Waste Management Solutions: Paving the Way to a Greener Future

by Global Trash Solutions

The waste management industry is continuing to provide innovative solutions in eco-friendly waste disposal. As new green initiatives ask businesses to reduce the amounts of waste they produce, these solutions make newer, eco-friendly waste disposal methods more cost effective.

Working on Reducing Waste Nationwide

Waste disposal consultants and brokers have a broad network of haulers and the specialized equipment needed to help communities reach their zero waste goals and initiatives. By rising to the challenge of waste reduction guidelines, the waste management industry is putting the structures in place to facilitate environmentally friendly waste disposal across the country.

The United States Conference of Mayors has adopted a set of zero waste guidelines that proposes a “hierarchy of material management,”1 which in turn has informed the efforts of waste management companies to practice these methods of reduction, reuse, and recycling:

  • Asking manufacturers and product designers to reduce packaging and plan for product end-of-life disposal in line with these goals.
  • Reducing the amount of waste associated with product manufacture and packaging, as well as using less toxic materials which are recyclable or biodegradable.
  • Encouraging businesses to repair existing equipment, reuse resources to their end of life, and donate used equipment rather than sending it to the landfill.
  • Supporting recycling programs for all possible materials with tax breaks and rebates for sorted and bundled materials with economic value.
  • Separating and composting organic waste materials for beneficial fertilizer and less landfill use.
  • Developing waste-based energy programs to repurpose trash as a viable energy source for communities.
  • Eliminating as much landfill waste as possible through these and other innovative measures to preserve resources and protect human health as well as the environment.

How Are Waste Management Companies Providing Solutions?

Across the board and across the country, eco-friendly garbage disposal equipment and services are becoming cost effective for businesses. Some of these practical solutions include:

Improving Recycling Practices

New methods allow capturing and sorting accurately, then compressing or baling recyclable materials for less costly pickup or rebates based on local material markets. Not only does recycling reduce the volume of trash, it reduces the need to harvest new materials from the environment for manufacturing of new products.

It is always less costly to have haulers remove recyclables such as glass, plastic, aluminum, and corrugated cardboard than it is to have these items hauled away as trash. It usually costs about 1/3 as much to recycle, and 25 states offer some type of tax incentive for recycling.

Woman throwing garbage into container

Diverting Biodegradable Materials

Businesses can improve their waste reduction efforts by composting organic garbage and food waste. Communities and waste management companies are working hard to duplicate successful programs in other countries like Sweden that use the remaining trash as an energy source.

Implementing Eco-Friendly Waste Disposal Practices

Until we reach these zero waste goals and waste-based energy becomes a reality, some amount of garbage must still go to the landfill. Using commercial garbage compactors and balers reduce the volume and impact of the trash that must still be taken to our landfills.

At Global Trash Solutions, we work tirelessly to uncover recycling opportunities and eco-friendly waste disposal solutions for our clients. We have implemented single-stream recycling (that is glass, plastic, aluminum, and cardboard all going in the same can) and organics recycling (food and plant waste) for many businesses nationwide.

Some of our clients have diverted as much as 75% of their waste from landfills. To find out more about how your business can put these cost-effective solutions in place now, contact us today to learn more!

Sources:

  1. https://www.epa.gov/transforming-waste-tool/how-communities-have-defined-zero-waste

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