How Should Trash and Recyclables Be Stored?

Storing trash and recyclables in a proper way is one essential task, every resident should know the procedure of.

Proper storage of trash and recyclables help keep the environment clean and safe. This can save you from getting unpleasant odors from your area, help you stay away from all kinds of contagious diseases and much more.

This article focuses mainly on the ways you can effectively store your trash and recyclables before the pick up time.

Ways to store trash and recyclables

Ways to store trash and recyclables

Here are the things you need to do in order to store your trash and recyclables safely.

Keep the trash and recycling items separately

Most of the city governments have declared it necessary for the residents to keep both the trash and the recyclables separately in different carts.

In most of the cities, black or gray carts are used for trash, while the blue ones are used for recyclable items.

However, if you are not using separate cans for both these kinds of items, you should definitely get them so that both the garbage and recyclables can be disposed of individually.

Place the items in their right containers

It is important that you know whatever category your items belong to. For example, if you have a paint you want to dispose of, you should know that paints are included in household hazardous waste and must be disposed of separately.

Similarly, recyclables mostly include paper products like magazines and diaries, cardboard boxes and other stuff made solely out of cardboard, plastics, glass jars and bottles, and metal cans.

All this stuff must be placed in a recycling cart. Same procedure must be followed in case of daily household garbage.

If you are confused about what cart you have to place your products in, visit your city government’s waste department’s website where you will find a search bar.

Enter the name of the item you want to dispose of and you will be informed about which kind of waste this is, and what container you should place your items in.

Place the carts at their right locations

If your trash is, for instance, collected one time a week, you need to place your cart at a secure place after cleaning it, so that it does not become a target of bugs and microbes.

Moreover, your containers should be stored at places which are free of any kind of animals like your pets.

We recommend you that should place your carts at are garage, under some shed or any other secure place. Take them at the curbside the night before your collection day.

Containers must be clean

Cleaning the containers is very important if you want to be safe from all kinds of unwanted bacteria, which can cause some serious diseases.

Clean all the boxes you are placing your trash in, wash the carts thoroughly, and then dry them till they are completely dry.

Now, your carts are ready to be placed at the curbside.

Don’t miss out your collection days

Missing your collection days can result in the accumulation of a lot of waste, some of which can be thrown at the streets due to overfilling of the carts. Make sure you get rid of all the unwanted waste on every collection day.

Read: What To Do If You Miss Trash Day?

If your trash carts are already filled and there is still time left in your collection day, it is better that you request for a special pickup by paying some fee or take your carts to a drop-off center where one can easily recycle and get rid of the trash easily.

Get to know your trash collection schedule:

Place the hazardous materials separately

Hazardous materials are the ones which can catch fire easily or are too dangerous to be placed inside the regular trash cans.

Some of the examples of hazardous waste products include toner, lead, gas cylinders, batteries and cells, glues and adhesives, shoe polish, paints, pesticides and insecticides, swimming pool chemicals, furniture polish, smoke detectors, fireworks and other explosives, paints, and oils etc.

These things must be placed in special packaging if you are placing them inside trash carts.

Better option is to dispose of them separately, either by requesting a special pickup by calling your city’s waste department or by taking these items to the transfer station or drop-off location yourself.

Safety Measures For Recycling Ammunition

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The best way to store trash and recyclables is to place them in separate containers and dispose of them separately. Also, these carts must be cleaned frequently.

To store food waste bins, make sure you clean them often, keep them closed at all times, don’t throw boiling water inside, always keep them in secret places like a garage or under a shed and get rid of the waste frequently.

Closing up!

It is very important to store your household trash and recycling materials properly as it eventually leads to a healthy lifestyle.

There are various ways you can store these waste items properly, which include cleaning your carts thoroughly, disposing of waste materials frequently, placing your carts at a secure place like your garage, placing the right items in the required cart and others.

By following all these instructions, you can use the carts for a long time without any kinds of disturbances.