors under control — are optimal for shared spaces such as break rooms, lunch rooms and kitchens. Industrial locations and some outdoor places like parks or walkways usually require larger trash cans to accommodate higher traffic and larger items.
Color Coding Promotes Recycling
Color coding your waste receptacles is an easy way to encourage employees to dispose of their trash or recycling properly. While blue is the standard catch-all for recycling, other colors can be implemented according to your workplace needs — for example, using green bins for plastic, yellow for cans, white for paper, etc. No matter what color coding method you choose, be consistent with them throughout the workplace.
Placement and Visibility Are Key
Finally, proper placement of receptacles is actually more important than how many bins you have. Consider what sort of trash will be disposed of in specific areas and place bins accordingly. Here are a few handy tips:
- Large sturdy trash bins just outside doors allow people to discard trash before entering
- Lidded receptacles placed next to tables or benches in outdoor spaces make food disposal a snap
- Cigarette receptacles and outdoor ashtrays are best placed just outside of rear or side doors or in any outdoor break area for quick disposal before entering the building
- A combination of bins for recycling, food and trash is perfect for high traffic areas such as kitchens, break rooms or outdoor areas
Receptacles come in such a wide variety of sizes, colors and materials that, with a little advance planning, you can easily select the perfect combination for your workplace.
FollowHow to choose the right trash can for your business
Concrete Outdoor Trash Cans
Choosing the Right Indoor Trash Cans for your Business
Indoor trash cans are more than trash receptacles. They add to your overall office decor theme, so it’s important to keep an eye on your design ascetics to create a cohesive overall look. Identify where your biggest trash can needs are throughout the office. Ideal locations include larger communal trash cans in the break room and kitchen, individual trash cans for each office, and meeting room trash cans.
Consider smell reducing designs, such as trash cans that have lids with dome tops or other ways of mitigating smells, for trash cans that get a large amount of food waste. The trash cans at the desks get paper waste, snack wrappers, and other generally smell-free objects so it’s less of an issue here. Once you have your garbage cans set up, make sure your janitorial staff empties them on a regular basis so employees are encouraged to keep up on their cleanliness.
Choosing the Right Outdoor Trash Cans for your Business
Your focus for outdoor trash cans is more on utility than appearance, although you still want your trash cans to promote your overall business look and theme. Put trash cans by any entrances and exits, especially if you have customers coming into a storefront business. When you encourage customers to dump their trash from a food court or another business before coming into your store, you don’t worry about trash strewn around that may not get discovered until much later.
Outdoor ashtrays are another necessary component to your overall commercial trash can needs, as there’s nothing that gives more of a negative impression than your front door surrounded by cigarette butts. Focus on more durable materials for your outside trash receptacles so they stand up to high use and the elements.
Recycle Right: Choose the Proper Can for Your Office
Steel Recycle Bins
Recycle with the Perfect Recycling Trash Can
300 to 400 tons of trash are dumped daily on the once bucolic island of Thilafushi in the Maldives, transforming it into a toxic wasteland. Moscow, Naples, and the state of New Jersey are plagued by chronic landfill overflow problems, inciting political debate and international press coverage. In Los Angeles, two Material Recycling Facilities, or MRFs, have experienced an overnight spike in volume from 200 tons a day each to a combined 10,000 after the closure of America’s largest landfill, which received a staggering 12,000 tons of waste a day, or half of Los Angeles County’s daily trash production. Many American landfills will reach capacity within the next five years, and operators are resorting to incineration, which is considered hazardous because of toxic air pollution. On this front, the EPA is conducting a study on dioxin emissions to determine if this practice is safe or would cause long term health devastation to local communities like the Seveso disaster. Recycling is universally touted as the most immediate solution to the global landfill crisis. Recycling trash cans can help in getting you started.
Even if your office has never recycled before, it only takes a few simple steps to start. First, identify local facilities or municipal collection programs that will accept materials. If quick Googling doesn’t help, many MRFs are listed in regional online databases such as these. Any local or regional MRF or waste management provider could be helpful in directing you to your nearest facility or hauling service. Second, choose the perfect office recycling bins to do the job. Lastly, start your recycling campaign at the office. For specialty needs like e-waste, business to business arrangements may also be suitable as several large U.S. based electronics manufacturers have committed to recycling divisions.
How to Minimize Waste at Work
Based on collection availability in your area, match with the items your office tends to produce. Every office where people eat lunch and have snack breaks will produce some blue category recyclables such as glass and plastic bottles. Maybe your office also produces a large volume of e-waste, scrap metal, plastic bags, construction materials or biodegradable materials. These different categories of items typically do not go to the same facility, so multiple bins or sectioned cans with separate liners are required for collection.
Encourage recycling in the work place by selecting the proper public recycle bin for your needs. An office producing large amounts of recyclable paper may want to shirk desk trash cans for small recycling wastebaskets and place a community waste receptacle for trash. Any office can encourage paper recycling by placing a can near a shared printer or copier. A recycling can in decorative gloss chrome or metallic silver reminds workers where to place aluminum, scrap metal, or e-waste. Covered bins can reduce the odor problem associated with biodegradable material. If your office produces multiple categories of recyclables or employees are confused by the recycling initiative, office recycling bins are available that are compartmentalized, labelled, and custom colored to collect multiple types of materials and remind employees of a can’s designated purpose.
Trash Cans Unlimited offers an array of designer receptacles to meet any recycling need.
Choosing the right trash receptacle for your office
Garbage Cans for the Office
Choose the Right Trash Can for Your Office Space
Offices have spaces with various functions – desks for working, conference rooms for meeting, and lunchrooms for eating. Just like every space is designed for its intended function, there are a variety of different kinds of trash receptacles for all areas of your office. Your trash says a lot about your office – make sure your indoor and outdoor garbage cans are creating the right message.
Benefits of Proper Disposal
Ensuring employees and customers have the right options for trash and recycling disposal can help your business in many ways:
- recycling bins promote green corporate culture
- tidy desks free of trash increase productivity
- neat floors and surfaces show attention to detail
- good hygiene improves the health and safety of employees and customers
- covered trash cans reduce unwanted food smells
Finding the Right Trash Can
Your office should have the right trash can for every area of the building. Outdoor trash cans allow people to dispose of unwanted items before entering your building, which reduces the amount of litter both outside and inside your building. Depending on your company’s needs, outdoor trash options could include garbage cans, smokers receptacles, or recycling bins.
When choosing indoor trash cans, smaller decorative options can add to the overall design of your office, which serving as a place to get rid of trash. Small under desk trash cans can help your employees keep their space clean and orderly, without having to interrupt their work with a walk to a far away garbage can. Keep in mind that smaller trash cans should be emptied more often to reduce overflows.
Trash cans for office kitchens, lunchrooms, or break rooms should have a lid to avoid unwanted food smells from traveling through the office. Lids will also cover any unsightly food wastes that could attract insects and give your office a messy or unkempt appearance.
Surprisingly, more trash cans doesn’t always mean less litter, so be sure to find the right balance to meet the needs of your office. A few strategically placed garbage receptacles will reduce litter more than several haphazardly placed options.
Types of Garbage Cans
Trash receptacles come in all shapes and sizes and can be made from:
- metal
- steel
- stainless steel
- plastic
- natural materials
Choosing the right material will ensure your office trash can is durable enough for its location and type of trash, and can also make a difference when it comes to cleaning or other maintenance.
Are you using the right trash cans for your commercial building?
Stainless Steel Commercial Trash Cans
Use the Right Commercial Trash Cans
Disposal receptacles can say a lot about your business. The availability of recycle bins might promote a green corporate culture. Fewer trash cans can help cut down on litter. The addition of covered ashtrays may reduce the number of cigarette butts cluttering up a store front. The type, number and style of commercial trash cans can help promote the brand associated with your company, and improve the perceived reliability of your services/products.
Offer Receptacles for All Types of Trash
Cutting down on litter creates a more welcoming atmosphere, and that starts with offering the right combination of trash receptacles. Outdoor trash cans help catch items people do not want to carry inside, like an empty drink or food container. Of course, it is always a good idea to offer two different options, one for trash and one for recyclables. Smokers receptacles offer an approved depository for butts that would otherwise cover the ground. For non and recovering smokers, nothing is more off putting than discarded butts. Inside the building, discretion is the better part of valor. Small, unobtrusive and decorative cans can be used to help create a pleasant visual. Make sure they are emptied frequently to avoid any overflows, and visitors will respond more positively to the cleaner atmosphere.
Prepare for the ‘Pay as you Throw’ Model
Technology now allows trash companies to track the amount of garbage produced by your company. RFID tags embedded in your trash cans can actually measure trash disposal by weight. That could spell some changes to the way disposal companies handle removal charges. Ramp up the recycling to help prepare for potential changes. Google has paved the way with a new program in their London office that removes individual trash cans. No more waste baskets at individual desks. Instead, employees all go to a central disposal location for trash. As a result, they have seen a 50 percent increase in recycling.
Bigger Isn’t Always Better
As more cities cut down on trash collection services, the temptation is to replace existing trash cans with larger alternatives. Before making that decision, take a serious look at your trash production. Would more aggressive recycling reduce your trash collection needs? If so, think about implementing alternatives that promote a cleaner approach to trash. Your trash cans are your direction to employees. Make sure they say the right things and encourage the right behaviors. TrashcansUnlimited.com can help.
Resources:
http://commercialobserver.com/2014/01/fewer-trash-cans-less-litter-mta/
http://www.mnn.com/money/sustainable-business-practices/blogs/no-trash-cans-for-google-employees
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/pure-genius/trash-collection-goes-high-tech-to-promote-recycling/
http://home.ieis.tue.nl/ydkort/0013916507311035v1.pdf
Indoor and Outdoor Recycle Bins
Half Round Recycle Bins
Why Recycle?
The two main reasons to recycle are to conserve the Earth’s resources and to reduce harmful CO2 emissions that result from the manufacture of products. When considering the carbon footprint of a manufactured product, one must consider the materials used, the energy used to create the product and the transport of the product. In addition, waste products created during manufacture must also be considered. Some of these waste products contaminate the environment and harm wildlife. The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) perhaps says it best when it points out that the manufacture and transport of products “leaves the world poorer, not better off.” The hole in the ozone layer, smog, global warming and water pollution are all a direct result of manufacturing.
While it is unrealistic to discontinue the manufacture and transport of products, homes and businesses can reduce their impact on the environment by recycling. The average American produces an estimated 4.3 pounds of trash a day, according to Population Education, and businesses often produce much higher amounts, depending on the industry. Recycling can greatly cut down on the total amount of waste. For example, recycling aluminum greatly reduces the emission of greenhouse gases because it takes 95 percent less energy to make aluminum cans out of recycled aluminum than it does to use virgin aluminum, estimates the Can Manufacturers Institute.
Ways to Recycle
There are two main ways that homes and businesses can recycle. One is to reuse products. The more products that are reused, the less that have to be purchased. The other main way is to send products to recycling facilities where they will be processed into a raw material and reused to manufacture a new product.
Home and Business Recycling Options
Homes and business can go green by using the proper waste control and management. First of all, trash should be divided from recyclable materials. The best way to do this is to recycling containers for the collection of recyclable materials. Businesses should place recycle bins in strategic locations throughout the workspace to ensure employee cooperation with recycling efforts. Different recycling trash cans should be set out for different types of materials. For instance, plastics, aluminum and paper can be put in a recycling bin that is set for trash pickup. Other materials that waste management companies generally do not pick up, such as Styrofoam, asphalt roofing tiles, electronics and batteries should be placed in separate containers for special pickup or drop off to places that accept those materials.
Recycling is perhaps the most sustainable step homes and businesses can take to help preserve the environment. The right recycling bins make the effort a lot easier, because items can be categorized according to their final destination. A recycling container can even be set out for items intended for donation. For example, one company may have no use for its scrap materials, but another company may indeed have a use for them.
Trash Cans Unlimited makes recycling easy for homes and business with its attractive recycling can choices in different styles and sizes to meet every need.
Sources:
55 Gallon Drum with Lid Park Trash Can
55 Gallon Drums with Plastic Dome Tops are the ideal and most economical solutions for properties on a budget! Durable, heavy duty, refurbished 55-gal drum features powder coat finish in Black which includes LLDPE plastic “pass through” open sided, dome lid in Granite or Push Door in Granite. Or you may choose the Recycle Blue refurbished 55-gallon steel drum with an LLDPE Blue Dome Lid with PUSH Door. Recycling unit includes Mobius arrow and Recycle decal applied to body with decal kit for Paper, Plastic, Glass and Cans/Bottles. Lids comes with strap that can be attached to drum to prevent theft and vandalism. Finished in UV-stable, TGIC EXL-COAT powder coat finish for weather and UV resistance that can be cleaned easily with a damp cloth. Product Dimensions: 23.5″ x 48″.
You can view all of our 55 Gallon Drums with Lids by following the link below.
http://trashcansunlimited.com/parkside-receptacles/
If you would like more info on our products you can visit us at TrashcansUnlimited.com.
September 5, 2010 at 4:05 pm Trash Cans Unlimited 2 comments
Metal Park Trash Cans
These attractive heavy duty perforated metal park receptacles are a great economical choice. They are made from heavy gauge steel steel with fully welded construction and will withstand the elements to last for years. They feature a gloss powder coat finish and bottom drainage holes to prevent water build up. With two 1 inch holes along the sides the unit can be chained to prevent theft. Available in 4 different colors to meet your needs.
Also available is a wall or pole mount with a welded bracket that has a hinged drop bottom. Unit includes clamps allowing it to be mounted to a 2-3 inch metal pole or wood post. Can also be mounted using a lag bolt to a wall or wooden post.
Long lasting and attractive, perforated waste receptacles help keep grounds looking beautiful! 16 Gauge all metal full welded construction will last for years. 10 Gallon Trash unit with a hinged drop bottom for easy emptying and welded bracket for permanent wall/pole mounting. Includes clamps to mount to a 2-3 inch metal pole or wood post. Can also be mounted using a lag bolt to a wall or wooden post. Available in 4 colors: Hunter Green Gloss, Red Gloss, Coffee Gloss, and Black Gloss. Diameter: 11.50 Inches Height: 23 Inches Weight: 16.2 lbs
Perforated Metal Park Receptacles with Lid
Long lasting and attractive, perforated waste receptacles help keep grounds looking beautiful! 16 Gauge all metal full welded construction will last for years. Standard models available in four colors: Hunter Green Gloss, Red Gloss, Coffee Gloss and Black Gloss. Each model comes with drainage holes in bottom plus two 1″ diameter holes halfway up sides allowing unit to be secured with chain to prevent theft. Heavy top beading and hemmed top and bottom edge adds strength and security. Lid keeps out critters. Includes Retainer Bands to hold trash bags in place. Available with or without mounting brackets for pole or wall mounting. Diameter: 11.50 Inches Height: 23 Inches Weight: 13.6 lbs
10 Gallon Perforated Trash Receptacle with Laser Cut Recycle Emblem
Maybe you would like some recycling park cans.
Heavy guage steel, perforated 10 gallon trash receptacle with “RECYCLE” laser cut into body. Units include Retainer Bands to hold trash bags in place. Available in Recycle Blue (RBL), Yellow Green, (YGR), Coffee Gloss (COF), and Hunter Green Gloss (HGR).
Heavy gauge steel steel with fully welded construction, Bottom drainage holes prevent water build up, Includes pre drilled holes on back for easy mounting to wall or pole, Steel retainer bands hold trash bags in place, CVR unit includes hinged lid to keep out the rain and critters, Unit Dimensions: 11.5 in. Diameter x 23 In. High, Unit Weight: 16 Lbs.
You can view all of our Park Trash Cans by following the link below.
http://trashcansunlimited.com/outdoor-trash-cans/
If you would like more info on our products you can visit us at TrashcansUnlimited.com.
Dome Top Lids for 55 Gallon Drums
These dome top push door lids are perfect for cities, municipalities, and parks. They are available in 11 different colors allowing you to customize to match your surroundings so they blend in or stand out and attract attention in order to make sure they get used. The tight fit on the swinging door keeps out bees and animals. There are no springs or hinges to rust or wear out. Bottom measures 24.81 in.
There are also 5 lid styles to choose from depending on your needs. You can choose from dome top lid with swing door, a flat top recycling lid with a 4 inch opening for collecting bottles and cans, flat top with 10 inch opening for trash, a bee resistor lid with with self closing flip door to keep bees and flies from entering the receptacle making it safer for everyone, and a two way open dome top.
These lids are proudly made in the USA and are made from 100% recyclable plastic to help the environment. They can also be sprayed with a clear coat of anti graffiti spray to keep the pranksters at bay while also giving the lids a high sheen to make them even more attractive.
We work with a few cities who have developed programs for youth organizations to stencil 55 gallon drums in a variety of colors and designs to place around town to promote recycling as well as deterring littering and then use a variety of our colored lids to attract people to use them. Enlist your city or town to do the same and help keep America beautiful.
http://woodtowonderful.org/canit.htm
You can view all of our Trash Can Lids by following the link below.
http://trashcansunlimited.com/kolor-can-plastic/
http://trashcansunlimited.com/trash-can-lids/
If you would like more info on our products you can visit us at TrashcansUnlimited.com.
Cigarette Receptacles: Keep America Beautiful by Disposing of all those Cigarette Butts
Have you ever taken a look at the ground around public places? Our cities and shopping plazas are becoming litter areas for smokers who can no longer smoke indoors due to all the various laws and restrictions to do so. Instead these laws are forcing smokers to smoke outside. America can pass all the laws it wants to against the persecuted smoker but they will still smoke. Since these smokers must now smoke outside of public stores, restaurants, and businesses we as a nation are facing a huge litter problem. Unless the establishment puts out a cigarette receptacle the smokers ash and butts end up on the ground. These butts then get washed into our sewers or stay where they land for an extremely long time due to the fact they decompose so slowly.
The Mayor of a small Kentucky town got tired of seeing all the cigarette butts littering his streets so he decided to count them to assess the impact this litter has. When he was done he had counted thousands in just over a 2 week period. He also observed smokers and concluded that a large majority of smokers that have a place to dispose of their spent butts did the right thing and would use a receptacle if one was present. If none was available of course it got thrown to the ground. He brought this information to the powers that be and was able to clear a grant for his city to purchase enough cigarette receptacles to place around town allowing smokers a place to dispose of their cigarette butts. After having supplied his town with enough cigarette receptacles he began to walk around town counting again. He was amazed that the litter problem was reduced by over 2 thirds. He is now an advocate for getting the word out to other small and large cities emphasizing the importance of giving smokers a place to dispose of their cigarette and cigar waste.
Just imagine the impact we could make to clean up our streets with just a simple remedy. The larger the city the bigger the result can be. In today’s world where recycling has become a way of life and such an important facet to secure the health of our planet for all of those that come after us, being able to cut down on this kind of litter can make such a huge difference. With all the products out there designed to contain smokers waste its just so simple to provide these smokers with a means to keep America Beautiful. By providing a cigarette and ash receptacle outside businesses and public places we as a nation are helping to keep are streets and parks clean ensuring a healthier planet for all of us!
You can view all of our cigarette receptacles by following the link below.
http://trashcansunlimited.com/cigarette-receptacles/
If you would like more info on our products you can visit us at TrashcansUnlimited.com.
