What Isn’t Safe to Throw Away in Your Dumpster?

What Isn't Safe to Throw Away in Your Dumpster?
What Isn’t Safe to Throw Away in Your Dumpster?

Some things shouldn’t be thrown away because recycling them is so easy—like aluminum cans. Other things truly cannot be thrown away because of laws, regulations, or a company’s environmental ethics. If your organization has not established what items are unacceptable for the dumpster, then it’s time to make a list.

At DJ Products, we’re often stressing the importance of safety for employees who use and maneuver dumpsters with our WasteCaddy dumpster mover. It’s also important to be safe about what items go into the dumpster, in terms of both worker injury and eco-friendly practices.

Common Items That You Can’t Throw Away in a Dumpster

Prohibited items can vary depending on state and local laws or the rules of your trash collection service. Whether prohibited or not, you should think twice about these kinds of items:

Items with environmental hazards: computers, electronics, rechargeable batteries, appliances that contain refrigerant such as mini fridges and window air conditioners, CFL light bulbs and other items containing mercury.

Flammable items: gasoline, butane, and other fuels, oil and lubricants, and liquids such as paint, varnish, and wood stain.

Other dangerous materials: medical supplies such as syringes, sharps, and scalpels. For dangerous items like broken glass and ceramics, use heavy paper bags to prevent injury.

Check with your city or collection company: construction and demolition waste including dirt, rock, concrete, drywall, roofing shingles, etc.

More About Dumpster Safety

Many of our clients purchase a WasteCaddy dumpster mover after discovering that an alarming percentage of worker compensation claims are related to dumpster duty. Contact us at DJ Products or read more about our WasteCaddy dumpster mover and bin pullers.

Some Plastics Become Trash as They Are No Longer Profitably Recycled

Some Plastics End Up in Trash if They Are Not Properly Recycled
Some Plastics End Up in Trash if They Are Not Properly Recycled

Americans have long been educated about the importance of recycling as a means of preserving the environment, but many don’t realize that it’s also a lucrative commodities business. Today, though, companies are seeing their profits dry up due to low crude oil and natural gas prices.

Falling Fuel Prices Cause Dwindling Recycling Profits

Fracking in Texas and other shale-rich parts of the country has resulted in significantly lower fuel prices. Over the past two years, crude oil has dropped nearly 60 percent while natural gas has dropped just over 40 percent. The cost of raw materials is now competitive with recycled materials, and even less expensive in some cases.

Effects on Recyclers and Municipal Clients

Most recycling is done for environmental reasons, so that segment sees no drop-off due to the price changes. Municipalities that count on recycling profits to pay their trash removal costs are bearing the brunt of the downturn.

The second-quarter report from Waste Management, the country’s largest trash collecting company, revealed a $5 million loss in recycling revenues largely caused by lost or renegotiated contracts in several cities. In order to remain profitable, recycling companies are being forced to reduce paybacks to contracted municipalities or even begin charging fees.

Improve Efficiency with a WasteCaddy Dumpster Mover from DJ Products

Recycling and trash removal are cumbersome but necessary tasks for every business. Our WasteCaddy dumpster mover lets a single employee easily maneuver waste bins, even up and down inclines or across snow and ice. Visit our website and chat with our sales engineers to find the best solution for your dumpster and material handling needs.