Should You Purchase a Trash Compactor for Your Business?

Trash compactors can allow you to optimize your waste management program effectively by condensing your waste and sometimes can lower your cost. But that is not true in all situations. Here are some things to consider in evaluating the purchase of compaction equipment for your waste.

There are a number of types of small commercial waste compactors that can be placed inside your business that can help reduce waste costs and provide a number of other benefits like potential zero-waste certification opportunities.

For instance, fast food restaurants can use these types of compactors either in the back room or in the dining room. These compactors reduce the number of times that employees have to make trips to the waste bins which helps to improve employee efficiency and help you keep an eye on your trash budget. In most cases, these compactors can also reduce your disposal costs.

Vertical compactors are a viable solution for compacting waste and reducing costs. They typically compact waste into a 3 or 4 cubic yard compactor bin and are then serviced by the waste haulers’ front end loader trucks. The compaction ratio for these compactors is typically 3 or 4 to one.

Benefits of a vertical compactor include reduced footprint, elimination of trash being blown out of container, and in some cases a reduction of costs.

There are basically two types of horizontal compactors: stationary and self-contained.

A stationary compactor is used for dry loads such as from warehouses, distribution centers, or used for cardboard recycling. A self-contained compactor is used for waste that may contain liquids such as from grocery stores, restaurants, or food processing facilities.

Depending on the city, these compactors may help reduce costs. However, many facilities choose them because they eliminate the possibility of scavengers and help reduce shrink from retail establishments.

One of the most apparent advantages of using a trash compactor is the ability to streamline waste management. If your business generates a ton of waste during the day, the last thing that you need is employees making constant trips to the dumpster to discard the trash and multiple pickups from your hauler.

Instead of operating like above, you can use a compactor for compacting the waste. The use of a commercial compactor will help in cutting down the number of trips to the dumpster and allow for organization of your waste management.

Here are some additional benefits of including a trash compactor in your waste management program and how it will be beneficial to your business:

Installing a compactor at your business location helps you to reduce the number of trips that a vehicle makes to remove the loose waste, which in turn reduces emissions. Many consumers are aware of reducing carbon footprints, and they tend to favor businesses that are green or ones that are making attempts to become zero-waste certified. Advertising your approach to reducing your carbon footprint could translate into more business and higher revenues.

While removing the loose trash, garbage debris gets left behind. When waste is thrown away in a dumpster, the dumpsters fill up quickly and create a mess around the area. The mess will attract pests, such as roaches and rats, which will create another problem on your hands. With a compactor, your cleaning and maintenance work will become streamlined and will not require as much of your employees time.

Companies that utilize compactors show a 15% reduction in the size of the waste and can be a common factor for the issue of why are my waste costs going up? Waste size reductions help in extending the life of the landfill. While compactors help you by having a streamlined waste management systems, they also help to do your part to better our earth.

So, if you are to manage your waste costs effectively, you do need to consider and understand the benefits of using a commercial compactor. Ask yourself, "Is a commercial trash compactor right for my business and budget? Also, "How can I choose from the types of compactors on the market?"

The size of your waste output is the first thing that you should consider before looking into an industrial trash compactor. The volume of the waste that your company or business generates will help determine the size of the compactor that is needed or if you need one at all. It would be best if you ideally aimed to balance the quantity of trash generated with the capability of the trash compactor that you have intended to purchase. If you are unsure, request a free waste audit from our team.

The kind of waste your business produces varies from industry to industry. How you try and reduce manufacturing waste is going to be different than how you reduce restaurant waste.

Whether your waste is wet or dry will be another factor to consider before buying a trash compactor to best suit your needs. A self-contained compactor is the best choice as it can handle both solid and liquid waste if you are in the hospitality, education or hospital industry, whereas stationary compactors are designed to handle dry waste better such as plastic, metal cans, and cardboard.

Ultimately, your budget can determine the type of trash compactor that you can plan on acquiring. Have a clear idea about the benefits of buying an industrial trash compactor and what amount it will save your business. The amount collected should ideally count as part of your available resources. Alternatively, you can also rent compactors instead of buying.

Some vital points that should be thoroughly understood and considered before making a purchasing decision for a compactor:

• You can deal with waste management using compactors without having to train personnel, set aside a recurring budget towards the operation, or alter your routines.
• The type of compactor needed and ability to facilitate a smooth transition to different modes of recycling at the next stage for efficient trash handling.
• The nature of the waste, the strength of the compactor measuring up to the waste type, the distance of the nearest disposal site to dump trash, the cost involved in the transportation, and the maintenance, and other incidental considerations should be the key driving issues before implementing a trash compactor for cost reduction.
• How would the transition to the chosen compactor generate revenue from the waste stream?
• A high powered trash compactor will reduce waste processing costs and transportation bills. Understand that it is not practical to pay large sums for regular removal of waste from your site. You can save a good amount of waste costs with a trash compactor and fight against higher trash rates like in the city of Los Angeles.
• The benefits of industrial trash compactors will grow when the volume of the waste generation is higher, and you have to pay to transport it to a nearby landfill or recycling site.
• A trash compactor gives you peace of mind by relieving you of the safety and fire hazards posed by accumulated trash. The commercial trash compactors are available in varying sizes, strength and types to address common trash issues.

Apart from these reasons, there are numerous accessories and options available for the integration with the primary compactor for reinforcing the firepower of the compactor. Trash compactors improve the bottom-line of your business by showing your concern toward environmental preservation and attracting incentives from the government and permitting space for recycling.

Stationary compactors are built for dry, or mostly dry, waste and recyclable materials. These materials include:

• Mixed paper
• Corrugated cardboard
• Wood
• Plastic

This type of waste compactor gets bolted to the floor, and the container that is holding the compacted waste gets detached for removal. Depending on the space constraints, your compactor will be picked up with a front loader, rear loader, or roll off receiver container.

These stationary compactors are a perfect fit for applications like:

• Industrial Spaces
• Retail Centers
• Warehouses

Self-contained compactors are built to handle wet waste or granulated materials that can leak, like:

• Food processing
• Medical waste

In the case of these compactors, the compactor body and container are hauled to the landfill as a single unit to minimize the risk of leakage, while the power unit is left on-site to avoid damage.

These self-contained compactors are the best solution for applications like:

• Grocery Stores
• Restaurants
• Malls
• Hospitals

Having the right trash management system is imperative. The process should be as trouble-free as possible and friendly for the environment as well. Make sure that you invest quality time in weighing these listed options before buying any particular type of industrial trash compactor. These compactors can improve your company’s waste management efforts, boost your profits, save capital, improve turnaround time, and most importantly improve your environment.

If you are unsure about what it is you need, contact Waste Control for a free waste audit and evaluation.