Article by Christine Harrell

There are a good number of waste recycling programs that are started in towns and municipalities every year with homeowners and business owners trying to adjust their waste management to the new programs. Often times, sorting waste into different categories for processing is the one big area where people have difficulty. With the proper recycling bins, however, it becomes easier and more convenient to meet the requirements for curbside or haul it yourself programs.

The right containers will help to save time and money for residents and businesses alike.

Determining Sizing Needs

Sizing for recycling containers is the first step for developing a convenient routine for handling recyclables. Recycling receptacles that are too large will be inconvenient to drag or haul and overflowing bins don’t serve much purpose if waste gets all over the ground. For homeowners, every household will be different, but the average size family would probably generate enough recyclable waste in a week to fill a 30 gallon container.

For business needs, the amount of employees will dictate exactly how much waste is generated. The best method for handling office waste is to have recycling bins at each desk along with 10 gallon containers in common areas. Each of these bins would then be emptied into heavy duty units of at least 90 gallons for pickup by the city, or even full sized dumpsters for large companies.

Making Waste Sorting More Convenient

The sizes cited above are for total waste streams, but nearly all programs require waste to be sorted out prior to pickup or drop off at a recycling center. So while the overall waste might fit into one container, handling the different materials requires some specialized recycling containers.

For use in the home, duo bins are perfect; they are dual compartment totes with separate hinged lids to allow quick and easy sorting and hauling. Inside the home, plastic rider containers can be snapped directly to the regular garbage bin to keep recyclables out of the trash with a little advanced separation. When organizing garbage for the curb, homeowners are best suited to purchase a set of recycling bins, usually four at a 10-gallon size, that can clip together or stack within each other to make hauling easier.

The situation is a little different in the office. Having a separate recyclables container in every office is ideal with desk-sized bins and this can be achieved with the same type of riders or duo totes. Common areas should have larger recycling containers and a dedicated paper receptacle should be placed next to every copier, printer, and fax machine. For high traffic areas, like outdoor picnic areas or a company cafeteria, all-in-one units can be placed to handle every stream in one location with separate compartments and a 90 gallon capacity.

Recycling containers today are designed with the needs of many different municipal and business programs in mind. With the right capacity and sorting capability, the right receptacles will make programs more convenient and help increase resident participation.