Waste is a key part of any business -whilst reducing waste can help increase profitability – it can never be totally eliminated and all businesses have to deal cope with waste management.

Rubbish and waste in some businesses is often minimal and requires little more thought than the removal of rubbish from our homes does. However, in some industries, rubbish removal and waste management can be an integral part of a running a successful business and should never be dealt with lightly:

Food Industry

In the UK there are more fast-food restaurants, diners and takeaways, per person than in any other nation on earth* and all that takeaway food can result in masses of waste that the fast food industry has to deal with.

In the fast food business the rubbish discarded comes in two types:

• Packaging and wrapping
• Food waste

And each has to be dealt with differently.

Packaging and wrapping from fast food items is often discarded close to the premises and businesses need to work with their local authority to ensure there are enough public bins and external bins for litter.

Food waste has to be handled differently, however. Food can attract vermin and can also lead to unpleasant smells. For general use inside the business a good kitchen bin should be used. It needs to be large enough to handle day-to-day waste while also should have a well-fitted lid. You may find for ease of use a pedal bin or sensor bin will be prevent the need from handling it.

Externally – food waste needs to be stored in an outdoor bin which also has a good lid. External bins will also need to be sturdy to prevent them being toppled by vermin.

Office Paper and Recycling

Offices are another common business area that can amass large amounts of waste. Generally most office waste comes in the form of paper.

Paper can of course be recycled so a good paper recycling bin or container should be kept to allow the paper to be collected and recycled. There should be some risk assessment into storing paper as it is a potential fire risk. If waste aper is discarded to an outdoor area a fire retardant bin might be worth a consideration.

Large Capacity Recycling Bin

Steel large capacity recycling bins are a good idea for nearly all types of businesses that discards a lot of recyclable material. There are also recycling bins for collection of plastic cups – another common item discarded from business.

When it comes to disposing of rubbish, there is only one place it can go: the rubbish bin. However, the process of disposing of rubbish can be problematic in certain scenarios. Cooks, medical practitioners and people who work in the food industry are frequent users of waste bins, however, the problem for these people and many others in similar trades is that every time they touch the bin they have to wash their hands.

This frequent hand washing can be really problematic, especially if you are constantly using the bin and having to run to the sink. However, bin lids are important, especially when you are dealing with organic material as those in kitchens or hospitals do. Infection and pests need to be deterred and the smells and risk of infection are also reduced by a good fitting lid.

However, here lies the problem. A lid has to be lifted for items to be disposed of; hence the need to touch the bin and the following requirement to wash your hands in some industries.

There are of course different automatic methods of raising the bin lid:

Swing-top bins are a simple solution but the problem with swing lidded bins is that not only does the lid get very dirty with waste constantly falling on it; to be able to swing the lid needs a sufficient gap which means it is ineffective at keeping in smells.

Pedal bins are another solution but they can be quite cumbersome to use and require a pedal to be sticking out of the bin; and while the lids are often a tighter fit than swing bins, they are still not perfect.

There is however, a modern solution – the intelligent sensor bin.

Sensor Bins don't require any contact

Intelligent bins use a sensor that when approached automatically raises the lid of the bin thanks to an electric motor. The lid also shuts itself once your hands are clear so there is never a need to touch the bin at all.

The lids react at the perfect distance and quite swiftly so there is no waiting around for it to open. These automatic sensor bins have great tight fitting lids and are of a modern practical design that also looks the part and can save you time, especially in a busy kitchen or food production area.

The kitchen bin is one of the most used items in our home. Everything gets thrown into them, from food waste to old newspapers, and failing to get the correct bin can cause problems.

Ensuring you get the correct kitchen bin can be important but often people buy the wrong types of bins for the kitchen and getting it wrong can cause all sorts of problems.

The wrong type of kitchen bin:

* Can lead to bad smells around the home

* Can attract vermin and pests

* Can look bad

* Can be messy

* Can be unhygienic

In buying a kitchen bin there are several important aspects to think about which will ensure you don;t suffer any of the problems above.

Size

A kitchen bin needs to be large enough to cope with the amount of waste it will receive. Think about how many people will be using it; how often you can empty it and where it can fit in the kitchen. It’s important to remember that height will make a difference when it comes to disposing of things. Too low and you may find the bin gets covered in waste.

A swingtop bin will also prevent you from having to handle the bin

Lid

Perhaps the single most important aspect of any kitchen bin is the lid. A goo tight fitting lid is important to prevent smells from not only stinking the house out but also attracting the local wildlife. But a lid also has to be practical and easy to raise. Remember you may have to scoop food waste into the bin so a pedal bin, swing or even sensor activated bin lid will prevent food waste from dirtying the bin, it is also be more hygienic as you do not have to touch the bin to place waste in it.

Easy to clean and Empty

A bin has to be practical so avoid anything that is made form material that is difficult to clean or isn’t rugged enough. A good kitchen bin can be attractive but remember functionality is the key, it should also be easy to empty and shouldn’t be vulnerable to tipping.

In every business there is waste. From discarded paper to scrap metal, waste is part and parcel of all businesses and industry. However, waste management in some business sectors is more important than in others.

Catering is one such industry where more thought and consideration has to be placed on the disposal of rubbish than in other sectors. Preventing vermin and pests, as well as ensuring there is no risk of food poisoning from your business should be a top priority for anybody starting out in the catering industry.

And one of the most important aspects of this waste management is the use of the right bin. The right kitchen bin is crucial for any catering business and the criteria for a kitchen bin often differs to conventional bins. Kitchen bins have to store food products that will rot and smell whilst also preventing the attraction of pests and vermin.

A swingtop bin will also prevent you from having to handle the bin

The lid is perhaps the most important aspect of the kitchen bin. A good fitting lid that prevents smells and will ensure the local wildlife are not attracted to your kitchen. But also there are other aspects to the kitchen bin that needs to be considered.

A pedal bin should be really used in a kitchen as a lid that is opened manually can soon get dirty and will force you to wash you hands every time you use the bin. A kitchen pedal bin means that you can quickly dispose of peelings or other items without having to run to the sink which cumulatively will save a lot of time. A swing top bin will also prevent the need for touching the lid.

Pedal bins are a good idea for the kitchen

Kitchen bins get more use than other types of bin and ensuring they are a good size is important (and a bin is easier use if it’s waist high as you won’t risk missing it) but the size is also dependent on how often the bin is going to get emptied.

The exterior bin used for a catering business is also important to consider and although a good fitting lift to prevent smells is important aswell, most rubbish should be bagged up in there so a more important aspect to the exterior bin is to ensure that the local foxes, cats and rodents can’t gain access. Like the kitchen bin the exterior bin’s size is also dependent on how much waste you dispose of and how often the bin is emptied but in both cases it is always best to buy kitchen bins or exterior bins that is slightly larger than needed.