When it Comes to Super Sacks, You Can Have it All

forklift with super sacksSuper Sacks are a truly remarkable invention. Made from a woven polypropylene fabric, these bags are incredibly durable and can handle large storage loads. Given that, they are of course a natural fit for those industries requiring heavy lifting and transportation of goods! Industries like manufacturing, environmental cleanup, and warehouse storage. There are a lot of great benefits to using these bags, but there are some difficulties as well. One of those difficulties is how to handle disposing of them. KenBay is committed to proper disposal of waste, but we also believe in taking advantage of great opportunities. And any chance to make your job easier and more efficient definitely qualifies as a great opportunity. So how can you use the Super Sacks without creating Super Trash?

Reuse and Recycle

The size and durability of these Super Sacks are like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they’re so large and hardy that you can use them multiple times! Reusing the bag is a definite must if you want to reduce your overall waste. Between uses, make sure to inspect the bags for signs of wear and tear. Remember: Super Sacks can hold over 4000 lbs, and you definitely do not want that spilling all over your floor! Cleaning out the bags between uses is also a good idea. This helps to ensure there’s no accidental contamination.

Eventually, however, you’re going to reach a point where the sack is less Super and more Sad. That is to say, it’s fairly unusable. Do you need to haul it to the dump? Actually, no! Super Sacks are actually very easy to recycle. That’s great! You get all the benefits of using the sack and you don’t even need to worry about leaving behind a big footprint. Problem solved? Unfortunately, not quite.

The truth is, the bag is flexible, but not nearly to the same degree as a regular plastic or paper sack. The nylon material is rigid enough that it’s actually quite difficult to compact. For some this might not be a major issue. Others, however, might be concerned about financial costs. If you can’t compact the bags then you have to transport them in their original shape, which takes up more space. Or, to be more precise, the air takes up more space. You’ll be paying to transport air instead of stuff, which is wasting your money. So, is there a better way?

KenBay has Your Solution for Super Sacks!

All right, you probably saw this coming. KenBay’s RotoPacs are the perfect solution for compacting Super Sacks for recycling. Our RotoPacs are tough and a constantly rotating arm presses the material into square shapes. These squares are actually great for stacking, which means you’re not paying to haul the air! Now, you can enjoy all the benefits of using Super Sacks without worrying about the disposal. If you are interested in using KenBay’s RotoPacs for Super Sacks or your other waste disposal needs, you don’t need to wait! You can try it before you buy it. See if our RotoPacs are right for you — and most find they usually are!

 

3 Surprising Ways Depackaging Makes Recycling Easier

3 Surprising Ways Depackaging Makes Recycling EasierFor many businesses, a common barrier to recycling is a lack of resources. For businesses that handle recyclable cans, PET bottles, or cartons, depackaging equipment can help. While there are depackaging companies that can handle this task for you, many businesses now opt to complete the simple process themselves. Typically, these types of containers are not recycled because, in order to do so, they must first be rinsed of their liquid waste. A depackaging machine can do this task for you, while also benefiting your recycling efforts in other surprising ways. Here’s how.

1. No Pre-Cleaning Required

Depackaging is an integral part of waste management processes for zero waste businesses in the food industry. Thanks to this technology, they can easily separate recyclable containers from the food waste that may be inside. Food depackaging equipment varies, but popular models either unscrew bottles, or perforate cans, cartons, and bottles and then rinse whatever liquid is contained inside. This is particularly good for depackaging milk, yogurt, soft drinks, BBQ sauces and ketchup, ice cream, liquid soaps and detergents, and more.

Often, precleaning keeps people from recycling. However, with the right depackaging equipment, you can simply throw full containers into the machine. These containers are perforated or unscrewed by the machine. Then, the depackaging equipment works its magic. Food waste and other liquids inside containers are removed.

2. Recyclable Material is More Easily Managed

Not only does depackaging save you time that would otherwise be devoted to emptying containers of their waste, it can also save you money in your pursuit of zero waste. The best depackaging systems also have compaction chambers. After your containers are perforated and emptied, they are shredded or compressed tightly. With depackaging equipment that also has a high compaction rate, you’ll be able to load more recyclable waste on a single truck and make fewer trips to recycling centers or Waste to Energy plants. Because of this, you’ll spend less money on managing your recyclable waste.

3. Non-recyclable Items Can Be Repurposed

A little-known fact: depackaging equipment can also help businesses manage non-recyclable items like styrofoam or other similar materials. If your business is often left with EPS Polystyrene fish boxes and packaging, EPS dust, polypropylene packaging and insulation foam, or polypropylene (EPP) packaging, depackaging equipment can help you manage this waste. Like recyclables, these items can be emptied of any waste they may hold.Then, the foam that is left over can be condensed to create large blocks of foam. These blocks can then be sold, creating a new revenue stream for your business.

Integrate Depackaging Into Your Waste Management Process with KenBay!

If you think your waste management process could benefit from depackaging, let KenBay help you find the perfect equipment to get the job done. Our SC 2000 and SC 3000 Screw Compactors are configured for depackaging, dewatering or foam densifying. If you want to make your facility landfill free, these screw compactors can be an integral part of your waste management system. Low maintenance and heavy-duty, a KenBay screw compactor is capable of handling large throughputs of material while still maintaining a high compaction rate continuously throughout the operation.

We know that waste management can be a burden. But, with KenBay, you’ll have the tools you need to help make the job a little easier. The next time you evaluate your waste products and waste management strategy, consider integrating one of our industrial trash compactors into your processes.

Because our depackaging trash compactors will reduce the weight and size of your recyclable waste, they are a great way to cut down your waste removal costs and improve the efficiency of waste management.

Don’t let something like waste get in the way of your business operations. If you’re interested in learning more about depackaging or finding a committed consultant to help you reduce your waste, call KenBay. We can tell you more about our services, no matter what industry you’re in, or how much waste you are creating!

Photo credit: Getty Images / photka

4 Reasons to Make Reuse a Priority in Your Waste Management

ReuseIf you are trying to reduce your waste, one of the easiest things you can do is find things that are easy to reuse. With a little bit of effort, you can significantly reduce many of your waste streams with simple reuse protocols based around sorting, cleaning and storing. There are many things, like manila envelopes and plastic containers, that are determined waste that can be useful instead of thrown out. By taking the effort to save and reuse whatever you can, you will save the company from having to purchase as many as it would otherwise. There are also many opportunities to sell used goods to other companies who can use or recycle them, creating a passive income for your company.  

4 Benefits of a Habit of Reuse

  1. Save Money
    When you reuse things throughout your business operations you will undoubtedly save money in many ways. Not only will you spend less on purchasing what you have decided to reuse, but you will also save money on waste removal as you significantly diminish a waste stream. When you open your mind to the idea of reusing things you will undoubtedly begin to think more creatively about the waste you’re creating. If you want to further reduce your waste removal costs, consider purchasing a commercial trash compactor.
  2. Build Partnerships
    Another common oversight is the opportunity to find a partner in your community who would consider something that is your waste to be a valuable resource for them. Turn to your community to find partnerships like this and you just may save money in buying things you could get at discounted prices, on trade, or completely free. Not only will the habit of reuse challenge you to think more creatively about your own waste, but also about that of your partners throughout the community.
  3. Zero Landfill Initiative
    The zero landfill initiative is an ideal that many organizations and governments strive for, and the practice of reuse is central to achieving it. If you haven’t yet considered how you can contribute to this admirable common goal, a waste audit and habit of reuse are great places to start.
  4. Encourage a Charitable Community
    Many things go in the trash that could be incredibly useful to other organizations in your community. Teachers, for instance, are constantly short on supplies they need for the classroom, and some of your garbage could serve as great craft supplies or even paper products they might need for schoolwork. Don’t give in and let things get dumped at the landfill when you could be directly helping your community with what you might now be deeming trash. If you can’t reuse it yourself, chances are someone else can. Furthermore, this kind of outward-facing thoughtfulness is a great way to get your employees more engaged in their work as they aim to make it part of something bigger than themselves or even the organization, but about being a service provided to their local community.

If you haven’t yet made the habit of reuse a norm in your organization, it’s time to start working towards this goal. Begin by educating your employees on some simple changes they can make, then give them the freedom to find their own solutions to reuse in order to reduce waste streams. If you are looking for further waste management help, give KenBay a call to see how we can help you.

The 5 Best Ways to Reduce Carrying Costs of Trash and Recycling

Trash and RecyclingTaking care of your trash and recycling is not only a big job when running a business, but can also be a costly one. There are countless ways to reduce the costs associated with the trash and recycling handling, while simultaneously building a more sustainable business. Whether your main waste streams are in packaging or food waste there are simple ways to alleviate your removal costs.

5 Ways to Reduce Carrying Costs of Trash and Recycling

  1. Educate Your Employees
    The process of reducing the costs surrounding your waste management and trash and recycling hauling specifically begins with education or re-education. Once you have been caught up on all the latest policies, technologies and methodologies, begin to make a plan and spread the information throughout your company. Host informational meetings and find the people in your employ who are passionate about the cause. Use signs to help people remember what they’ve learned about your new waste management direction.
  2. Reduce Waste
    There are many ways to reduce waste coming from your facility, and they all start with a proper audit of all your processes and the waste they produce. By auditing your waste consistently for a designated period you will discover where there are unnecessary or avoidable waste streams and know where to move from there in your goals to make less waste.
  3. Reduce Packaged Inventory
    One waste stream you can almost always reduce no matter your industry is in packaging. Consider your purchasing practices and how you might cut down on the amount of packaging waste you produce. Packaging can come in many forms from cardboard to shrink wrap and ends up as both trash and recycling.     
  4. Reuse Whatever You Can
    There are many things that are determined waste that can be useful as opposed to discarded. Things like manilla envelopes and plastic containers can be easily stored for second use. There are also many options to sell used goods to other companies who can use or recycle them, creating yet another passive income for your company.  
  5. Invest in a Commercial Trash Compactor
    Are you looking to improve the sustainability of your business, as well as the safety of your workplace? Commercial trash compactors are the absolute best bet for achieving both of these goals for your company, as well as many more when you choose the one that is most suitable for you. With many different sizes and specialities, there are commercial trash compactors for every purpose waiting to prove their worth in investment. Not only can you improve the sustainability of your own company, but a commercial trash compactor will help you reduce the volume of waste that you are sending to your local landfill.

When companies put time, energy and money into considering how they can implement better practices for their trash and recycling handling, they are not only improving their business operations but are giving back to their community and oftentimes they’ll save money doing it. While the immediate costs and initial investments might not seem worth it, the long-term savings and improved public relations are undeniable.

If you are looking for a waste management consultant, be sure to call KenBay to learn more about our expertise.

 

3 Secrets About Shrink Wrap You Never Knew

Shrink WrapShrink wrap is a prevalent material used across many industries. You’ll find in your grocery stores, and wrapping entire pallets full of shipments. Unfortunately, most of this stretchy, filmy, sticky plastic that can be somewhat of a nuisance ends up going straight into the trash – 95% of it to be precise. That’s a lot of plastic going to our landfills, and in certain industries it gets to be a voluminous waste stream accounting for tens of cubic yards a week, meaning multiple dumpsters full of the stuff. Without making a concerted effort to separate shrink wrap out from the rest of your waste, it’s a loss as opposed to something that could be an added revenue stream for your business.

3 Things About Shrink Wrap

  1. It’s Recyclable
    It doesn’t occur to many people that shrink wrap is actually recyclable since it doesn’t have the token recycle tag on it that has trained us to know what goes in the blue bin. The fact is that there are many businesses that will gladly buy your shrink wrap and recycle it. Any amount of shrink wrap is worth recycling if just to make more space in your waste cans, and reduce your hauling costs even by a little. If you want to learn more about how you might actually save money by recycling your shrink wrap here are some measurements that will make it easier:1 gaylord = 40 cubic feet = 1.5 cubic yards
    40 gaylords = 1600 cubic feet = 60 cubic yards
    60 cubic yards = 6 ten-yard dumpsters

Perform an audit to figure out what your weekly totals of shrink wrap waste are and then subtract that from your hauling bill and you will determine how much you could be saving by recycling it as opposed to sending to the landfill.

  • Keep it Clean and Separate
    In order to recycle shrink wrap, you need to keep it separate from the rest of your waste. Since most shrink wrap waste is created in unpacking, be sure that those employees have separate bins for it. Most recycling firms want shrink wrap to be both clean and have all the labels removed in order for them to buy it back from you. Once removed from packaging the shrink wrap should be immediately placed in a waste bin to reduce the chance of its picking up dust, which will happen quickly as it is a sticky plastic.
  • You Don’t Need a New Baler for Shrink Wrap
    If you already use a baler for something like cardboard and have enough shrink wrap waste to bale, the good news is that you don’t need to buy a new baler to start recycling this as well. If you generate between 2,000 and 4,000 pounds per month a 42-yard compactor will do the job you need to be done. It will take about 20 gaylords of shrink wrap to fill it up the compactor to make one bale.

If you are creating tons of shrink wrap waste a month it is definitely worth contacting a company like KenBay to learn more about what kind of baler you need to start recycling your shrink wrap. We can also help you get connected with the right people who will gladly recycle this waste product for you.

3 Ways to Reduce What You Spend on Recyclable Materials

Recyclable MaterialsUsing recyclable materials is about much more than reducing your waste removal costs, though that is a nice bonus. Recyclable materials promise a brighter future for our planet and the human race by reducing our use of finite resources. When companies put time, energy and money into considering how they can implement recyclable materials into their products and packaging, they are giving back to their community, and oftentimes they’ll save money doing it. While the immediate costs and initial investments might not seem worth it, the long term savings are undeniable.  

Reduce Your Spending on Recyclable Materials

  1. Automated Waste Reporting
    End of Life regulations are only getting more strict as the government attempts to reduce the amount of waste being produced by industry. This is a trend that is being quickly adopted in the United States after many years of success in the European Union. These new regulations are encouraging companies to consider the entire lifespan of their products from their design and creation all the way through the end of their life and where they will end up when discarded. With the task of calculating recycling fees based on sales, shares, materials, weights and so forth, companies have turned to technology to help them keep track of their waste management expenses, often finding up to fifty percent savings with this approach.
  2. Smart Design
    A large part of reducing waste management costs, especially on recyclable materials, is smart design. Maybe your company’s brand is entirely wrapped up in its packaging and the thought of changing it is overwhelming. There are many subtle things you can change in product design by using new technologies in recyclable materials that will save your fees in the long run. On the other hand, loyal customers are typically happy if you change your packaging for a good cause, because then they get to feel they are part of it.
  3. Incentivize Recycling
    Many companies aren’t as concerned with their packaging as they are with their products themselves. In a world ruled by screens, electronics manufacturers bear a heavy burden when it comes to recyclable materials and keeping their dead products out of landfills. Companies like Apple offer end of life trade-in programs, and will even give you a small gift card for those ancient macbooks sitting around collecting dust. These programs allow them to save on fees as well as recycle old parts themselves. Customers get to feel better about where their garbage is going than simply throwing it the waste bin.

Don’t overlook the importance of implementing recyclable materials into your products and packaging. With a fresh look at your waste management practices you will find many opportunities to save money, while you might pay a little more to get the ball rolling. There are countless resources for this step towards corporate social responsibility that will not only improve the face of your brand, but will help your employees to feel part of something bigger. For more information for waste management experts on how to make a shift to a more sustainable business, give KenBay a call.

The Truth You Need to Know About Balers

BalersBalers aren’t just farm tools used for hay, but they are used throughout other industries for things like paper, cardboard, plastic and even textiles. They are one of the most common backroom tools in a retail setting, and keep stock rooms free from the clutter of empty boxes, while helping clothing donation centers efficiently store and ship clothes. If you are looking for a way to better manage waste in your facility, be it boxes or otherwise, balers come in a number of sizes with various purposes and are an affordable solution to help you get more organized and lower your waste removal costs.

Balers aren’t Too Big for Your Backroom

Many people avoid investing in equipment like balers because they assume they will take up far too much room. While some balers can be as large as 12 square feet at their base, there are many smaller models that you will easily be able to make room for, especially considering the fact that they will reduce the size of your waste at a ratio of six to one. Balers aren’t space consuming, they are space creating. Don’t fall for this common misconception and be held back from an investment that will end up showing returns in what can happen in just a matter of months.

Balers for Everything

Whether you’re in a retail store with thousands of boxes that pile up each week, or a food and beverage setting with plastic recyclables or food waste that needs compacting, balers are the perfect solution. A self-contained compactor is perfect for any setting in which wet waste is unavoidable and a plastic bag is available instead of using wire for tying bales. Leakage will always be controlled, and you can even buy biodegradable bags to contribute to your zero landfill initiative should that be your goal. Even if you have waste that is large and awkwardly sized like furniture, you will be able to find balers strong enough for the job. Don’t let your waste cans overflow with unruly items piling them up far sooner than they ought. Make use of balers to do this awkward, time-consuming and often messy waste management job.

Save Money with Balers

Compacting and baling your waste is one of the easiest ways to save money on your waste management costs. More compact waste means you can have it removed from your premises less frequently, saving you money on transportation. Furthermore if you’re recycling a significant amount of plastic, metals or paper and cardboard, you can actually make money selling sorted bales back to the recycling company. This can end up being quite a lucrative stream of income for your business if you’re producing enough waste.

Investing in equipment like balers is one of the best steps to take in rethinking your waste management practices. Ideally you will take time to consider each step in your process to see how you can minimize waste and maximize efficiency, and maybe even partner with a waste management expert to see you through the process and recommend the best equipment for the task. Call KenBay to learn more about how we can help take this step in improving your business!

 

5 Ways to Make Huge Progress on Your Zero Landfill Initiative

Zero Landfill InitiativeAre you looking to start or improve upon a zero landfill initiative to do your part for the conservation of our beautiful world? You’re in luck because at KenBay we are experts in helping companies achieve their zero landfill initiative goals and have all the tools you need to see it through. A zero landfill initiative does more than simply divert waste from the landfill, it will actually end up saving your company money on waste transportation, as well as improve the overall safety in your manufacturing facility.

What is a Zero Landfill Initiative?

As opposed to a zero waste initiative, which constitutes absolutely no waste or recycling, a zero landfill initiative is defined by diverting the majority of waste from the landfill in favor of producing only recyclable waste. There are three degrees of landfill initiatives to strive for, the most ambitious of which is the zero landfill initiative which constitutes that 100 percent of waste is diverted from the landfill. Then there is the virtually zero landfill initiative with diversion rates of 98 percent or higher. Finally the landfill waste diversion initiative is for companies aiming to divert at least 80 percent of their waste from the landfill. Figure out which goal is the most attainable for your company and begin taking steps towards achieving it! Reducing your landfill waste is often a process that will improve over several years so don’t try to fix it all in one month and then never think about it again. It’s a long term commitment!

5 Ways to Make Progress on Your Zero Landfill Initiative

  1. Work With a Waste Management Company
    Waste management companies like KenBay are experts in helping organizations of all kinds reduce their waste. We can help you do everything from company-wide waste audits to find more efficient and safer production practices, as well as provide new equipment that will help you reduce the volume of your waste.
  2. Perform Consistent Waste Audits
    There is no way of knowing how to reduce your waste if you don’t know where it’s coming from and what kind of waste it is. You need to track your waste throughout every aspect of your business in order to make a targeted plan to both reduce and eliminate certain waste streams.
  3. Think Both Short and Long Term
    The necessity of having both a short and long term plan for achieving your zero landfill initiative is absolutely crucial to seeing results. You won’t be able to make huge amounts of progress right away, so make sure you have actionable small goals through which you can measure progress to keep yourself and the rest of the company motivated towards the long term goals. Honda has been working towards their zero landfill initiative for over a decade!
  4. Buy a Trash Compactor
    Trash compactors have the ability to reduce your waste volume at a rate of six to one meaning that, if you are still producing landfill waste, you can significantly reduce the space it will take up in the landfill as well as your own hauling costs. The same trash compactors can also be used for recycling, achieving the same ends for recycling centers.
  5. Use Biodegradable Bags
    A great way to work towards your zero landfill initiative is to use biodegradable bags that will disintegrate over time, leaving one less plastic bag in the recycling center or landfill. This is a small and easy measure to take towards achieving your goals.

A zero landfill initiative is a worthwhile goal for your organization, no matter what industry you are in. If you want to know more about how a waste management company can help you achieve a zero landfill initiative, give KenBay a call!

Count the Ways You Can Save When you Rethink Trash Removal

Trash RemovalTrash removal doesn’t have to be the dreary topic it presumes to be, especially when you start to think outside the box and consider the bigger picture. So many good things can come from rethinking your trash removal and all the things associated with it. If you have yet to reassess your business or home waste management practices, then take some time to consider the amount of waste you’re producing and where it’s going. There are some very simple ways to get started in completely making over your waste removal standards, be it at work or home.

Find Your Waste Removal Devotees

Chances are there are people in your midst who are already secretly playing the goal of garbage police, taking it upon themselves to monitor the trash can even if it is unofficial. These are going to be your go-to people in beginning the transformation of waste removal in your business, and will keep the entire project from falling on the shoulders of ownership and management. Bring a team together around the common goals of reducing waste to both save the company money on hauling costs and by recycling, as well as giving something back to the community like less pressure on your local landfills.

Where is Your Waste Coming From?

The first place to start in remaking your waste removal strategy is to figure out what your waste consists of. The easiest way to do this, especially if you’re in a large facility, is to take on a weakly waste audit challenge. Checking your waste at the end of each day will give you a much better idea of where in your production the most waste is coming from. When you know where your garbage is being produced, you can then consider ways to reduce its creation and therefore waste removal as well.

Recycle Anything You Can

Many recyclables go completely overlooked, or are simply more convenient to throw in the trash for lack of a nearby recycling bin. A great place to start in reducing your waste is to vamp up your recycling program through first, education and second, logistics. Make sure you and your employees are aware of absolutely everything that can go in the recycling. Then make sure that there are always visible recycling bins around. Cardboard is a huge (quite literally the largest volume of waste created) culprit of recyclable goods ending up in landfills, and is usually easily avoided with the right measures in place.

Reuse or Regift

A lot of your waste, you will find, may not be recyclable but might still have some purpose or use for another business in your area or perhaps a local junk collecting store for all those DIYers out there. It could surely take some extra time to get this project going in full force, but it will also help your business build ties with the community around it, and potentially give an employee an exciting new job to take hold of.

Don’t underestimate the power of reducing your waste removal costs by taking these few steps seriously. If you want to do even more you can call KenBay to learn about our state of the art trash compactors and how we can help you improve your waste management practices.

Make Life Simple and Get Your Paint Disposal Checklist

Paint Disposal

Paint disposal or storage can be a daunting task whether you’re dealing with a small home supply or an industrial facility with various paints and solvents to consider.  With just a few protocols, you can be sure that your paint disposal is always safe and environmentally sound, no matter the quantities you’re handling. Taking care of your paint disposal in the proper way will do more than just ensure the safe handling of hazardous waste, it will also save you money in long run, and reduce risk in either your workplace or home.  

Reduce Your Need for Paint Disposal

Whether you’ve recently repainted your house, or work in the autobody business and go through gallons every day, proper paint disposal is equally important to consider. But before you get to that step, there are many measures you can take to reduce the amount of waste you have when the job is done. First, make sure that you can return any unopened paint cans or spray bottles. You will not only get reimbursed and save yourself some money, but it will also ensure that the paint actually gets used instead of thrown away. Safely store some of the leftover paint in a cool dark location for touch ups, and be sure it is tightly sealed. You can even switch it into smaller airtight containers to save space or get a better seal. Properly stored paints and solvents will usually remain safe to use for up to ten years, so give them a permanent home that is out of the reach of the kids. There are also ways of re-tinting paint to use it for new or different purposes than you originally bought it for.

Leftover Paint Disposal

If there is still paint or solvents (often used for cleaning) that you cannot repurpose or save for future use, you will need to find the proper means to dispose of them. These materials are usually considered liquid hazardous waste, so they cannot go in the dumpster. Call your local waste sector to find out how you ought to handle paint disposal, which will typically involve a certain kind of airtight container for paint. It will also have to be kept separate from the rest of your waste and recycling to ensure that contamination does not occur.

Solid Waste in Paint Disposal

A paint can or spray bottle is considered empty if it has less than one inch of paint at the bottom of it. Empty the vessel by either pouring or pumping the paint out of it, and once you have done this, it is considered recyclable, in which case you take the usual measures to separate it out from landfill waste. If paint cans are a significant portion of your waste, you might want to consider investing in a trash compactor that will help you consolidate the otherwise non-pliable materials to save time and money on your recycling efforts. A trash compactor will reduce the size of your waste at a rate of six to one.

When tackling your paint disposal process, keep these things in mind. If you’re dealing with paint disposal on a large scale, call KenBay for an expert opinion on your particular waste management needs.