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Public Bins – Importance of Numbers and Location

Richard N Williams — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:00:10 +0000

In order to keep a public location clean and tidy, the public bin is the most fundamental and important tool available. Providing receptacles for the general public to dispose of their waste is vital, especially in busy locations such as the high street, them parks and around fast food eateries.

Simply placing a bin in a public location, however, is not necessarily enough to ensure that the pavements and walkways remain clear and free from litter. Often locations either have bins placed in the wrong location, or not enough of them to begin with, which causes litter to be disposed of on the floor making the grounds unsightly and costly to clear up.

Having enough public bins and placing them in the right location is, therefore, an important aspect of dealing with waste in public locations.

Location of Bins

Placing a bin in the right location is key to ensuring a public area remains rubbish-free. Public outdoor bins need to be placed along walkways where the most footfall is, as those tucked away around corners will be easily missed.

Furthermore, the location of bins should depend on the type of facilities and services that are around. Areas with snack bars and eateries, for instance, will need bins around that are clearly visible, while remote areas with fewer people around and where food and other items that can cause waste are not sold will not be as important to place bins in.

Number of Bins

Ensuring you have enough public bins is also important. If outdoor bins get too full, too quickly then waste will soon spill out and build up around the area. Again, the number of bins is often dependent on the area. If there is a lot of fast food vendors around then several bins will be needed, however, in other areas a single bin may suffice.

Footfall is a good indicator to the amount of bins needed too. The more people, the more rubbish will be disposed of hence more bins.

Getting the number of bins and the right location to place them is an essential part of public waste management and getting it right is important to ensure the public areas remain litter-free.

Location of bins is important

Busy Bins – Coping with Public Rubbish

Richard N Williams — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:09:43 +0000

There are many locations where the amount of rubbish thrown in public bins can be excessive. While high street bins are very busy, and those outside fast food restaurants in particular, there are some areas where even these pale in significance.

These areas are either places where vast numbers visit for a specific event, or places where people spend all day enjoying leisure facilities – and it’s these types of areas where waste management and keeping the place litter-free can be a real challenge.

Theme Parks and Zoos

Theme parks and zoos are a good example of this. Because these areas have captive visitors – in other words people stay within the confines of the park all day. This means everything they consume, food, snacks, drinks, cigarettes etc are discarded on site. For some theme parks, zoos and attractions that can mean tens of thousands of people throwing vast quantities of rubbish away every day.

Sports Stadiums

Sports stadiums are another such location. Here, even greater numbers in a far smaller area congregate, again consuming food and drinks – all of which has to be disposed of. Again, these are captive visitors so everything that is consumed on the premises gets disposed of there too.

Managing Waste

So how do locations like this manage to keep litter-free and handle all that waste? Well there are four aspects for waste management in such high volume areas:

Number of Bins

Ensuring they have enough rubbish bins is essential for these locations. Not enough bins will mean the waste bins that do exist will quickly fill, overflow and lead to littering.

Public bins have to be large

Size of Rubbish Bin

Another key aspect is ensuring the rubbish and litter bins are big enough. If bins are too small then the same problems as above will exist which is why large exterior and public bins are used in such areas.

Location of Bins

If the bins are in the wrong location people may not find them or may choose to dispose of litter on the floor rather than walk round looking for the bins so good planning to site the bins in the right location (such as near eateries and snack bars).

Frequency of Emptying

Finally, ensuring the litter bins are emptied frequently also ensures that they don’t over flow. Most areas like this have a team of waste management technicians who continually empty the bins disposing of the waste in large exterior receptacles.

Gardening Bins

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:43:11 +0000

Whether you’re a keen gardener, or just concerned about doing your bit to keep the planet healthy, it can be a good idea to invest in a couple of decent compost bins. This is not only a great way to recycling lots of your household waste, but the resulting compost is also brilliant for fertilising your garden.

There are a wide range of compost bins available, and which one you go for will probably depend on what type of compost you’re after.

One option is the moulded continuous composter. This is basically a large plastic container or bin where you can store your garden waste. Make sure the bin is full to the top as it works best when it is packed with stuff. Go for a cone bin with a narrow upper section and tight lid to recycle moisture internally and break the contents down into compost quickly.

Another compost bin option is the tumbler composter. These bins rotate to turn the whole heap of compost, aerating it and helping it decompose more quickly. They are especially good for large batches of kitchen waste or green foliage, although they’re not quite so good for tough, woody fibres so think carefully about what you put in this one.

Compost bins can be made from plastic or wood and both have their advantages.

Plastic is a great material for a compost bin as you can increasingly get hold of ones made out of recycled plastic, adding extra kudos to your green credentials. Recycled plastic is easy to mould, which has led to improved bin designs, like the tumbler composter as mentioned above. Plastic bins are also generally available as a large, single sheet of moulded plastic, which makes them ideal for transporting to new locations. They are maintenance free and come with fitted lids to keep out excess moisture.

Wooden bins, by contrast, generally come in a flat pack so you have to put them together yourself. It’s a good idea to position these against a wall so they have a bit of support. The conditions in wooden bins tend to be quite good, although make sure you treat the timber with a preservative to stop it rotting. It’s also a good idea to line the inside of the wooden bin with durable plastic to prevent the decomposition of the beams.

Rubbish Bins for Business – Keeping the Outside Clean

Richard N Williams — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:48:05 +0000

The outside of any business is important. Image and the way a company presents itself are key factor’s to any business reputation and there is no more a direct face of any company than the front of the premises.

And while many businesses hire office cleaners and ensure the interior work space is kept well ordered, few, give much consideration to the outside. Litter, cigarette butts, bad smells and over-flowing bins can do more damage to a company’s reputation than a bad financial move or investment; however, keeping the front of any business clean is not difficult, it is all about having the right bins.

Keeping the front of businesses clean has become more complicated in recent times due to smoking restrictions; many premises now face a crowd of people huddled in the front of their office or factory – with the resultant cigarette butts on the floor an inevitability.

One of the first things that should be done to ensure a premises’ frontage is kept clean is to ensure that smoking bins and wall mounted ashtrays are provided. These need to be provided in the rght location though and while it might be tempting to place them far from the building to avoid crowds of smokers in the entrance, people may not use, especially when its raining.

Wall Mounted Cigarette Bin

Providing a smoking shelter is a better method of moving people away from the front doors, although these require the space to install.

Ensuring there are enough litter bins outside a premises is also important, especially for high street shops and eateries. By providing a bin outside your premises, even if your customers do not produce rubbish, will prevent others from disposing of litter on the floor outside your front door.

If smells or mess becomes a problem than a lidded exterior bin will be needed. These are often used by food businesses that dispose of food waste. The lid prevents smells and keeps vermin from intruding into the bin.

A wall mounted bin is a consideration if vandalism is a problem. Often bins around schools and pubs tend to be wall mounted bins as revellers and teenagers can often cause deliberate spillage.

Rubbish Bin Trouble Around the Home – Reducing Smells, Mess and Pests

Richard N Williams — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:27:39 +0000

There is a growing rise in the number of local authorities restricting their rubbish collections to bi-weekly. This fortnightly collection policy is causing householders a problem in that they have to store twice as much rubbish in their homes, for twice as long.

The problem with having too much refuse lying about is that it is all too easy for smells to develop which care not only unpleasant and can make your home reek for days but can also attract flies, vermin and other pests.

Black bags, while practical, are easily torn and along with smells – drips, leaks and spills can also attract the same problems.

Ensuring you keep your home and grounds pest and smell free can be quite difficult, especially if you are struggling for space in the dustbin, but there are some things you can do.

First of all, if the exterior bin is not big enough, buy a large bin for the outside. It is essential you get one with a good strong lid that will prevent smells getting out and pests getting in. The investment of a large outdoor bin will soon pay off if it means that you don’t have the hazards that excess refuse can bring with it.

Secondly, you can ensure your indoor bins are larger too. Perhaps the most empathises should be placed on the kitchen bin which is the one that gets the most use and has the most types of waste. Here too, it is important to ensure it has a good lid and that you wash the bin regularly. If smells do develop bin deodorizers are good way of reducing the problem.

Finally, one way of ensuring the rubbish doesn’t build up while you are waiting for the refuse to be collected, is to ensure you recycle as much of your waste as possible. A good set of recycling bins will mean that you can sort your waste as you dispose of and the more you recycle the less you have to throw in the regular waste bin.

Recycling at Work

Richard N Williams — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:04:34 +0000

The workplace generates a lot of waste. No matter whether you work in an office, warehouse, factory or outside, waste is a natural by-product of nearly every occupation.

A lot of what we throw away when we are at work, however, can be recycled and it is increasingly important that we think abut the environment when we are at work – especially considering the amount of time many of us spend there.

One of the biggest wastages in the workplace is the amount of paper we get through. Even though everything is computerised these days, we still are using just as much – if not more – paper than ever.

And not enough of us are recycling it either and this is a terrible waste as paper is one of the easiest of our resources to recycle. Recycling bins and paper recycling bins should be in the corner of nearly every office. So much paper gets thrown away that if all workplaces ensured it went in the recycling bin it would make a huge difference in the waste that ends up on landfill sites – and the number of trees cut down.

Cup collector

But its no just paper that is a nuisance to the environment. Many workplaces have vending machines and while these are very convenient for a quick cuppa the plystyrene and plastic cups that are used mainly end up on landfills – where they can longer for decades.

These can be recycled and many vending machine manufacturers are using more eco friendlier materials to make the little cups from. Placing cup collectors near the vending machines and canteen to catch the empties will ensure that these extremely numerous cups end up recycled not in the rubbish bin.

Cans from vending machines, too, can be recycled; can collectors will ensure the empties get taken away for recycling.

There are other ways of being a little more eco friendly at work too, such as making use of email and electric means rather than the printer and making sure you don’t waste paper unnecessarily. The culmination of this, and all other recycling tips is that less rubbish gets chucked away in the skip or external bin.

Litter and Recycling – providing bins for Schools

Richard N Williams — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:47:22 +0000

Controlling litter and providing bins for schools can be a challenge, especially as more attention is focused on recycling. Providing bins for schools can be quite complicated as the type of bins, the requirements of them and the number needed can vary from school to school. But there are some basic principles:

Location

Ensuring the bins are in the right place will prevent a lot of littering and can reduce the number of bins that are required. Exterior bins should be mounted close to entrances, this is convenient for people coming and going but ensuring they are mounted will prevent accidents or vandalism.

Interior school bins need also to be in prominent locations: canteen and main thoroughfares are the best positions but anywhere near a vending machine is also advisable.

Size

Ensuring the right size bin is used depends on two factors: the amount of rubbish that is thrown into it, often this can depend on its position, and the frequency of emptying. If the bins are in the right position a large bin can do the job of multiple bins, this saves money, space and time in emptying.

Recycling bins

Encouraging Recycling

Recycling bins are common in most schools now as pupils are frequently being encouraged to recycle and to think about the environment. Most recycling bins are colour coded which can help people know what to go in each bin but for classrooms, where space is a concern, triple and double compartment recycling bins can be used.

Cup collectors and can and bottle banks are often supplied to schools for vending and canteen areas and many schools are now ensuring classrooms use paper recycling bins too.

Specialized Bins

There are other requirements in schools too. Large kitchen bins are a necessity for canteens that serve hundreds and bathrooms need to be fitted with not just bins for towels but also sanitary bins too.

So when it comes to ensuring a school is supplied with the correct bins it is best to choose an experienced school bin supplier that can help guide you through the process of your requirements.

Rubbish Bins – Importance of Design

Richard N Williams — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:13:08 +0000

Many of us may think of the humble waste bin as just a simple receptacle for throwing our rubbish in; however, there are a wide variety of different types of rubbish bin, all designed for different tasks and purposes.

Design is highly important when it comes to selecting the right type of waste bin. So when you are looking to buy a rubbish bin, whether its for the home, business or institution, there are several aspects of bin design you should look out for.

Practicality

The most important facet of any bin is its practicality. However it is to be used it needs to be practical. When you are looking to buy a bin think about how it will be used – is it high enough and easy to throw waste in?

The size too is highly important. Think how much waste will go in and how often it will be emptied. If it is too small you can end up with an overflowing bin while too large a bin can be difficult to empty and handle.

Lids

The lid is highly important on many rubbish receptacles. While waste paper bins don’t need them your kitchen will soon reek if the kitchen bin doesn’t have a decent lid. The design of the lid here is important for practicality too.

A kitchen bin should have a pedal operated lid or another method that prevents you from having to touch it; sensor bins are the latest method for hands free bin use.

Durability

If it is an outdoor bin it needs to be durable. Not only has it got to sit out in all weathers and be manhandled by the refuse collectors, but also it needs to be sturdy enough so that vermin can’t it over or remove the lid. If it is a pubic area it perhaps should be floor or a wall mounted bin to prevent vandalism.

Bins can be stylish and practical

Style

Style is also an important facet for bin design, especially for those we around the home. Nearly every room has a waste bin sat in the corner so it needs to fit in with the décor and style of home. Some really nice designer bins are available manufactured from a wide range of materials, these can be proudly displayed rather than half-hidden behind the furniture.

Food Disposal and Waste Management

Richard N Williams — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:46:20 +0000

Disposing of so much food brings with it many problems but many of those can be solved by good waste management and the correct rubbish bin.

The amount of food that is disposed of waste bins in the UK alone, is staggering. Shops and takeaways dispose of 1.6 million tonnes of food each year; manufactures dispose of nearly 5 million tonnes; whilst us consumers, dispose of a whopping 4.1m tonnes a year.*

Not only does all this waste provide ethical issues, especially when so many people in the world do not get enough food, but also it causes many health and hygiene problems too.

Food waste can create smells and attract vermin and pests which bring with them health issues and have the potential to close down businesses and ruin reputations.

Waste Management

The waste management of food items is highly important, especially for businesses as an infestation of cockroaches, rats,. Mice; or an outbreak of e.coli or salmonella or other infection could lead to a closure of the business – and a fine too.

Ensuring food waste is disposed if is therefore highly important but the waste management of food items isn’t complicated and circles around the waste bins used to store the food waste.

Rubbish Bins for Food Waste

Rubbish bins for food can be classed in two varieties:

Indoor bins – where food is thrown away whilst it is being worked with
Outdoor bins – where the food is stored until collection by the waste management contractor.

Indoor bins – these need to be large enough to store the day’s contents until it is disposed in the main food waste bin outside. An overfull bin will lead to smells and spillages, both of which can cause problems. The two key areas of a good indoor bin or kitchen bin are:

Easy to clean – stainless steel bins are by far the best solution
Good fitting lid – prevent the smells and odours from escaping

Stainless steel bins are easy to clean

Outdoor bins – need other facets. A good fitting lid is equally essential but it also has to be strong enough to prevent vermin from gaining access; as does the entire bin, if it easily knocked over it can lead to problems.

* (Source: Tristram Stuart, author of Waste)

Rubbish and Pests – Eliminating Mess, Vermin and Smells

Richard N Williams — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:26:02 +0000

In the good old days many home owners had a large metal dustbin that they would place all their rubbish into before placing the large heavy lid on top. However, times move on and very few of us have a metal rubbish bin; instead a wide variety of wheelie bins and recycling bins adorn our streets.

In some areas, rubbish is deposited on the curbside in black bags and the result is that in many areas the bags attract vermin and other pests and rubbish can be leaked over the street; having been ripped open by foxes, cats and other animals.

And it’s not just homeowners and those that use black bags either. Even modern wheelie bins can be knocked over by some pests and for businesses, especially ones that dispose of large quantities of food waste – failing to keep flies, rodents and roaches at bay can lead to closure of the business.

Types of pest

There are all sorts of animals that find human waste appealing. For homeowners the biggest problem can be foxes, cats and dogs. They can knock open bins or rip open bags causing mess and nuisance.

But for takeaway and fast food businesses the problem is exacerbated by the sheer volume of waste they dispose of. Flies, cockroaches, mice and rats can be easily attracted but difficult to get rid of, and even if the problem doesn’t lead to the local authority closing the business – if word gets out a lack of customers might.

A good lid wil help prevent vermin

And new pests are starting to get attracted to the waste in cities too. Gulls, once only seen around the coast; plague nearly every city and town.

Preventing Vermin

Prevention is always better than cure and keeping pests away from your rubbish can be easy o accomplish by following these basic steps.

To prevent large animals from getting into your bin – ensure you have a sturdy and strong outdoor bin. Make sure it has a heavy lid too.
If food waste is thrown away and stored outside, it is essential it is kept in a rubbish bin with a tight fitting lid. This will prevent smells and prevent your rubbish appealing to the local wildlife.
Clean the bin regularly; use bin deodorisers if necessary otherwise you may find the detritus in a dirty bin attracts flies.
Think of other methods of getting rid of food waste; composting is one idea.