User-Friendly Receptacles

by Ms. Marti Frost
President and Owner
Frost Product Marketing

Every facility, whether a resort, hotel, amusement park, cruise ship or just a public building knows that their guests demand a clean, litter-free environment in which to visit, eat, relax, work and play – but cleanliness can be costly.

The number of hours required to pick-up trash and cigarette butts, which were either not dropped in a receptacle properly or , spilled out of a too full container; plus wipe off the containers because food & beverages dribbled down the outside of it, increases maintenance overhead. If the guest/customer perceives your property as unclean then it reduces the value they place on visiting your facility, thus reducing the amount of money they are willing to pay.

So how can you find the balance between cleanliness and costliness, especially in high traffic areas? Having the proper type and quantity of receptacles for an area that are easy to use goes a long way in reducing trash, smell, number of visits by maintenance and replacement of receptacles due to damage or wear.

The first step is timely planning. To many people trash cans, smoke urns, benches and other site furnishings are an after thought. It’s the first place that someone goes to “re-direct” more money for their side of the project, so the site furnishings budget dwindles before you even get started ordering, leaving less money for the right container. In addition, the decision is often put off until the month before the opening of the facility or season, so the time required to receive the proper container is too short thus requiring the purchasing agent to take what they can get.

The second step is to answer these few basic questions in order to determine which type of container is best for your property’s requirements. You need to decide:

1) Is the location indoor or outdoor?
a) If it is for an indoor location then you need to determine on what type of floor it will be placed because you want a receptacle that has vinyl leg protectors or a protector ring on the bottom, so it doesn’t scratch a wood, tile or marble floor. If it will be placed on carpet then it needs to be rust proof, so it doesn’t leave a rust ring from cleaning products or something spilling on it.
b) If it is for an outdoor location then flies, critters and smell need to be taken into consideration for a trash can. You want something that restricts smell, keeps out flies but is easy for the guest to use. Hard to push, spring-loaded flaps often cause the trash, especially beverage cups, to spill on the outside of the container.
c) For outdoor containers you also need to consider if it is under a covered area so rain does not accumulate in the bottom of the liner. If it is out in the open, then the trash disposal opening needs to be protected by a hood.

d) For outdoor receptacles the type of material from which the container is constructed is very important. The following materials should be considered:
i) Site furnishings made from plastic lumber (made of recycled plastic so good for the environment), concrete, aggregate and plastic are good for high humidity and salt air areas, because they don’t rust. Plastic lumber and plastic are the most cost efficient materials particularly because of the cost of shipping.
ii) Is vandalism or theft an issue? If vandalism/graffiti is a problem then be sure to ask about how to remove this from the can. If theft is a concern then either go with the heavier concrete or aggregate containers. If you desire a different look than concrete or aggregate, make sure the other styles have anchoring capabilities.
iii) Issues with smoke urns for the outdoors need consideration too.
(1) They should be far enough away from the entrance of the building so the smoke & smell is not disturbing to others entering the building. An enclosed butt receptacle is preferred near an entrance because it traps the smoke. The capacity needs to large enough to handle the amount of butts disposed per day, so maintenance personnel don’t have to empty it multiple times a day.
(2) They need to be fire-resistant or fire-proof. Some of the plastic ones are having a challenge with wrappers being pushed through the opening, which clogs the drop tube and can ignite from a lit butt being put in on top of the trash.
(3) Is it under a canopy or exposed to rain & snow? If exposed then the butts will float and will spill over the side, causing the maintenance person to pick them up by hand. Choose a smoke urn that is covered or enclosed for the outdoors.
(4) The best solution for the smoking area is an Ash & Trash container. This allows for the trash to go in the proper opening and the butts to go on top in their container.

2) How much foot traffic per day may use the receptacle (trash or smoke urn) and how many pick-ups does your facility require? The answer will determine size and quantity of containers you need. Many think the larger the better, but there are a few issues to consider before making that determination:
a) The weight of the trash (think of how heavy half filled cups of ice and beverage become) when lifted out of a large container can cause a back or shoulder injury to your personnel. You may want to consider a container that allows the person to unload the trash through a side door versus lifting up and over the top. Also it may be more feasible to have 2 smaller cans versus 1 big one. Determine if it is on a pathway that you have heavy traffic going both directions? If so, then having easy access for people on both sides is preferred. It is unlikely that a person will cross over to the other side in order to dispose of trash.
b) Really high traffic areas may consider the new style trash compactor trash cans that are just now becoming popular. Another tool is a trash compacting board that is designed to break-up the trash so it can be had compressed. Either of these allows for more trash per poly bag.

3) Other factors to consider:
a) Location to entrances or areas in which person may need to dispose of trash. Don’t make them search or walk too far out of their way.
b) Ease of disposal including height and size of the opening. It can’t be too tall that it does not adhere to ADA standards but too short makes it an effort for the person to dispose of the trash, especially cigarette butts. Also, the opening size needs to be large enough to easily accept the general type of trash to be disposed of in that area.
c) Rigid liners are great to use in trash cans, but make sure you have a size that utilizes the maximum capacity of the can. Don’t fall into the trap of buying a retail plastic trash can to use as a liner because it is cheaper. Most do not even provide one-half of the capacity so the trash spills over the rim, falling outside the “liner”, lodging between it and the interior wall of the trash can. This makes a smelly, sticky mess that invites bugs and rodents and requires addition time and effort to get cleaned-up; plus the “cheaper”, retail “liner/can” does not last half as long as rigid plastic liners, so that “cheap” make-do trash can/liner ends up costing more than the proper sized, replacement rigid liner.

Now that you have the answers to these questions, what do you do next? Finding an informed, service-oriented, site furnishing company is the right place to turn for help with your receptacle, benches, bike rack, smoke urns and site furnishing needs. Unfortunately, more times than not, when paper products are being purchased the maintenance/facility manager asks the supplier, “Oh, do you know where I can get a trash can”. Since the janitorial/paper supplier is not in the business of site furnishings they will just sell you what they distribute or know about. You wouldn’t go to a general practioner doctor for surgery, so go to a site furnishing specialist for your entire receptacle and site furnishing needs.

In summary, planning ahead, understanding the importance of the variety of trash and cigarette receptacles available and working with a specialist in site furnishings is imperative to getting what you need for that location. Let’s face it, when people are on a vacation the last thing they want to be responsible for is cleaning up after themselves, so the easier you make it for them, the more likely they are to use it, thus making it easier and cheaper for you.