Waste Management Do’s and Don'ts for Your Apartment Building

With a population of more than 30 million, the United States generates tons of waste annually. A large fraction of this waste comes from residential buildings. Managing this enormous amount of waste can be difficult for both residents and local municipalities. Effective waste disposal and management practices are crucial to overcome this challenge.

If you have recently moved to a new apartment and are looking for effective waste-handling strategies, you have come to the right place. This article highlights the important dos and don'ts of waste disposal, especially for individuals living in or managing residential buildings.

Do’s of Waste Management

Effective waste disposal is important for sustainability and maintaining a healthy environment. Setting up a proactive approach to waste management in an apartment can be a little more complicated, depending on the building.  Let's have a look at some do’s of apartment waste management.

1. Use Different Bins For Different Types of Trash

Many property owners think that having one dumpster for general garbage collection is sufficient. However, anybody who is familiar with the impact of different kinds of waste on the environment knows better. Although a single bin is enough for streamlining short-term waste disposal, it can increase environmental contamination. Here is how you can segregate your apartment waste into separate waste bins.

• ‍Recycling Bins: Use labeled recycling bins to dispose of recyclable materials like aluminum, plastic, glass, and cardboard.‍
• Donation Bins: Separate bins can also be designated for materials that are reusable but no longer required, such as old clothes or slightly damaged electronics.‍
• Compost bins: If your region offers compost pickup or drop-off, you can also set up bins to collect compost waste, such as paper towels or food waste.

2. Recycle, Recycle, and Recycle!

Incorporating recycling into waste disposal can significantly reduce the amount of waste generated in your building. To streamline the recyclable waste collection process, place well-labeled recycle bins at easily accessible locations within your building.

3. Reserve Additional Bins for Heavy Waste Seasons

Waste production can significantly increase during specific times of the year. Common examples of heavy waste seasons include:

• ‍Holidays: Holidays like Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Thanksgiving create a spike in household waste. Reserve extra bins for this waste, which includes everything from discarded food items to wrapping papers.‍
• Relocation Influxes: Tenants moving in or out of your building tend will generate packing waste. Incorporate efficient waste handling strategies for your building to deal with this. ‍
• Changing Seasons: Pleasant spring weather calls for seasonal cleaning, and summer brings lots of DIY improvements. Put new bins in your apartment to accommodate additional waste during these seasons and empty them regularly to maintain a clean apartment building.

4. Create a Waste Management Strategy

Depending on the building layout and the number of tenants, involve the residents of your building and the waste disposal authority in your region to create an effective waste disposal and management policy. Additionally, educate the residents and maintenance staff regarding your waste disposal policies.

5. Hire a Waste Collection Company

Waste collection services are the go-to solution for effective departmental waste handling. Depending on the amount of waste your building generates, you can schedule a regular waste pickup. This helps you prevent waste from piling up or overfilling bins.

Don'ts of Waste Disposal and Management

Here are some things to avoid during the waste management process:

1. Don't litter

Litter makes your building look unsightly and is harmful to the environment, humans, and pets living around you. Make sure residents are using the designated dumpsters to throw away trash.

2. Don’t Choose the Wrong Bin Size

Bins that are too small will regularly overflow, and bins that are too large are a waste of space. Before purchasing bins, pay attention to how much waste your building generates regularly.

3. Don't Mix Recyclables With Trash

Never mix recyclable and non-recyclable materials. You may be doing it to save space in an extra container, but it will only increase waste in the long run and contaminate your environment.

4. Don't Burn Waste

Burning waste releases harmful gasses into our atmosphere and affects the quality of the air that we breathe. Most importantly, setting waste on fire is illegal and can result in fines or legal penalties. So, instead of incinerating the waste, hand it over to a waste disposal company.

5. Don't Overfill Bins

An overflowing bin is an eyesore and allows contaminated waste to spread. If you notice that bins are regularly overflowing, increase pickup frequency or buy more bins.

Waste Management Services

Effective waste disposal management contributes to the environment and can help maintain the health and safety of your building. Carefully implementing waste management strategies can help you develop a sustainable system for getting rid of garbage and recycling easily.