Choosing and Placing Receptacles

Your choice and placement of trash and recycling receptacles will go a long way toward ensuring that employees and guests take advantage of them properly, keeping your workplace and outdoor areas free of rubbish and odors. The following tips can help you determine the best trash bins and placement for your needs.

Choose an Appropriate Material

The best receptacle for any office or industrial location is determined in large part by the material it is made of. Trash and recycling containers come in a variety of materials to withstand different degrees of use, including:

• Steel and stainless steel
• Wood
• Plastic
• Concrete

Wood trash cans, often with decorative elements, are perfect for offices and even some outdoor spaces. Stainless steel trash cans are durable and attractive, and come in a variety of sizes and styles for office, outdoor and industrial use. For maximum durability with the bonus of anti-theft protection, concrete trash cans are perfect for very high use or park areas where theft, elements and rough use are expected.

Size According to Location and Use

When choosing receptacles for your place of business, it’s important to determine what size will fit both the space and your waste requirements. Small wastebaskets placed around the office or under desks will keep individual spaces clean, while moderately sized trash cans — preferably with lids to keep odors under control — are optimal for shared spaces such as break rooms, lunch rooms and kitchens. Industrial locations and some outdoor places like parks or walkways usually require larger trash cans to accommodate higher traffic and larger items.

Color Coding Promotes Recycling

Color coding your waste receptacles is an easy way to encourage employees to dispose of their trash or recycling properly. While blue is the standard catch-all for recycling, other colors can be implemented according to your workplace needs — for example, using green bins for plastic, yellow for cans, white for paper, etc. No matter what color coding method you choose, be consistent with them throughout the workplace.

Placement and Visibility Are Key

Finally, proper placement of receptacles is actually more important than how many bins you have. Consider what sort of trash will be disposed of in specific areas and place bins accordingly. Here are a few handy tips:

• Large sturdy trash bins just outside doors allow people to discard trash before entering
• Lidded receptacles placed next to tables or benches in outdoor spaces make food disposal a snap
• Cigarette receptacles and outdoor ashtrays are best placed just outside of rear or side doors or in any outdoor break area for quick disposal before entering the building
• A combination of bins for recycling, food and trash is perfect for high traffic areas such as kitchens, break rooms or outdoor areas

Receptacles come in such a wide variety of sizes, colors and materials that, with a little advance planning, you can easily select the perfect combination for your workplace.