Managing the trash that your business generates can be challenging. Fortunately, sustainable trash hauling services are available to help you navigate this minefield and manage waste in a sustainable and eco-friendly way.
There are many federal, state and local regulations that must be followed. Not doing so can carry hefty fines and, what is more, can trash the reputation of your business. Trash hauling services can help you ensure that you remain compliant in a range of ways through the activities that they can undertake.
Staying Compliant With Federal, State and Local Regulations
In order to stay compliant with all the trash related regulations that are out there, you would need to be entirely up to date, and keep all the information about federal laws, state legislation and local ordinances in your head or easily to hand.
It is far, far easier simply to employ the experts to take your trash away. They know and can help you comply with all relevant regulations when it comes to how you handle the trash your business generates and items you no longer need. That can give you some peace of mind, knowing that you are not going to make any costly mistakes.
Waste Audits, Compliance Assessments & Waste Management Plans
When trash hauling companies first get involved, they can assess the current state of play, and let you know where you can improve when it comes to waste management. They can undertake waste audits and create compliance assessments to nip any problems in the bud right away.
They can also help you to create holistic waste management plans, with clear goals and objectives, and clear route markers to lead you to the right destination.
Trash Sorting and Separation
A sustainable trash hauling company should also be able to effectively identify, sort and separate the trash for hauling, before they identify suitable destinations for each specific type.
They should be able to prioritize reuse, donation or sale of unwanted materials or items, in the promotion of a circular economic model – channeling your trash back into the supply chains for others who need and want the things you do not.
They should also be able to separate and direct common trash like cardboard, glass, metals and recyclable plastics for recycling, see to the composting of food and other organic waste, and direct e-waste and other items for specialist recycling or reuse.
Appropriately sorting trash for reuse or recycling will help companies comply with mandatory recycling laws in states like New York, Massachusetts, and California, and with federal and state specific e-waste regulations.
Partnership with Certified Recycling & Disposal Facilities
As they work to appropriately sort and direct trash, trash hauling companies will work with EPA-registered recycling plants and waste processing facilities.
By working with registered and accredited facilities, companies can ensure that trash really does end up where it is meant to go.
Certified Disposal & Hazardous Waste Handling
Sustainable trash hauling services can also include the careful handling and disposal of hazardous waste.
E-waste is one category of waste considered hazardous because of the heavy metals it contains. There are also many other hazardous substances and materials that you might need special trash hauling services to deal with.
The right trash hauling company can arrange disposal for toxic materials, ensuring compliance with RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) and Universal Waste Rule (UWR) as well as other pertinent legislation.
Compliance with Landfill Bans & Organic Waste Laws
A company offering sustainable trash hauling services can also help businesses to comply with state and local landfill bans that restrict disposal of certain materials, such as, for example, food waste bans in Vermont and California.
Through imagination and resourcefulness, organic waste might be taken and donated to create compost for community gardens or other community schemes, NGOs, CSAs or other groups working with growing or food production.
Documentation & Regulatory Reporting
Documentation and reporting is another area where the right trash hauling company can help make sure you stay compliant with all relevant trash related regulations. It can often be important to have the right paperwork in place.
A sustainable trash hauling company can help businesses ensure that they have proper records to show to the EPA, OSHA, or state environmental agencies during any inspections.
LEED Certification & Compliance
Above and beyond merely remaining compliant with basic regulations relating to the trash they generate, companies can also go further.
To show their commitment to sustainability and a green agenda (and to show sustainable investors that they are resilient to future shocks) businesses can get LEED certification, and also work towards other green and sustainable accreditations.
Working beyond mere compliance to a greater level of corporate responsibility and sustainability shows a level of forward thinking and clear-headedness – an understanding that sustainability is not just a ‘nice to have’ but an essential for any company that wants to stand the test of time.
The right trash hauling business can help you obtain and maintain your certifications, and continue to challenge yourself and your business to improve trash management for a better future.
A sustainable trash hauling company can help you go above and beyond compliance – linking your trash management with your sustainability policy and ESG strategy for brand-boosting and market beating results – perhaps even moving you much closer to being a truly zero waste business.
Read about financial mindfulness.
