Reduce Your Waste with a Trash Compactor
What Is a Trash Compactor?
Unlike a traditional garbage can, a trash compactor is a receptacle that contains a powerful motor and metal ram that can crush garbage and compact it, so you can fit more per bin, and reduce the amount of waste placed in landfills. They can reduce garbage volume by up to 80%! Add garbage, including bottles on the bottom, on their side, and press the on/off switch when the can is about half full. The garbage will compress, after which you can remove the bag, and add a new one. Trash compactors should be cleaned regularly.
Who Might Use One?
While trash compactors are ideal for businesses, they can also come in handy in homes that produce a lot of garbage due having a big family or a home-based business, for instance. And they’re particularly useful for homeowners in cities that only pick up garbage twice per month versus weekly, and/or have limits on how many garbage bags they can put out per week.
Aside from reducing your environmental impact, a trash compactor lets you conveniently fit more garbage in a single bag, which means you have to take the garbage outside less often.
What Kind of Trash Should and Should Not Go in a Trash Compactor?
Trash compactors are great for most household waste. You can even use them to compress recyclables, like aluminum cans, plastics, and cardboard; as well as bottles. But there are some items you should avoid putting inside altogether, like cigarette butts, chemicals, and glass. You might also want to avoid placing food waste inside, since it can cause odours and lead to bacteria growth, especially since the compacting process means you take garbage out less often.
What Features Should You Consider?
Look not only for a powerful motor that can compact garbage efficiently, but also a quiet one that won’t disturb you whenever you use it. A charcoal filter and fan can help trap and minimize odours, which is useful if you do plan to place some food waste inside; always avoid particularly pungent foods, though, like garlic and fish.
Choose a type based on your kitchen set-up. There are built-in models that have customizable panels and handles to match the rest of your kitchen decor, as well as standard floor-standing options.
Regardless of which type you choose, the most important factor is safety: trash compactors should never be operated by children, and should have a locking key. Remember to never use any part of your body to push the trash down.
Other Trash Receptacle Options
Most people have traditional trash receptacles in their homes. Options vary by size, including larger bins for rooms like the kitchen, and smaller, stylish stainless steel bins for the powder room.
Get a square, round, or even ultra-slim one to fit in specific spaces. Different tops are available, including ones that push or swing to open, or step cans with a foot pedal that opens the top, which are ideal for the bathroom where you dispose of sanitary items.
For outdoors, like in the garage, there are large floor-standing industrial-looking models that offer features like open tops, rubber lids, or even a separate area for butting out cigarettes.