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It isn’t uncommon for architects to consider different ways to reduce waste while building a structure. However, they should also focus on designing techniques that would reduce the ongoing waste generated during the life of a building. For instance, just the way you would consider reducing energy and water use, consider reducing the waste generated. One of the best ways to manage and reduce waste in commercial buildings is by designing material flows. This achieves two purposes:

  • It reduces the waste being sent to landfills
  • It improves the convenience for residents, the quality of public space around the building, and the working conditions for staff.

Use equipment like apartment compactors and trash chutes wherever necessary in the process of designing material flows.

What are the Benefits of Waste Management?

  • Minimizes disposal costs and increases profits
  • Streamlines reporting and information sharing
  • Enhances sustainability
  • Conserves resources and reduces greenhouse gas emissions
  • Enables you to find ways to reduce hauling costs and negotiate for waste and recycling services to fit your needs.

Commercial Waste Disposal

There are 5 ways to manage and reduce commercial building waste which are as follows:

  1. Plan for Materials Flow Through a Building

    Design a plan that ensures the goods delivered to the building are mirrored by the flow of outbound discarded materials. Such flows help manage waste efficiently. Essentially, the plan should cover routes, quantities of goods, equipment, storage space design, staff procedures, and collection set out.

  2. Make Waste Separation Easier

    It is always a good idea to separate the different types of waste coming out of a building. Implement designs that can simplify the disposal of materials in separate containers. Good design can also increase diversion rates. Make a system where there are clear signage and visuals on the bins. Use apartment trash compactors to compact the waste.

  3. Reduce Consumption of Waste-Producing Goods

    The more goods you use, the more waste will be generated. So, try to lower the consumption of goods right from the early stages of design and construction. Encourage initiatives like sharing furniture in an office space or providing reusable dishware instead of disposable ones. Also, incorporate training programs to educate your staff on how to reduce the volume of waste.

  4. Plan for Collection and Storage of Waste Containers

    A building’s sidewalk can function as a number of things – space for bike racks, curb cuts, and street furniture. In certain cases, it can also be elongated to include the system for stormwater infiltration. It will be a wasted opportunity if you do not coordinate these uses with storage space for waste before it is collected. If you know approximately how much waste a building would generate, you can plan a sidewalk to accommodate it. Without proper planning for space for waste storage, there will be permanent storage of waste containers along with the sidewalk. This will hamper the pedestrian sidewalk experience. So, make sure you incorporate a plan for the collection of building waste.

  5. Consider Take-Back of Delivery Materials

    Thanks to e-commerce, commercial buildings witness a great inflow and outflow of materials. Design the entrances that can take package delivery and outgoing packaging into account. You can design the loading docks and package rooms to accommodate the take-back of crates and packaging. Design the foodservice spaces that will enable the suppliers to take back the delivery packaging such as crates and reusable bottles with the next delivery.

Don’t be rigid about your plans and change them as required. Keep improving your practices and constantly assess your waste management program. Use recycling machines like a trash compactor in apartment buildings to manage the waste. When you incorporate these plans from the design stage, waste management would be effective throughout the lifecycle of the building.

Dumpsters have sure helped with effective waste disposal since their advent in the 1930s. But the one thing they have not been able to eliminate is the terrible smell that garbage bags sustain. For some establishments, the smell is more obvious on hotter days or when the dumpster is not closed. Restaurant and supermarket managers don’t have it easy either. They often deal with terrible garbage smells due to the large amounts of food waste disposal. However, with a few simple steps businesses can control commercial waste odor.

How to Keep Commercial Waste Odor Under Control?

  1. Use Odor Neutralizers

    Odor neutralizers provide solutions for odor control and air purification. They electronically produce ozone from the oxygen in the air without the use of chemicals. They operate independently and only require occasional cleaning and maintenance. Since they host electrical and electronic components to generate ozone, they use small amounts of electricity.

  2. Use Chemical Agents

    A variety of chemicals, clay car litter, and lime powder are powerful enough to eliminate odors inside dumpsters. Lime powder is an effective and cheap solution, but you need to be careful while handling it. It can cause skin irritation and respiratory problems if not handled with care. Clay litter is another inexpensive solution that is safe to use. It won’t irritate your skin and absorb both odors and liquids.

  3. Seal Your Garbage Bag

    To prevent your garbage bag from smelling, seal it up properly using plastic garbage bags. Garbage bags come in different sizes, and thicknesses, and have varying closure types. Your first priority should be to select garbage bags with a thickness of at least 2 mils. Things like size and closure types are a matter of personal preferences. Thin bags are more suitable for smaller trash and are not going to be able to survive the stress placed on them when they are put in the dumpsters.

  4. Keep Containers Dry from the Inside

    Toxic odors are often a result of microorganisms. To keep your dumpster free from these problems, make sure you keep it dry as often as you can. Provide your dumpster with plenty of fresh air so that no moisture or bacteria get a chance to be trapped in it. Let in plenty of fresh air by keeping the doors of the dumpsters open. You might also want to keep the top lid on the unit open to air it out for several hours each day.

  5. Break down the Food into Liquefied Waste

    Rodents and other pests are able to detect food odors even if the bags are sealed. But once they know where the bags are, it’s only a matter of time before they tear up the bags. If your business produces a large number of food scraps and non-edible items, it’s important that you dispose of them at regular intervals with the help of a commercial food grinder before you flush the liquid waste into the drain. For an effective waste management program to be put into place, all members of the organization need to play an active role to make those significant changes possible.

At Compactor Management Company, we provide tailored waste management plans for businesses. Contact us to find out how you can take a conscious step towards better business.