Sustainability and KenBay: The Zero Landfill Initiative

What Is the Zero Landfill Initiative?

The Zero Landfill Initiative is a comprehensive attempt by local and international nonprofit organizations to turn landfill waste materials into sustainable energy. This initiative is designed to help facilitate businesses, communities, and international enterprises to reclaim landfill space and redirect these areas toward creating more sustainable work and living spaces. Resource waste material recovery is modeled on the worldwide effort to provide the highest standard of living for countries and communities grappling with their volume of waste production and landfill concerns.

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A Quality Focused Aerospace Supplier

Industrial Waste Compactor RotoPac

Aerospace Supplier Facility Management

As an industry leading Aerospace Supplier founded in 1979, we have built an excellent reputation within the aerospace sector by providing top notch quality and integrity for almost 40 years. Our philosophy is to provide a superior product by controlling growth and maintaining a sole focus on aerospace. Simply put, we are the “Standard of Excellence” within the aerospace metal finishing industry. Our commitment to the customer, qualified personnel and in-house quality guidelines have made us and will continue to make us a leader within its industry.

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Label-Making Presses Sync with Continuous Compacting PLC-HMI RotoPac

ID Label Inc. is the industry leader in custom barcode label solutions.  They provide design engineering, production, signage and nationwide installation services of custom, variable-information barcode labels and asset tags for organizations in the warehousing, supply chain, manufacturing, electronics, calibration, medical, laboratory, and library markets.

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Reduce Facility Costs

RecycleDo you have facility costs that you haven’t factored into your bottom line? Every production facility has waste. It’s unavoidable. But knowing how to adequately reduce its footprint, its hauling cost and potential for possible injuries can make all the difference in the world. If you have cardboard boxes coming into your production area filled with components or supplies and you are still breaking them down by hand, you have room for improvement. Cardboard is recyclable. It’s also messy if not properly dealt with at the point of taking out components. If you’re chasing after savings in your facility by parring down production costs, it might make sense to first examine how you are dealing with excess cardboard.

It’s Simple…Reduce Costs That Are Adding Up

Does dispersing components/supplies received add to the problem of disposing of the packaging materials in your plant? Some areas may be in foods or medicines processing areas where disposing of the packaging there is not permitted.  Many locations that receive components/supplies may not have the space there, especially if it is expected to separate the trash from the packaging that can be recycled. In addition, unpacking on the production line may have an effect upon production.

What You Can Do to Reduce Facility Costs

An effective way to solve these problems may be to consider unpacking components where they are received. This can have a number of the following benefits:

  1. Save space in the production area
  2. Reduce the cost of collecting the packaging material
  3. Make it more cost effective in compacting for disposal of the packaging material
  4. Reduce traffic of persons and/or forklifts in the plant

KenBay has been providing companies with the ability to package the materials more cost effectively by reducing labor and achieving much higher compaction.

Turn to KenBay for a Better Compactor

There’s a lot of compactor options out there to reduce your facility costs. It may be tempting to think that bigger is better. But buying a large bulky compactor is no guarantee of power. Instead, why not try one of KenBay’s RotoPacs? The RotoPac is portable, so you can transport it easily across the floor to wherever you need. Put it right at the source of your waste for maximum effect. And you can bet that the RotoPac has a fantastic compaction rate! If you want to try out a RotoPac for yourself, visit our website to try one out for yourself. You’ll be impressed at it’s power . . . and your savings!

See How a Cubic Yard Box Inspired a Reduction in Bulk Waste Costs by 83%

It All Started with a Cubic Yard BoxPaint Disposal

It won’t come as any surprise to most folks that bulk waste has high associated disposal costs. We’d like to share a story about a West Coast Aircraft Service Facility client of ours who serves the aircraft industry and the waste they produce is considered hazardous, which adds a whole additional level of complexity to the situation! The story begins with the switch to a Cubic Yard Box!
Jim Kirby supports a Paint Hangar Operations; the paint masking material contains chrome related primers and requires a Class 1 Fire Protection Unit. Their operations use a RotoPac® they rented from KenBay along with a 40 yard roll-off bin. The first round of compaction was done in 55 gallon metal drums, and shipped to their hazardous waste vendor in Tennessee for fuel blend. In addition, the larger materials would be compacted in the RotoPac and then shipped to a local waste vendor and then repackaged into a cubic yard box and ship to Tennessee for fuel blend. There were several associated costs with this approach, and as you can imagine, those costs quickly added up to a big expense.
One day their hazardous waste vendor made a change that sparked a huge savings for Jim’s company. They started requiring the waste be put into a hazardous waste rated cubic yard box instead of the drums and the cubic yard bags they had used historically. It was important to find the most efficient way to accommodate this change. Since there was already collaborative relationship with KenBay and they were already renting a RotoPac, it made sense to start with KenBay. Don Meis, the founder of KenBay spent time researching the new requirements and he presented a simple solution. There was a way to outfit the RotoPac so that it could compact waste directly into the cubic yard box.
The modification included the following:

  • Remove the protection shield
  • Stabilize the Unit to ensure the cubic yard box doesn’t move during compaction
  • Use a shorter RotoPac drum
  • Install guard rails to prevent the boxes from expanding as waste was compacted

That did the trick!
So their old process which required 55 gallon metal drums, a 40 yard roll-off bin, liners, transport to local waste vendor and finally shipping to Tennessee in a cubic yard box to fuel blend, was all reduced to onsite waste compaction indoors without exposing the environment to the hazardous waste, with better logistics, better security and lower costs!
We mentioned 83% savings. Can that be true? Let’s take a look at the numbers:

  • For the first 6 months of 2015, the costs utilizing the 40 yard roll off and shipping to TN to fuel blend totaled $86,000
  • For the second 6 months of 2015, the costs of using a customized RotoPac, compacting on-site and shipping to TN fuel blend totaled $14, 500
  • An annual savings of $71,500!

The great part of this story is how they captured all associated costs and eventual savings as a result of making a few changes to their RotoPac compactor. How many of us pay the bills on a monthly basis without wondering how things could be done smarter and more cost effectively?
The costs for the old process came from various sources:

  • 55 gallon metal drums
  • The roll-off bin had to be kept outdoors, required a lid and regular maintenance and it took up a lot of physical space.
  • Liners for the RotoPac
  • Labor of transporting waste from paint operations to the outdoors where the 40 yard roll off was kept
  • Pulls from the 40 yard roll-off bin cost $15 per pull and they averaged 10 pulls per year.
  • Paying the hazardous waste vendor for the labor, fuel and materials required to put waste in a cubic yard box, blend and ship.

In 2016 Jim decided it was time to stop renting the RotoPac from KenBay and purchase it outright and he hasn’t looked back! Contact us at KenBay. Explain your specific sources of waste and we’ll recommend a process that is safe, efficient and cost effective. It would be our pleasure!

3 Easy Ways to Reduce Handling When Handling Waste

handling wasteIn 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!

How to Make Your 2017 Mantra: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

reduce, reuse, recycleWe 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.

5 Ways Industrial Waste is Costing you Money . . . and What to do About it!

industrial waste wastes moneyIndustrial 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!

How to Cost Effectively Transport Recyclable Items

So you’ve finally decided that your plant is going to be more environmentally responsible. You’re no longer going to put concerns of waste off to the side of your mind. Instead, you’re going to be conscious about separating your recyclable items from the non-recyclables. Hey, we salute you! KenBay is committed to a zero waste initiative and helping others achieve the same goals. We believe that it is the responsibility of business owners and managers to handle their waste and recycling responsibly. 

One of the first concerns raised when it comes to recycling is cost, especially the cost of transporting the recyclable items. This is understandable! You want to protect the environment and be socially conscious, but you also can’t allow it to be too big of a strain on your business. Fortunately, there is a solution! You can transport your recyclable items and still save money! Here’s how!

Compact Your Recyclable Items into a Convenient Cube!

One of the first and most important things you can do is make sure your recyclable items are the right shape. It may be cheaper to toss it all into a garbage bag but there are two problems. One: if you are throwing away all that garbage bag plastic anyway, is there a point to adding it to the recycling truck? Two: that is not the most cost effective use of your space. You’re leaving large gaps of air in the truck, air which you are now paying to transport!

A better solution is to use a trash compactor to press all that garbage into a convenient cube shape. The cube allows for trash that is more easily stackable. Basic geometry, really! And wouldn’t you know it, KenBay has our line of handy and transportable compactors all ready to go!

Square Bags are Great Too!

Speaking of shapes, the right kind of bag can make all the difference when it comes to transportation! When you have square cubes, it just makes sense to put them in a square bag. Again, it comes down to making everything more stackable and reducing the amount of air you are hauling. Personally, we recommend super sacks. They’re fairly durable, and you can also recycle them too!

Choose KenBay and get Everything You Need

Like we said before, a KenBay compactor is a great way to press your garbage and your recyclable items into the right shape for transport. We have a variety of compactors for whatever your waste needs are. Whether they are hazardous materials, volatile waste, or even marine waste, we have the right product for you. We also offer a line of biodegradable waste compactor bags for your convenience! So if you are ready to make the switch to KenBay today, then please visit our website. There, you’ll find our full range of products to check out for yourself. You can try one of the products before you buy it. If you like what you see, then no problem! Keep the compactor that we send you and pay the difference!

How to Save Money on Getting Your Plastics to the Recycling Facility

Plastic: Helpful, but Hazardous plastic recycled in a recyling facility

The invention of plastic is one of the biggest technological advancements in the past 100 + years. The ways which plastic has made our lives more convenient are so numerous that it’s impossible to name them all here. Put simply: the way we live now would not be possible without it. At the same time, plastic poses a significant problem for the environment, namely, the fact that it does not biodegrade easily. Plastic waste is a big problem for the planet, and handling it responsibly is an absolute necessity for big manufacturing plants. KenBay is a big supporter of recycling in any form. We fully support zero waste companies committed to reducing landfills and promoting environmentally friendly handling of waste. The solution to the plastic problem is to send your plastic to a recycling facility instead of a landfill.

You probably already knew this, however. Recycling plastic is much more commonplace than it was even a few decades ago. Our children are taught to do it in elementary school. Is there any way to make recycling plastic easier, however? Actually, there is, and it can save you money as well.

Compress, Compress, Compress!

One of the big mistakes people make when recycling plastic is not breaking it down before sending it to the recycling facility. I don’t mean chemically, either, I mean actual physical pressure. Too often, people will throw their recycled bottles and milk jugs into the bin as is. You know what happens when you do that? You end up hauling mostly air, and wasting space and time making multiple trips to the recycling center. A better solution is to compress the plastic containers as much as you can and flatten them. When I was growing up, my father would have me stomp on the old milk jugs in order to get this effect. Flattening the plastic like this allows you to haul more, so you save that needed time and effort.

Choose the KenBay Way

Compressing waste is especially important for manufacturing plants who need to cut costs whenever possible. Reducing the amount of air you haul to the recycling facility is a great way to save money! And one of the best methods to compress that plastic is to use a KenBay RotoPac. You can easily toss your plastic waste inside of one, and then sit back as the RotoPac continually presses and compacts it all into an airless cube. No space wasted here, and no need for extra trips back and forth! The cubes themselves are easily stackable, meaning you also save space and money that way as well.

If you think that a KenBay RotoPac is the right fit for you, then go to our website where you can try it before you buy it. If you like what you see, then you can pay to keep the RotoPac we send you — no need to send it back at all! We think you will agree that a KenBay RotoPac will make all the difference when it comes to recycling your plastic. So this year, save money and be environmentally responsible, with KenBay!