Archive for February, 2014
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
FollowIndoor 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.
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