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Do you ever think about the importance of the doors on every floor of your building used for dumping garbage? They are the doors of the trash chutes. These chutes are usually made of galvanized steel. It’s a long tube-like structure. Trash chutes for apartment buildings are used to move the trash downwards.

It doesn’t matter if you live on the 2nd floor or the 20th floor. You only need to dump your garbage bag in the apartment garbage chute, and it will reach the central location of your building made for collecting disposed-off garbage. These apartment trash chute systems are crucial for the health and safety of the residents or people working in a building.

You will find answers to the following questions in this post:

  • What is the Use of Apartment Trasg Chutes?
  • How Does an Apartment Trash Chute Function?
  • Where Does Garbage Go Once You Place it in an Apartment Garbage Chute?
  • What Type of Trash Can You Put in Garbage Chutes?
  • What Type of Trash Can’t Be Thrown in Garbage Chutes?
  • How do You Maintain Apartment Garbage Chutes?
  • Can You Prevent Pest Infestation by Cleaning Trash Chutes?
  • How Do You Clean Garbage Chute?

What is the Use of Apartment Trash Chutes?

An apartment garbage chute is primarily used to dispose of garbage in a sanitary way in high-rise and mid-rise buildings. You only need to open the door of the chute on your floor. Put the trash inside, and close the door. The garbage goes directly to the central waste location, such as a dumpster or a compactor.

Sometimes, residential buildings have separate recycling chutes to put the recyclable garbage. The hotels use linen chutes to transfer their linens or laundry materials.

How Does Apartment Trash Chutes Functions?

Trash chutes are usually made of galvanized steel, stainless steel, or aluminized steel. You can find a door to intake garbage on every floor. There are chute support frames made from steel and bar stock on each floor.

The diameter of garbage chutes can be 20-36 inches. The discharge door is at the bottom of the tube connected to the compactor or dumpster. Modern trash chutes for apartments have the feature of flushing spray to clean and refresh the system.

Where Does Garbage Go Once You Place it in an Apartment Garbage Chute?

It depends on the size of the building. The common practice is to put a commercial trash compactor at the bottom of the apartment chute in a high-rise building. Whereas, in mid-size buildings, the trash goes into the dumpster because of space constraints.

What Type of Trash Can You Put in Garbage Chutes?

Apart from hazardous waste, all types of garbage can go in a chute. But there are right ways of throwing waste in the apartment garbage chute. Don’t put loose trash in the chute. Always put it in a well-tied garbage bag. Try to use small bags so that they can easily reach the bottom and don’t get stuck midway.

While using the recycling chute, flatten the cartons and packaging before throwing them. Avoid putting anything apart from linen in a laundry chute.

What Type of Trash Can’t Put in Garbage Chutes?

Never put the following stuff in a trash chute:

  • Christmas lights, fairy lights, or any other type of strands of light – They can clog the compactor.
  • Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands – They make it difficult to clean the trash chute.
  • Burning cigarettes or cigars – You know why!
  • Cleaning liquids and disinfectants – They are hazardous and flammable.
  • Unfastened pizza boxes and other packaging – They get stuck in the garbage chute.

How do You Maintain Apartment Garbage Chutes?

Proper maintenance of apartment garbage chutes is essential. You can maintain them in the following ways:

  • Hire a trash chute cleaning company so that it gets cleaned, deodorized, and sanitized regularly. An unkempt apartment trash chute can spread germs and foul odor. It can also be a fire hazard.
  • Take the trash out daily to ensure small garbage bags. They slide easily into the garbage chute.
  • Check the latches and hinges regularly of the chute doors. The doors keep the smell, germs, and flames away in the event of a fire.
  • Crush and flatten the packaging boxes and cartoons before disposing of them in the apartment garbage chute.
  • If you have a garbage disposal, use that. It’s better to throw less food waste into the apartment chute.
  • Throw the recyclable material in the recycling chute only.

Can You Prevent Pest Infestation by Cleaning Trash Chutes?

Yes! The foul smell of an unclean trash chute attracts rodents. And once a few rodents get in, they are quick to multiply. So always maintain a clean and sanitized chute.

How Do You Clean Garbage Chute?

Make an annual contract with professional trash chute cleaning services to ensure timely cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing. Emergency chute cleaning services are expensive and not available readily. Therefore, always have a contract in place.

Related Read: Trash Valet: Pros and Cons