by CharlieB | Feb 23, 2017
In the future, robots and other machines will handle all of our waste Picture “The Jetsons.” Picture the Death Star trash compactor in “Star Wars.” Handling and disposing of the garbage falls entirely on someone else, and we never need to touch it again. Wouldn’t that be lovely? Unfortunately, that future is probably a long ways off. So what can we do in the present?
Well, KenBay is all about proper waste disposal, but that doesn’t mean we think handling waste all the time is good either! When you’re trying to get rid of your trash, it’s better to be quick, fast, and done. So, here are some ways to reduce handling when handling waste.
Do Away With Boxes
Oh boxes, so essential to our everyday life and, paradoxically, so wasteful. Boxes are a bit of a trap, waste wise, because every time you order more, you’re just adding to the waste! There are some cool ideas to reduce boxes, like this nifty little invention. But nothing has really taken off yet to do away with the hundreds of billions of boxes created each year.
True, you can recycle the cardboard, and indeed most people do. But you still need to find a place to put the boxes. Not to mention, most of them are on the small side. If you’re using boxes to hold your temporary waste, you probably need to make a lot of trips! A better solution would be something like Super Sacks, which are larger and can hold up to 4000 lbs of waste. They can also be reused if you’re careful with them, and they are easy to recycle just like cardboard!
Place Compactor at the Source of the Waste
Of course, one of the biggest time wasters when handling waste is having to travel on your factory floor to the compactor itself. Keep in mind, you’re probably carrying an armful of junk too, inhibiting your movement and your vision. This is a workplace hazard! A better answer is to have a smaller compactor, when you can place right at the source of the waste. Finished with that cardboard or edge trim? Great! Just toss it into the compactor and keep moving, no muss or fuss.
Compact and Stack
Finally, when you are handling waste, you want to make the fewest amount of trips possible. For one thing, nobody wants to go back and forth just for garbage. For another thing, as previously mentioned, it’s a workplace hazard. So how to you get more trash to the truck, quicker? Easy! Buy a compactor that presses the garbage into a cube shape. The cubes of trash can be more easily loaded into something like a super sack or a lift.
KenBay does all of this for you! Our RotoPac compactors are small enough to be used on site. And our continuously rotating arm presses the waste together into those nice neat little cubes. We may not be living in the future, but we have the answers you need today!
If you want to try out a RotoPac for yourself, then you can make a request and we’ll send one to you! And if you decide you like it, simply pay the money to keep what we’ve sent!
by CharlieB | Feb 17, 2017
We are almost two months into 2017, and many people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you wanted to be more environmentally minded this year, but that mindset fell by the wayside in favor of other obligations. Is it too late for you to make the changes you wanted so badly last December? Not at all! We here at KenBay believe that the second best time to change your habits is today (the best time was yesterday). If you want to make 2017 your year of change, here’s a great mantra to live by: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
Reduce
If you want to make an environmental difference at your plant, reducing waste should be one of your first priorities. How do you know the amount of waste you’re generating? A great first step is to examine your material flow. Look at what’s coming into your plant, how it is used, and how it leaves. Once you’ve identified the source of your waste, then you can take steps to reduce it!
Reuse
One great way to help reduce your waste is to reuse it! This can look like a lot of different things. Perhaps you can find alternative uses for the giant plastic bags your products come in. Or perhaps you can repurpose scrap metal instead of leaving it around (which, by the way, is a big safety hazard!) And remember, reusing materials doesn’t have to mean physical materials like plastic and metal. Resources like water and energy can also be reused. You can conserve on multiple levels!
Recycle
The last step in our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle mantra is recycling. Interestingly, this is probably the first thing you thought of. And why not? Everyone knows about recycling. Improved environmental education has taught our children the benefits of recycling from a young age. But what is important to keep in mind is that before we can recycle, we must first reduce our waste and reuse what we can. How can we recycle? It’s actually easy — stop sending your waste into landfills! Landfills generate greenhouse gasses and can secrete chemicals into the earth.
Instead, send the waste you can’t reuse to a proper recycling facility. Additionally, look into whether waste-to-energy is a viable option. Waste-to-energy is an excellent alternative to traditional fossil fuels. You’ll reduce your waste and help our energy problem at the same time. It’s like an environmental double whammy!
Remember the mantra: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It’s not to late to make these changes for 2017. One thing that can help you reduce waste more effectively? Utilizing the right kind of compactor. A KenBay RotoPac is portable, which means it can be stored at the source of the waste. Say goodbye to enormous compactors that take up half the room! Because our RotoPacs have a constantly rotating arm, your waste is continually pressed and tightened into a convenient cube shape. Cubes are great for stacking and hauling over to the recycling facility! If you are interested in purchasing a KenBay RotoPac for yourself, you can try it before you buy it. If you enjoy the RotoPac, you can even pay to keep the one we send you. Change is possible this year, and KenBay can help.
by CharlieB | Feb 6, 2017
We here at KenBay are all about the environment. We promote a zero waste initiative and encourage waste reduction whenever we can. If you are one of those people who agree that you need to do your part for the environment, then hey, we salute you! You may want to help encourage others to do their part as well. But how can you make a difference? It seems that waste is just such an ingrained part of our culture. Many people throw their garbage in landfills without giving it a second thought! Well, if you want your manufacturing plant to promote waste reduction, here are some great ways to get the ball rolling.
Become Involved in the Community
They say that one person has the capability to bring about change. With enough determination, this is definitely possible. However, why stop at one? We think a better way would be giving that one guy a break and getting the entire community involved. As a major business, you definitely have the power! Perform a bit of research and learn about the environmental needs of your community. Perhaps the local park suffers from a littering problem. Or maybe the community generates too much waste. What are the causes of these issues?
Once you understand the issues, work with local leadership to help correct them! Organize and fund park clean up day, for example, or set up recycling bins around high traffic areas to encourage recycling and waste reduction over landfill use. Also, think about setting up events that educate the public on what they can do at home and at work to help the environment. Also, consider donating to a non profit or charity that you think makes a difference. What takes one person a lot of effort to do by himself, an entire community can do easily! Not to mention it gets your company a lot of great press.
Become an Example for Others
Another great way to encourage waste reduction is to be an example of it yourself. This isn’t always easy, but with a little extra effort, you will find responsible waste management is definitely doable. Track your material flow and learn where your products come from . . . and where they go. Ensure that you are doing everything you can to recycle your materials, and look into options like waste to energy to see if it’s feasible for you. Finally, make sure that switching to an environmentally conscious mindset isn’t slamming your finances. Use a solid compactor and reduce your spending on the labor and hauling of your waste.
As it so happens, KenBay compactors are exactly the thing you need to promote fantastic waste reduction! Our compactors are small and portable, and you can use them right at the source of your waste. Simply toss it in and forget about it! Additionally, our RotoPacs continuously press and compress the waste into a cube shape, which is easier to haul and transport. You won’t have to waste money hauling empty space on the truck, and you’ll have fewer trips overall! If you are interested in experiencing a KenBay RotoPac for yourself, we offer you the option to Try it Before you Buy it! If you like what you have, just pay for the one we already sent you and be done with it. If you want to promote more waste reduction, trust KenBay to have your back!
by CharlieB | Feb 4, 2017
Industrial Waste of Money?
Some people may believe that disposing of industrial waste costs very little money as opposed to recycling it. In reality, this idea couldn’t be farther from the truth. It doesn’t matter whether you are dumping your waste in a landfill or recycling it properly, you will need to spend some money. Nothing good comes for free! Of course we here at KenBay prefer that you choose the more responsible option and recycle it. We have a zero waste initiative and encourage other companies to follow suit. It’s better for the environment, and helps save you money!
“Now wait a minute,” you ask, “Recycling is expensive! Isn’t it better for my company if I throw my industrial waste into the scrapyard instead of paying money to send it somewhere else?” You may think this is the case, but here are some hidden costs you might not have considered.
Labor
So the first question you need to ask is: who’s going to be picking up and hauling the waste? Because, unless technology has advanced significantly in the last 24 hours, we don’t have an army of robots to handle our trash. What we do have are flesh and blood humans, and those still need to be paid.
Transport
“Ok,” you say, “So I’ll need to hire some folks to handle my garbage. That’s fine, I’m sure they have families to feed.” That’s true, and now have you thought about how they will get the waste to the landfill? Because it’s doubtful that they will be walking the entire way. The cost of transport is also a factor!
Inefficient Handling/Packaging
“Well of course they’ll need to use trucks!” you say next. “It’s perfectly reasonable to pay for that.” That it is, but is it reasonable to pay for all that air you’re hauling around? Most of the time, industrial waste is just thrown into the truck. Think about what happens if you just throw clothing haphazardly into a suitcase. Are you able to maximize the use of that potential space? Of course not! It’s the same here: if you’re just throwing the waste on the truck, you end up paying for more trips to haul everything. This compounds the cost of the labor and transport as well.
Consumption of Resources
Consider this also: the waste still needs to be “managed,” as it were. The process involves consuming resources. Energy is used. Water is needed. You still end up paying for this, every time you ship your waste off to a landfill.
Potential for Lawsuits
As you can see, a lot of small hidden costs end up adding to a large money sink. By now, you’re probably wondering how much of your waste you can dump into that pond nearby before anyone notices. Unfortunately for you, the greatest cost of all is handling your waste irresponsibly. You leave yourself vulnerable to a lawsuit. It’s a time consuming process which can irrevocably damage your company’s reputation, on top of the costs for your legal team. Recycling doesn’t sound so bad now, does it?
Saving money and recycling is entirely possible. Just look at companies like GM, who save $1 billion a year through responsible waste management. “But I’m not nearly as large as GM, I can’t afford to start practices like that!” you (probably) just griped. That’s true, so why not try out a KenBay compactor? Our RotoPacs reduce the need for labor because they are portable and can be used on site. Additionally, crushing your waste and recyclables into cube shapes saves you money on transport. You won’t be hauling air when everything is stacked tightly into the truck! If you are interested in a KenBay compactor, you can try one before you buy it. Switch to KenBay, and find out how much money recycling can save you!
