Beyond the Dumpster: Could We See a End to Plastic Waste in Our Lifetimes?

Could your dumpster moving equipment soon be pulling less plastic waste? With plastics rapidly accumulating, littering our green spaces and waterways, materials scientists and designers are looking to reinvent the plastics regime.

They’re striving to put an end to plastics problems such as unrecyclable products, confusing recycling symbols, and a lack of compatible recycling facilities worldwide. Their innovations, if adopted and integrated into the plastics industry, could put an end to the pileup.

What New Technologies Could Put an End to Plastic Waste?

1. New recyclable films

Plastic films, comprised of an assortment of polymers and used in paper and plastic packaging, make materials unrecyclable. Swapping these films for nature-inspired, nano-engineered recycled materials mimicking a few of nature’s molecular building blocks can provide a wider variety of new materials – those that are water-resistant, airtight, or printable. 

2. Magnetic additives

Magnetic additives can improve the ability of plastics to block oxygen in sensitive products like coffee and medicines, while upholding their recyclability. 

3. Wood ‘plastics’

The cellulose in renewable agricultural/forestry wood byproducts, formed into a compostable multilayered material, can be used for stand-up food pouches such as those used for dried cereal, nuts, and fruits.

4. Plastics from recycled food waste

Agricultural byproducts and food waste can be used to create compostable plastics for packaging in a broad range of products, from cereal bars to detergents.

5. Compostable coatings

Silicate and biopolymer compostable coatings could improve the performance of biodegradable packaging, which by itself cannot uphold the required minimum shelf-life of products.

Are your waste management practices falling behind the times? As the industry enters a a new era, ensure a safer, more efficient waste management system. Learn more about dumpster moving equipment from DJ Products today.

Got to Move a Heavy Dumpster – Use Our Safe Lifting and Pushing Tips

Heavy Dumpster PushingIf you need your employees to move a dumpster, there’s always a risk of injury. Without a dumpster pusher, it’s important to understand how to safely maneuver the dumpster without causing any physical strains or injuries.

To help, we would like to share some safe lifting tips with you. Here are some guidelines in the event that you aren’t sure how to keep yourself or your employees protected during heavy moves.

DJ Products Offers These Safe Lifting Tips

Preventing injury is often easy once you know the proper techniques. If you don’t have a dumpster pusher in house, you should focus on these safe lifting tips:

  • Take a moment to think about the move before you start.
  • Try to keep the weight as close to your waist as possible.
  • Find a stable position to stand before attempting the lift.
  • Make sure you have a tight hold on the load.
  • Lift with your legs. Avoid lifting with your back.
  • Don’t twist your body when you lift.
  • Look ahead and keep moving smoothly.
  • Don’t lift more than you can handle.
  • Put the load down and then make any necessary adjustments.

The Benefits of a Dumpster Pusher

A dumpster pusher offers your business so many great benefits. It can significantly cut down on the manpower it takes to move a dumpster. Also, you may find that the number of injuries your business reports each year will show a marked decrease. For some employers, after reviewing their workers comp claims, they discovered that a high number of injuries were due to moving dumpsters.

We’d love to know how we can help you. Contact us!

What’s Safe to Throw Away in Your Dumpster?

The WasteCaddy Dumpster Mover  Is Your Solution for Tight Trash Spaces.
The WasteCaddy Dumpster Mover Is Your Solution for Tight Trash Spaces.

Dumpsters are almost literally a “catch-all” solution to waste. However, there are certain items—chemical waste, liquid propane, and those darn CFL bulbs—that do not belong. Thankfully, most other garbage can go into a dumpster safely and legally.

Trash rooms are safer when everyone knows where different items need to go. For the best dumpster safety, workers should use our WasteCaddy dumpster mover to prevent and alleviate back and arm injuries.

Good to Go: Items You CAN Put in Dumpsters

Here’s a list of questionable items that are allowed; virtually all trash collection agencies let you put these in dumpsters:

• Appliances that do not contain refrigerant

• Aerosol cans, if empty

• Furniture, except for upholstered items in some locations

• Yard waste, except for large volumes of dirt in some locations

• Construction and demolition waste, with weight or volume restrictions

• Electronics, in small quantities if local law allows

How to Safely Handle Dumpster Waste

To prevent injuries, trash fires, and costly fines for improper disposal, try these solutions:

• Provide collection boxes for paint cans, fluorescent lights, rechargeable batteries, etc., so people are not tempted to hide these in the trash

• Post signs for workers to double-check allowed and not-allowed items

• Empty dumpsters frequently to prevent overflow and items left on the ground

• Use motorized tools like the WasteCaddy dumpster mover to haul trash containers with lower risk of injury

These simple but powerful steps can greatly improve dumpster safety. Get the right equipment for moving dumpsters safely to make the job even safer and reduce worker injuries. Visit DJ Products to learn more about the WasteCaddy dumpster mover and other waste container movers.