When you visit a park, a shopping center, or even a university, what’s something that you can expect to see? Based on the title of today’s article, you’ve probably figured out that we’re referring to trash cans or garbage receptacles in general. Since we each have a responsibility to keep our junk out of these public spaces, it’s important that they provide the proper receptacles to do so, right?
This means that if you own or are managing a public space like this, you’ll be in charge of keeping the area clean and beautiful. A huge part of that is ensuring that visitors have ways to dispose of their waste other than simply dumping it on the ground. Today, we’ll be explaining how you can pick the best ones for your space.
Now, you can find additional information on how public planning goes here: https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/07/19/reimagining-public-space-through-creative-and-equitable-placemaking/. There are a lot of things that we have to keep in mind as we consider these spaces, after all. With that said, let’s dive into the topic at hand.
What are Outdoor Trash Receptacles?
Admittedly, the answer to this probably seems incredibly obvious. A trash can is a trash can, right? However, there are plenty of ways that we can get more creative with the receptacles that we provide for visitors. Additionally, some spaces might require specialized solutions.
For instance, the options we offer at a university might look different than those in an HOA community (Homeowner’s Association) or a theme park. We have to keep that sort of thing in mind as we pick ones that will work. Something else is that we can customize them to fit a certain theme, which is quite nice for places like amusement parks.
There are several different types of commercial outdoor trashcans, beyond just what we picture when we hear about them. For instance, there are some places that allow for smoking, whether it’s in general or in designated areas. In these spaces, a cigarette disposal bin might be appropriate to have.
In a park that allows pets, having bins for pet waste is also critical. Most of the time they’ll be labelled appropriately when you purchase them from a vendor, but some shops don’t carry specific options for them. Look for one that does if this is a need for your space.
The final specific type we’d like to highlight today are recycling bins, which have gained a lot of popularity in the past few decades. They’re a staple in most parks and other community spaces as more folks start to participate in the “trend” of recycling. Of course, there are also tax credits related to commercial spaces that recycle, so it’s worth checking them out for that reason at least.
How Do We Pick Garbage Receptacles for Our Space, then?
With the basics covered, let’s turn our attention to how we can pick between all the options available to us. To a certain extent, it will depend on the vendor you decide to use. Once you decide what you need in the space, you can browse between various shops to pick out one that has everything you’re looking for.
We can find additional details on this page, but there really is something to be said about how public and community spaces help to bring people together. This includes the trash bins, as strange as that might sound. The thing is, when we are able to keep commercial areas like this beautiful and free of litter, more people come to visit!
Picking the ones that are “right” or “best” for your space is as simple as looking at the options and deciding which will fit in. Remember that you can typically customize them as well, whether it’s putting on a logo or something else entirely. Just check in with the company you’re working with and see what customization options they have available.
When you do decide to place an order, also remember that there are typically discounts for bulk purchases. This means that it’s usually a good idea to try to order everything at once rather than space out your purchases. It’s okay if that isn’t necessarily an option for your organization, but we felt it worth pointing out.
While it might seem tempting to just go with the cheapest options possible for things that will be holding garbage, it’s important to find that balance of affordability and quality. The more appealing they look; the more likely guests will be to properly dispose of their trash. Thankfully, this balance isn’t too difficult to achieve these days.
Thanks to the online shopping options available to us now, and the catalogues they show on their sites, we can get a better idea of what we’ll be paying for.
