More and more offices and businesses are becoming aware of the need to be more environmentally friendly and work with a more eco-friendly ethos behind them. Recycling is part of this process and as many people spend a large proportion of their lives at the office or workplace, recycling here can have huge benefits to the environment.

We consume a lot of items at work, from sandwiches and snacks, to hot drinks, cans of pop, and confectionery. We also use a lot of recyclable material at the office such as paper, which can be recycled. And by recycling at work, more people can also be encouraged to recycle at home too which can lead to a better environment for everybody.

The key to a successful recycling regime around the workplace is ensuring the staff have the facilities to dispose of things properly, and recycling bins are the prime piece of equipment to achieve this.

A variety of different solutions and designs of recycling bin are available and selecting the appropriate ones is very much individual to each business and the processes and facilities they offer.

For instance, offices that have vending machines often have a glut of polystyrene, plastic or paper cups. These can be disposed of in cup collectors, which can be supplied with or without a flask to allow unwanted contents to be disposed off.

Similarly, a lot of offices have vending machines of canned drinks and these too, have a specialist can bank that can collect the recyclable cans ready for recycling.

Paper too can be collected in paper recycling bins and even documents with private or confidential information on them can be stored for shredding in lockable recycling bins, which will go along way to ensure an office is in keeping with the Data Protection Act.

For general waste, office recycling bins often come in multiple colours. This enables you to have a rule for what can be disposed of in each bin. Plastics in one, paper in another, food waste in a third, etc etc. Increasingly, local authorities are expecting businesses to recycle and provide recycling bins for use, but by offices having their own, the waste can be separated before it has to be emptied, saving valuable time and a lot of mess. Outdoor recycling bins are also available and these too can be colour coded to provide a simple way of describing what goes into each bin.

With spring around the corner it is a good time to begin preparing the garden for the warmer months. At this time of year a lot of garden waste can have built up over the winter and not only can it take a lot of work to get things in order, a decent gardening bin is required to get rid of the waste.

Increasingly, local councils are insisting that garden waste is disposed of separately to household waste, this is because it is degradable and can be used to make mulch, compost and other organic materials used in agriculture. This means that a separate bin is needed for the garden and with larger gardens, a good-sized garden bin is pretty much essential to keep the garden clear as the amount of waste like mown grass, weeding and other gardening activities produce can soon build up.

There are several different designs of gardening bin to choose from and they come in a wide variety of sizes too. Many garden waste bins are similar to the traditional dustbin, although commonly they are coloured green to help users identify the type of waste that goes into it, although any colour can be used for the job.

A good lid is important for a gardening bin as some waste in the garden can begin to rot and smell and will prevent wind from blowing grass cuttings and other waste around the garden after you have cleared it up.

These dustbin-type bins can be difficult to move around so increasingly wheelie bins are being used which allow householders to wheel the garden waste from the back to the front of the house ready for collection.

Waste bins are an important aspect of waste management and keeping institutions and public locations clean and rubbish free, but there are several aspects of providing waste receptacles for the general public in these locations that have to be considered when installing public bins.

Locations like hospitals, hotels, airports and other transport hubs where members of the public congregate or stay, have to think about safety – and many of these locations have to adhere to stringent safety rules.

Fire

Hundreds of fires are started in bins each year, and while many of these are acts of petty vandalism in outdoor areas, if a hospital bin or those in hotels are set on fire then it could lead to catastrophic loss of life.

Stringent fire safety rules are set in places like this so bins need to be fire retardant. Fire retardant bins are commonly used. These are made from metal, including the lids and are sometimes bolted into place.

In outdoor public locations wire-mesh sack-holders are often used which are also resistant to fire and unlike plastic bins won’t melt if they are set on fire.

Bomb Threats

In public locations such as airports, an unfortunate consequence of the time we live in is the need to ensure that bins can’t be used to hide explosive devices in.This is why it is common to see see-through sack holders in these sorts of locales.

Other Issues

As vandalism is an all too common problem in public locations, often bins are wall mounted or floor mounted to avoid the contents from being spilled or the bin getting kicked over.

It is also important for bins that may contain private information to be lockable, this is common in locations that have to dispose of documents which is why lockable document bins were designed to prevent confidential information from being taken from the bin.

If you have to provide bins for a public location and are worried about security or safety, why not speak to your bin vendor who should be able to identify the type of bin you need and the safety requirements for that area.

Fire Retardant Bins

As offices are busy places, where people can spend a large proportion of their working lives, they are also busy places for rubbish and waste. Office bins have to cope with a wide variety of waste and choosing office bins can be a challenge, especially with more emphasis on recycling. So knowing what bin to buy and for where can be quite difficult.

In sourcing office bins, you need to establish the types of rubbish and locations of the bins. In most modern offices the majority of waste that is disposed of is paper so a good paper recycling bin is essential.

These come in a variety of shapes and sizes and if you re worried about security, lockable paper recycling bins are available that can store paper data securely until it is time to be shredded. You can either choose to provide under the desk waste paper baskets for individuals, or have a larger paper recycling bin for the whole office – it depends on the numbers that work there and the distance involved in disposing of the litter.

Other items that can be recycled are common around offices too. Paper and polystyrene cups often litter many offices. These small vending cups can often be recycled and cup collectors and bins are a good idea anywhere where you have these sorts of vending machines. The same can be said for aluminium drinks cans which can also be recycled. Can banks are another must if you have a soft drinks machine.

Often office workers eat at their desks so somewhere for food packaging and non recyclables should be considered. A good-sized general waste bin is normally sufficient.

Outdoor areas need some sort of litter bin too, especially if office workers are smoking outside. Wall-mounted ashtrays are a good idea, this prevents the littering of cigarette ends around office entrances and are easily mounted onto most wall surfaces.

Wall mounted ashtrays are now essential outside

A good exterior bin is also a good idea, not just for people to dispose of items when they are on their way in or out, but having a large exterior bin where indoor bins can be emptied into will ensure the indoor bins can be regularly emptied.

When sourcing office bins the internet is perhaps the best resource/ There are a wide range of office bins available on the internet so check and compare prices and remember delivery times and costs too to ensure you don’t go over budget.

There was a time that on an evening the day before the binmen came we didn’t have to do a thing. Early in the morning, the dustmen would come down the garden bath, take our sturdy dustbin and empty into the back of the waste compactor.

Things, however, have changed. Most of us now have to wheel our own bins onto the side of the road for the refuse collectors to empty. We then have to wheel it back. Furthermore, few of us have just one bin as recycling is now part and parcel of our rubbish collections.

Some people find recycling quite difficult and a bit of chore. Having to empty different items into the bin once a week. However, the key to recycling is to ensure you have interior recycling bins so you can separate recycled material as you throw it away.

There are two approaches to this. The first is to buy recycling bins for different materials. Recycling bins with colour coded lids are available to help you establish a rule for what can be thrown into each bin.

There is a variety of styles, shapes and size of recycling bin and some look quite modern and contemporary. The variety means you should be able to find recycling bins that suit you home.

The second method is to buy a recycling bin with multiple compartments. These are better for people in smaller homes where space is concern. They come in double or triple compartments each with a different colour lid. These too, come in various sizes and styles.

Stylish colour coded recycling bins

While most local authorities provide exterior recycling bins, not all do and some provide cartons that can easily get blown or knocked over. There is, however, nothing stopping you from buying your own external recycling bin which you can then empty into the proper receptacles when the time is required.

A lot of householders do this who don’t want too many bins in their home and don’t mind emptying the indoor recycling bins regularly.

Recycling bins are easy to use and are now a prerequisite for most householders so if you have not yet got a set in your home perhaps its time to start thinking about getting them.

Tags: external bin, recycling, recycling bin, recycling tips

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.

Tags: external bin, recycling bin, recycling tips, rubbish bin, waste bin

Food Disposal and Waste Management
Thursday, 12th, August
Written by: Richard N Williams

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)

Tags: external bin, food bin, food bins, kitchen bin, waste bin, wate management

Parks and Open Spaces – Litter Bins
Tuesday, 1st, June
Written by: Richard N Williams

Britain has the largest number of public parks and open spaces than any other country in Europe. There are dozens of urban parklands in many of our major cities and conurbations. However, as pleasurable as these urban natural oasis are they are expensive to maintain.

Councils and local authorities have to invest huge amounts of tax payers money in ensuring these public spaces are kept clean, tidy and safe. And one of the biggest enemy’s of this perennial task – is litter.

Littering costs local authorities a fortune and unlike in the city, it is a particularly challenging job to clean it up in parks and open spaces because of the large areas involved. Not only is litter in parks unattractive but also some litter can pose a hazard to the many children and families that use the parks. Litter can also attract vermin which can be difficult to get rid of and can cause its own problems.

Litter bins

Your number one defence in ensuring any public area is litter free is the public waste bin. Litter bins will help people act responsible when it comes disposing of their waste – as long as they are clearly visible. A good quantity of large outdoor bins will prevent a lot of the litter that can be carelessly discarded but attention needs to be paid to the location of the bins, the size and the frequency of emptying.

Ensuring areas of high usage such as near where ice cream vendors operate will prevent many of the litter problems that can occur in those areas. But other types of bin should also be considered.

Gardening bins and other outdoor bins should also be plentiful for the park’s workers as having to return to bins too frequently is time consuming.

Litter Bins for Local Authorities

Some thought should also go into what to do with any sanitary and hazardous waste. This should obviously be removed as soon as possible, taking every precaution, and a good sanitary bin would be a good idea to ensure it can be stored safely until it can be properly disposed of.

Other Litter Prevention

Dog fouling is another problem in park areas so ensuring there are facilities to dispose of this type of waste will, as with littering, will help encourage dog owners to be responsible.

Tags: bins for local authority, external bin, litter bin, public bins, rubbish bin

Reducing Bin Smells
Thursday, 6th, May
Written by: Richard N Williams

One of the biggest nuisances about bins is the smells hat can often be produced. Most of us will have come home one evening only to be greeted by the stench of rotting fish, meat of vegetation emanating from the kitchen bin.

But bin smells can be prevented and often there is usually a root cause why your kitchen or external bin is attracting flies and creating a stench:

The Right Bin

Often the problem causing bins smells s that the wrong bin is being used for the job. When sourcing a bin it is important you think about the type of waste that is being disposed of. Kitchen waste and other organic material is often what causes bin smells so you need to choose an appropriate kitchen bin that has been designed to hold this sort of waste.

External bins too are often a cause of smells and quite often it is because large amounts of kitchen and food waste are thrown away into the wrong type of external bin. If you have catering business you need to ensure the external bin you choose is manufactured to eb able to deal with large amounts of food waste.

The Bin Lid

One of the biggest causes of bin smells is a badly fitting lid. The bin lid is incredibly important for external bins and kitchen bins, or any other type of bin that has to hold rotting waste. The lid needs to fit well and remember, for external bins they need to be able to prevent vermin and pests from entering too.

Bin Lids are key to reducing smells

Over full bin

Another cause of smells is that the bin should have been emptied. A bin that is too full may prevent the lid from closing which will cause smells but also there may just be too much stuff in there for it to contain the gases escaping from them.

For external bins you also need to make sure the bin can’t be knocked over easiliy as a spilled bin will cause smells and mess.

Bin Deodorisers

Bin deodorisers are a good short term fix and useful if you are dealing with some really strong smelling waste. These can mask a lot of smells and prevent the bin from becoming tainted by the smells of the waste it normally holds.

Tags: external bin, household waste, hygiene, kitchen bin, rubbish bin

Intelligent Bins – Sensor Bins
Thursday, 15th, April
Written by: Richard N Williams

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.

Tags: pedal bin, rubbish bin, sensor bin, smart bin, swing top bin

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