Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is just around the corner. That means decorations are popping out and gifts are being readied for giving. While this may produce a lot of joy and cheer, it also produces a lot of waste, and that’s not always good for your trash chute. Unfortunately, some of that waste should never find its way down your garbage chute.
What to Never Put in a Garbage Chute
Garland and Christmas Trees
These are typically dry by the time they are discarded and create a serious fire hazard. In addition, they leak sap inside the chute which sticks to everything and traps things inside the chute that will create odor and harbor germs and bacteria.
Strands of Lights
Even if these are wrapped up tightly and placed in a bag, they often come loose and wind around other debris resulting in clogs in the chute and/or compactor.
Hangers and Other Protruding Objects
While this isn’t necessarily specific to the holidays, hangers and other objects that protrude in garbage bags are often the cause of blockages and backups in a chute so they should never be discarded this way. They also make it hard for a compactor to work and contribute to the burnout of the motor and belts.
Pizza Boxes
These should be broken down flat and carried down to the recycle room instead of going down the chute. In the chute, they often result in blockages.
Cleaning Products
Many cleaning products are flammable and hazardous, especially when mixed together, and they can create toxic fumes that are potentially fatal when breathed.
Garbage chutes and trash compactors get a lot of use, especially during the holidays. This means that we need to do our best to keep them running smoothly and minimize the amount of odor and bacteria coming out of them. Disposing of your trash responsibly also helps lessen the likelihood of your chute being placed out of order due to a blockage. Another way to help decrease the workload of your garbage chute is to consider cutting down waste during Christmas.
Ideas to Decrease Your Holiday Waste
Give an Experience
Instead of buying a physical gift that needs packaged and wrapped, consider giving an experience instead. This could be tickets to a concert or the movies, a short trip out of town, or tickets to a museum. The bonus is that not only are you creating less waste, but you’re also helping create wonderful memories!
Get Creative with Gift Wrap
Did you know that a lot of gift wrap is coated in plastic? This means it can’t be recycled. Instead of using traditional paper gift wrap, consider using newspaper, brown kraft paper, or even fabric.
Make Your Own Gifts
Give your hand a try at creating eco-friendly gifts that your friends and family will love. Consider an egg box garden kit with seeds, a jar of simmering potpourri, coffee scrub, or hand-painted wood ornaments.
Give Edible Gifts
They say food is an excellent way to the heart, so try filling up reusable glass jars with homemade treats such as candied nuts, granola, or dehydrated fruits. Baking some cookies and delivering them on a decorative plate or in a reusable basket is also sure to be a hit.
Don’t Forget to Recycle
Despite your best efforts there is still certain to be at least some waste, so be sure to recycle as much as you can. Check out this guide for everything you need to know about recycling your Christmas waste.
In addition to limiting your waste and being conscientious of what goes in the garbage chute, be sure that you are including routine maintenance of your trash chute and compactor in your holiday plans. At Fresh Foam we offer professional, cleaning and deodorizing of trash chutes, compactors, and more. Learn more by emailing us at info@freshfoam.com.
