Waste & Recycling During COVID-19 Outbreak

Trash and recycling is often not top of mind.  Most people don't realize how much waste really costs. WasteCap not only thinks about it, but strategizes how to reduce it and change processes to support a circular economy. Given all the Covid-19 emails going around from businesses assuring you of their safe practices or letting you know how they'll be reimbursing you in these hard times, we thought we'd keep you up to speed on what might be going on with the world of trash and recycling. 

Prepare for waste handling changes

If your operations can be completed remotely, expect a lot less waste, but beware cutting down on cleaning unless you can shut down sections of your buildings.  

• Fewer people on site is helpful, but unless they're being concentrated into a smaller area, potentially affected surfaces remain throughout your working zones.
• The danger to and from your cleaning staff also increases - they will be more exposed to pathogens than the general staff.  Make sure they stay as healthy as possible and provide them with the tools and policies they need to do so.  

If your operations on site will continue, you may need increased attention to waste handling in internal collection points for paper towels and kleenex, and the factors below may significantly increase your overall waste volumes.

you are likely feeling the pressure to consume more

Paper towels, napkins and wipe usage is likely to rise, and you may see a rise in kleenex consumption if staff can't stay home when they exhibit signs of illness or allergies.  Despite the panic buyers, there does not appear to be a good reason to stockpile months worth of toilet paper.

• Cloth cleaning towels are easily decontaminated in a hot wash, but if improperly handled during cleaning they risk spreading germs.  You may see an increased demand to use disposable wipes.  
  • These have fewer of the issues of paper towels, but are far more expensive and can't be composted, digested or recycled.  Their impact on your total waste stream should be minimal.
• Simple soap and water hand washing is the best way to prevent viruses getting to the face, but we can't wash all the time and most people don't wash their hands effectively.  
  • Sanitizers are a second best stand in, and while those piles of little bottles can often be recycled, they can often only be recycled if they're washed out.
• When it comes to drying hands, air dryers avoid the cost and the mess of paper, but paper towel companies point out that they have the potential to throw contaminated droplets into the air.  That's a fear big enough to push people to demand paper, despite the huge cost and fact we've all seen bathrooms with paper towels that didn't make it into the bin.
  • Paper towel companies have a reasonable claim that germs are captured by the towels, but piles of used towels can then spread those germs to the surfaces and the people that have to handle them.  Make efforts to control the dispenser to minimize consumption, and ensure staff removes the bathroom waste more often than needed to prevent overflows and clean up lazy disposers.
  • If you already use paper towels in the restrooms, they likely account for 10% of your office or classroom waste stream.  You'll only see a moderate increase.
  • If you are switching to paper, expect a significant increase in bathroom waste and waste in the building's terminal collection bins.  There are methods of composting, digesting or recycling paper towel waste, but they may not be available in your area or on short notice.

You will likely see a spike in single-use items

The closure of dining areas pushes more food into to-go containers, which are more often than not overpackaged, non-durable and non-recyclable.

• How often have you gotten a fistful of unnecessary napkins, condiments and plastic ware alongside a styrofoam clamshell with paper wrapped food inside?  It's a waste that you as a customer are paying for on both ends.
  • Food and food containers make up 40-60% of average office or classroom trash and recycling streams.  The increase you see will be based largely on the percentage of staff that rely on food served rather than brought from home.
  • Pack-in/pack-out policies and supporting the ability for staff to thoroughly clean their durable containers and servery will help reduce impact on the trash bin.
• While any competent dishwashing system (hand or machine) will effectively clean durable plates, silverware and cups, plastic ware companies claim single use is safer.
  • It comes down to handling.  Between distribution, user, and cleaning/ disposing, durable vs. single use goods come in contact with about the same number of people.  The cleaning process is therefore critical for durable goods, while the waste management process is critical for single use goods.
• Viruses survive longer on paper, cardboard and plastic surfaces than on glass and metal, so it's essential that single use waste makes it quickly and completely into the right waste stream container.  
  • Lightweight single-use waste easily escapes containers and spreads into the building and exterior environment when it has to change containers or is collected in containers that are too small or are inconveniently located.  Interior collection points should be larger than their expected usage.
  • Waste should go through as few steps as possible before exiting the building.  Every step is an opportunity for waste to escape and another person or package contacted.  Centralization of waste stations takes one or more steps out of that process, but has to be distributed and communicated effectively.   They should serve no more than 50 people and be located no more than 50 steps from the farthest person.

have you right sized your collection?

Most companies using wheeled dumpsters or totes are paying for 30-50% more pickups than they really need.  Odds are you are paying for the hauler to pick up air.

• If this is the case, the increase in waste you're likely to see over the next few weeks isn't going to change your pickup schedule.
• If you have done a good job of right-sizing your waste contract to your waste production, you may see overflowing bins and should anticipate additional hauling fees, or if you're a company that is really on top of your game and have negotiated a flexible schedule, you may need to add a pickup.
• If you already had overflowing bins, its time to rethink your waste management strategies.  Give us a call, we can help with that.

Are you tracking your waste? (This will be interesting)

You've documented your waste streams, you have the measurement and analysis tools in place.  

• You'll see exactly when and where and how changes to your operations effected your purchasing, waste and recycling efforts, and you'll be able to quantify the real impacts on your business.  
• This test will give you tools to plan for the future or adjust business as usual to continue to improve.  
• If you've gone zero waste and can hold on to those practices through this episode, you'll have an even greater story to tell next year.

zero waste policies provide resilience

Businesses that have realized the long term cost saving benefits of a sustainable mindset are better prepared for disaster situations.  With the side effects of a pandemic causing much more damage than the virus itself, sustainable businesses are finding that:

• Efforts to reduce single use materials and wasteful processes means that small stockpiles can bridge much longer supply disruptions.
• Centralized waste handling means fewer surfaces and objects that can be contaminated, which can be more easily cleaned effectively.  
• Teleconferencing tools and work-from-home policies in place to reduce business costs and carbon impact of vehicle also minimize business interruptions.
• Scaleable waste hauling contracts support partial shut downs in operations.
• Staff with less stress, more sleep, more physical activity and less toxins in the air and water in their work environment will have better immune systems, fewer sick days and shorter illnesses.  Walking to the centralized waste station helps!
• The elimination of expensive, wasteful practices like single use cups, napkins and paper towels means the reintroduction of these as a short term measure has a big impact on a businesses waste handling processes.  However, it provides a reminder of the money saved going zero waste.