Do you measure the ‘running cost’ of your waste bins? This may seem like a silly question but every bin could be wasting time, plastic, money and putting the brake on your recycling and sustainability goals. If you’re a Multi-National organisation, it’s likely that you have thousands of random waste bins, if these were monitored, you would find the collective financial and environmental costs to be very alarming.
Having a good waste management system is essential for any business, yet little thought is put into what type of bin we actually use. At Easi Recycling, we’re often asked if there’s a difference between the traditional waste bin and a waste stand?
In order to answer that question, we’ve outlined the pros and cons of each to help you choose the right waste solution for your business.
The Traditional Waste Bin
The typical waste bin comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes – some with liners, on wheels, static, lids, colours etc. But the one thing that most traditional bins have in common is that you cannot see the waste inside. While it may seem beneficial not to see dirty, smelly mixed rubbish, the truth is that it can have a negative impact, placing waste in the correct bin is the foundation of a success of your waste management programme.
Often with traditional bins, the waste is mixed, meaning that it’s not correctly separated. However, even if a well labelled coloured bin is used for recycling, black liners are often used. This makes it impossible to distinguish which type of waste stream is inside the bag once it leaves the bin – meaning that when it arrives at the skip it could be a case of ‘if in doubt, chuck it out’ and any recycling efforts are wasted, the same often applies to when only clear bags are used.
What’s more, most companies only buy one bag type and size. But the problem is that these bags are often oversized in order to fit a number of various sized bins that may be scattered around the workplace. More often than not, the bag also tends to be less than half full due to ‘overlapping’ to help hold the bag in place – meaning that half of your plastic bag liner is used as a ‘holder’ and not for waste storage itself.
Is the solution to not use a liner?
Well if no bag is used, bins will need to be thoroughly washed and cleaned in order to remain hygienic.
This not only takes much more time and effort but can also be costly in cleaning fluids.
That being said, if a traditional waste bin is well labelled for proper segregation at source and the correct size and colour coded bags are used, this will create a successful waste management solution for many businesses and ensure that all waste is properly recycled.
Waste Stands with Bags
Waste stands bring a more modern approach to waste collection and you’ll often see these in airports, railway stations and manufacturing where the ‘running cost of every bin is measured’ as well as in the retail, manufacturing and hospitality industry. Waste stands are cleverly designed so that every bag fits perfectly with no outside container to reduce the fullness of the bag.
As the waste isn’t stored inside a container, the inside of the bag can easily be seen. This allows for quick visual checks to determine whether emptying is required, along with easy inspection of the type of waste that’s inside each bag for recycling or landfill.
They’re also more hygienic as the bag covers the stand and helps to keep it clean and fresh with all spillage staying inside the bag.
Furthermore, waste stands are ideal for uniformity and efficiency because they often accommodate higher volumes of waste – which means less time emptying is required.
Times is Money
Once your employees are briefed on the colour coding system of your choice, it allows for quick and easy identification of the type of waste in each bag. Generally, a yellow bag is used for mixed recycling, red for general waste and green for food waste – or, simply choose clear bags for easy visual inspection.
Longopac bag changes in 30 seconds easily
To make your waste management even smarter, add our innovative Longopac waste cassettes to your waste stand for the following benefits:
Every bag is 100% full – saving at least 70% on plastic
Hygienic – any residue on the rim simply pulls through to the inside of the next bag
Elimination of lids – each bag is sealed to avoid any spillages or odours
Tie the bag off when it suits you – whether that’s at the end of a shift, during quiet
times or before the rush, you only throw away what’s used
No overflowing bins – simply pull more bag through and keep filling
Less plastic and less spillage – our bags are three times stronger yet half the thickness of standard bags
Not tried Longopac and would you like a free trial ? click here.
Or to learn more about which type of bin would best suit your business waste management needs, why not give our friendly team at Easi Recycling a call on 0800 342 3177
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