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Whatever your waste disposal needs, effective waste management is vital to ensure efficient waste disposal.
There’s nothing worse than having to sort garbage while the dumpster is sitting in the driveway and the clock is ticking. Having one giant bin that contains all types of waste–or a junk pile that takes up half the garage–can quickly become a nightmare as bags break and chemical waste spills.
Even if you have a rented dumpster that never leaves your property, you will still need to see how it is filled. Employees can be very careless about what materials should and should not be put in a dumpster.
No one wants to take the dreaded phone call from the transfer station saying that improper waste was detected in your dumpster and that you are now responsible for a hefty fine.
So if you only rent a dumpster occasionally and have to accumulate the waste generated for weeks or months at a time, or if you are constantly managing a dumpster and trying to govern whether electronic waste and recyclable materials will end up inside it, use these tips to help ensure efficient waste disposal.
Ensure Effective Waste Management
No matter your waste management needs, understanding of how to manage and handle waste is key to ensuring cost-effective and safe disposal. This will include many factors, including the types of materials, the requirements of the disposal site, and principles of waste minimization.
The Importance of Separating Waste Materials
Ideally, waste materials should be separated as they are generated. For example, cardboard is recyclable and can typically be disposed of for cheaper or even for free, but if it gets mixed in with garbage and contaminated with waste, it will have to be discarded with the rest of the solid waste.
Understanding the definitions of different types of waste will help you save money and also abide by the rules of the waste management company.
Disposal of Solid Waste
Solid waste is defined as materials that cannot be easily recycled or reused. This includes garbage bags of trash, loose debris, old drywall, broken appliances or tools, and other rubbish that does not fall into the categories below.
It is of utmost importance to separate the below materials from the solid waste, as they have different classifications and different requirements for safe handling. Improper separation can have a devastating environmental impact, so it can also carry a hefty fine.
Hazardous Waste: Disposal of Hazardous Materials
Contact your landfill to ensure that you fully understand what qualifies as hazardous waste. This can include combustible substances like paint and petroleum products, or items that pose a physical hazard such as used needles.
These materials can generally be disposed of safely as long as you follow the EPA recommended guidelines, but talk to your landfill to ensure that you are in full compliance with their hazardous waste regulations.
Electronic Waste
Any electronic devices that include one or more batteries need to be treated with caution. Garbage fires are often caused by lithium-ion batteries that have been improperly discarded, and irresponsible disposal can literally cost lives.
Your waste management company can tell you how to safely handle batteries that need to be discarded. They may also have an electronic waste recycling program, which will save you money by reducing the tonnage that you must pay to eliminate. So if you have any type of electronic equipment to dispose of, call the landfill first.
Recyclable Materials
While you are unlikely to face fines for putting recyclable materials in your waste bin, you will still pay. After all, you are likely paying by the ton, so any recyclable materials that you put in your bin could have been kept separate and turned in for free.
Minimize Waste: The Open Secret For Good Waste Management
Unfortunately, the more waste you and your household or business are generating, the more likely it is that some of it could have been minimized or avoided. But being busy with other things, while a common reason for increased garbage production, is no excuse.
With a little ingenuity, you can minimize your garbage output, saving yourself money even as you reduce environmental impact.
Open Up to Freecycling
You may be surprised what common waste items you possess that members of your community would be very excited to take off your hands.
Never put sturdy buckets in a dumpster. Whatever they contained frosting or axel grease, some local gardener or prepper is sure to want them.
If you discard food regularly, see if any local farmers would like to pick it up to feed to pigs or chickens.
If you are demolishing a kitchen, issue a curb alert for cabinet doors and stretches of countertop. Same for tearing out walls, as those two-by-four studs add a lot of weight to the dumpster and could be very handy for an amateur builder.
The more you look at the high volume and high weight items that you routinely throw away, the more you will see that some creative person would truly value and make great use of.
A Little Care Can Save Hundreds
Loading a dumpster willy-nilly, just throwing items in as they appear, can leave the dumpster filled inefficiently. Take some care to reduce volume by wadding up and stuffing things like plastic sheeting, breaking down containers, and even aligning long narrow items with one another so that they take up less room.
Take Thought: Waste Does Not Manage Itself
Waste management is an important but also overlooked aspect of any household or business. If your business’ waste disposal is becoming a difficulty that you struggle to overcome, perhaps the above tips can help you create a more mindful waste system that will allow you to put your mind to other tasks.
Whether your concerns are with compliance with federal regulations, human health, environmental harm or just the need to save more money, a system that makes it easy to properly dispose of all waste materials will help you achieve your goals and gain peace of mind.
