How to Keep Commercial Waste Odor Under Control

Businesses can produce a lot of waste, which unfortunately can lead to a lot of odor. If you are worried about the smells coming from your commercial dumpster, be sure to check out the tips below.

Preventing Odors

Here are a few tips for keeping waste odor under control:

• Seal Your Garbage – One of the easiest ways to reduce and even eliminate dumpster odor is to effectively seal all garbage. The easiest way to do this is by using quality plastic garbage bags. Be sure to always use garbage bags that are at least 2 mils thick. Thin bags are not going to contain the smell or withstand the stresses placed on them inside the dumpster.
• Bag Everything – Bagging food and other odor-causing trash is a no brainer. However, did you know you should also bag cardboard and paper waste? Though they may not smell immediately, when these items become wet, they become an attractive food source for various odor-causing insects, bacteria, and mold.
• Air Out the Container – Keeping the inside of your dumpster dry can help reduce the rise of microorganisms, which produce odor. You can do this by providing a flow of fresh air into the dumpster to ensure that moisture is able to evaporate. If moisture is trapped inside the dumpster, odor causing bacteria and other microorganisms will grow. You can allow fresh air to enter the dumpster by opening side doors or the top lid for several hours per day. Be sure to air-out the dumpster during the daytime to prevent nocturnal pests, like rats and raccoons, from entering after dark. If the weather is rainy or damp, be sure to close up all doors and lids.
• Do Not Toss Food – Rodents and other types of animals can detect food odors, even inside sealed bags. If they can gain access to the bags, they may tear them apart. If you own a business that produces food scraps or tosses non-edible parts of plants and animals, it is good practice to dispose of them by using a commercial food grinder, then flushing the liquefied wastes down the drain.

How to Eliminate Odors

By taking the above steps, you should be able to prevent waste odor. However, if you do find that waste odor is plaguing your dumpster area, there are a few options to help get rid of the stench:

• Repel Pests – If pests are able to enter the dumpster as they search for food, you will quickly find you have an odor issue. Aside from ensuring all waste is properly sealed, you can spray the trash bags with a taste deterrent. This option is non-toxic, but produces a foal taste on the bag, which can deter pests. You can find taste deterrents online or at a local pet store.
• Chemical Agents – You can use a variety of chemicals inside the dumpster to eliminate odors, including lime powder and clay car litter. Lime powder is cheap and effective, however be sure to be careful when handling it, as it can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Clay cat litter is also an inexpensive drying agent that can absorb both liquids and odors, and will not irritate your skin.
• Clean the Dumpster – Aside from the above, you can clean your dumpster with a pressure washer and a variety of chemicals, such as chlorine bleach, vinegar, and even degreasing liquid dishwashing soap.

The experts at Global Trash Solutions (GTS) also offer a product that eliminates waste odor. Sonozaire® Odor Neutralizer has become the industry standard for controlling waste odor. Rather than mask trash odor with “perfumes,” Sonozaire generates ozone from atmospheric oxygen to eliminate odors and slow bacterial growth. For more information, contact your knowledgeable GTS representative at (866) 760-8194. You can also send an email to newsletter@globaltrashsolutions.com, or visit our website at https://globaltrashsolutions.com/.