The "In-Door Sort" Indoor Recycling Station.

Recycling programs are being implemented in offices and schools at an incredible rate due to increased resources available for both pick up and processing.  Awareness of potential cost benefits and positive environmental impact are being realized and therefore the initial program start-up costs are no longer frightening away the ‘green’ in people.  Indoor recycling container options are plentiful in the eco-friendly marketplace so choosing the best recycle bin to suit your needs requires proper research and education. 

Interchangeable Openings Keep Your Recycling Program Fresh!

A great starting point is giving preference to recycle bins that are made with recycled content, starting your green initiative off right! There are some other important things to consider when purchasing new indoor recycling & waste bins.  Providing an entire recycling & waste station to your participants is imperative.  Should you choose to only have a recycling container available, you are more apt to find trash within – thus contaminating your recyclables.  If you are starting a new program you may want to purchase an indoor sorting station that has interchangeable openings.  Purchasing an indoor recycling container with interchangeable openings gives your program the flexibility to evolve without encountering high recycling container replacement costs.  Openings that are color coded and appropriately shaped will help guide the user into placing their items in the correct streams. 

Great Signage Makes All the Difference in the World!

Another important feature of an effective recycling bin is proper signage.  Participants may require additional information as to which items are accepted within each opening.  Providing this education will not only increase your overall participation rates but also help to reduce contamination, thereby maintaining the value of your recyclables.  Some recycling containers will give you the flexibility to change out your custom signage to keep your message fresh or keep up with any changes to your stream collection.

Durability is another feature not to be overlooked.  While recycle containers will not last forever, there are certainly ones that will last longer than others.  Rotationally molded units will not rust or dent.  Many rotationally molded products are available in stone finishes which are not only aesthetically pleasing but will also hide any dirt or scratches caused from general wear and tear, therefore keeping up the overall pleasant appearance of your recycling program.

Lockable Recycling Station sKeep Your Recyclables Safe!

The other side of the process to consider is the emptying of the units.  Using lockable recycling & waste containers that are keyed alike will save time while keeping your valuable recyclables safe!  No longer will your custodial staff fumble with multiple keys to find that lucky one.  Front door access allows for a quick emptying process while avoiding unnecessary back strain caused by heavy lifting.  To additionally avoid awkward and potentially harmful container emptying, units should include liners with an easy handling capacity.

So before rushing out to purchase your recycling containers please take all of these pointers into consideration to increase your chances of having an effective and overall successful recycling program. It really is easy being green!

by Michelle Weller

The "Classic" Collection Bin from Busch Systems

It certainly sounds easy enough but what is the key element to help ensure a neat and tidy recycling collection program? The answer lies in your recycling bins. You will want to consider using recycling bins which are aesthetically pleasing and help ensure a clean sort. Recycling containers which are both decorative, pleasing and complement their surroundings can help set the tone for your recycling program. Luckily, as recycling programs are implemented in more and more municipalities and with recycling becoming a part of our everyday lives, there are now more choices in regard to recycling bins which complement any urban setting. Choosing recycle bins which look great in a park or public place can really enhance the appeal of your collection program.

The "Urbin2"

There are now recycling containers available which can connect to compatible city benches as well as being able to connect together to form ‘recycling stations’. These recycling bins are made from high density plastic but look like concrete. They are durable, won’t dent, corrode or scuff and blend in nicely with city amenities. What a concept!

The New "Barrel Tppers" from Busch Systems

In regard to waste collection, you don’t have to be limited to old metal drums anymore. Those unsightly cans which are found in most urban spaces can now be converted into aesthetically-pleasing, multi-purpose collection bins with barrel toppers now on the market. By simply adding a barrel topper with the opening of your choice (recycling circle, waste square, paper slot to name a few), you can convert your existing metal drums into functional sorting bins for waste and recycling collection.

The world of recycling bins has certainly come a long way. By implementing some of the new recycling containers available, you can complement any surrounding and give your collection program a clean and organized look. It will go a long way to improving your sorting and collection rates, keeping you both clean and green.

Please see here for more options on attractive municipal recycling bins.

by Chris McBrien

There real question here is why wouldn’t you participate?  Perhaps environmental issues are simply not at the forefront of your life.  Maybe you just feel that it will take too much of your time for you to be effective.  Whatever the reason may be, I am about to show you 3 easy ways to get you started out with Wasteless Wednesday.

TIP 1: Try packing an ‘almost’ litter less lunch!  I realize that with all the packaging that comes on food these days it can be difficult to pack a completely litter less lunch (although it is possible).  Do you have small re-sealable containers that you could put your lunch in instead of plastic wrap? That is one way you can make a difference on Wasteless Wednesdays. If you are feeling really ambitious with this one, try starting your own small compost in your backyard at home.   Any food scraps or peelings you may have had from lunch, put them back in your container and add them to your compost collection container when you get home. You may even find yourself wanting to do it every day of the week after you see the quality of soil composting makes!

TIP 2: Collect your own rain water for plants instead of using your town’s water supply.  Setting a rain barrel outside to collect rain water is almost as easy as 1-2-3.  1- You find/buy a good quality rain barrel. 2-Next you will have to place the rain barrel in an open space in your back or front yard. This will be a place that the rain will fall into the rain barrel when it rains. 3- Next Wednesday when you are about to water your gardens with town water, remember you have thirst quenching rain water for your thirsty plants!

TIP 3: Just in case you are starting to think that tips 1 and 2 aren’t for you, we have saved the best or ‘easiest’ for last! Try reusing some paper to make a notepad for your home or office.  We have all got emails, mail, or newsletters from schools that get looked at once and then recycled or even worse… thrown away.  Instead why not give your scrap paper a second life?  You can cut your scrap paper into 4 equal pieces and staple it in the top corner, voila!  You now have a perfectly good notepad to keep track of important messages or reminders.  Does it get any better?  It sure does! Once you are finished with your new notepad, be sure to collect it in a convenient recycling container designed especially for recycled paper collection. Once complete, you will have been environmentally friendly, you have reused paper into a new notepad, and you have done your part on Wasteless Wednesday!

Now that you have eased into the Wasteless Wednesday world, what else can you do to make a difference?

by Mike James

For most of us, we think to ourselves “well I already comply with municipal regulations.  I’ve cut my garbage down and increased my recycling efforts and that is good enough”.   If you do not have a composting program already in place in your household than you really could be doing more to divert your household waste.

I know what you are thinking; “You want me to consider a compost program?  Why would anyone want to deal with rotting food, let alone deal with rotting food in their kitchen?” The thought of adding that extra bit of work to our load is less than to be desired.  But what if there was an easy way to make composting part of your daily routine?  What if through your composting efforts you would be reducing the impact you have on your local landfill and at the same time seeing results of its nutrient contents?

Busch Systems Compost Bins

Setting up an effective Composting Program for your home is easy!  It’s a matter of selecting the right containers for the job and placing them in an area that is accessible for you and other members of your household to participate.  You can find lists of acceptable food waste for your compost container that you can post near or on your composter as a visual reminder.  Eventually, composting will become an easy habit to practice on a routine basis.

For the average household, a compost pail for the kitchen and a large compost container for outside should be a given.  Having a pail in your kitchen is great as it limits the amount of food waste being stored which decreases the chances of any odour.  Filters work great at eliminating odours as well so select a compost pail that provides you with this option.  It should also have handles so that once filled, transportation from the kitchen to your outdoor composter is easy.  So easy that even children and seniors can help out with your efforts.  A compost pail with rounded corners will make it easier to clean and maintain and prevent build up in the corners eliminating the concern of mould.

When it comes to your outdoor compost container, pick a size and shape that can fit easily against the side of your house or in your backyard (square containers work best).  Select a compost bin that offers a lockable lid to prevent animals from getting into your organic waste.

Once you have your composters in place, the rest is pretty easy.  Composting is low maintenance with many benefits from your efforts:

-        Your organic waste acts as a natural fertilizer that will save you money and sustain the health and vibrancy of your garden

-        Using compost soil instead of chemically enhanced products protects your family and pets from exposure to pesticides.

Worm Compost Bin

-        You can get your children involved.  The Vermi-Composter is a fantastic way to encourage your children to participate in your composting program.  What child isn’t fascinated with dirt and worms?

-        You can use your compost as mulch which minimizes the occurrence of weeds on your lawn. 

No matter what reason motivates you to start a compost program in your home, the most important role that your effort will play is that it will decrease your contribution to your community landfill waste.  Composting = Another step towards saving our planet. 

by Tammy-Ann Chapman

Help Divert Waste From Landfills!

Due to the large amount of waste that ends up in our landfills on a regular basis, it is important to note that approximately 12% of municipally generated waste is food scraps. If we could divert this from the landfills it would create an impact of almost 32 million tons a year diverted from US landfills. The single most effective way to affect change is to begin composting at home.

KC-1000 from Busch Systems

In an effort to increase awareness of the importance of having a compost program at home, Busch Systems gave away hundreds of kitchen compost containers at the recent Indiana Recycling Coalition’s Annual Conference. Recycling Consultant Jarrod Cameron states that “There are not currently a great number of curb side organic collection programs in the Mid West. Perhaps by increasing awareness as to the importance of kitchen composting, we can help change that. If people start composting at home, there is more likely to be a push toward curb side organic collection. It is a great first step”.

In a further effort to increase composting efforts, the use of a backyard composter is a great start. In addition to diverting waste from our landfills and providing much needed fertilizer for your lawn and garden, the use of a backyard compost involves every member of the family and passes on an environmentally-friendly approach to our children.

Vermi Composter from Busch Systems

If you would like to go one step further, using a vermi-composter to transform your kitchen scraps into “black gold” compost is a great idea. By using a worm composter, your kids can get into the act of composting and learn about the benefits of having an environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

Just think of the implications composting can have on our planet. 32 million tons is a lot of waste in our landfills. Best of all, you can affect change right from your kitchen. Help spread the word about kitchen composting. Mother Earth will thank you for it.

by Chris McBrien

This doesn’t have to be.  There are a few obstacles tenants residing in condos and apartments face when it comes to recycling.  Let’s examine how you the landlord or property manager impact the recycling efforts of your tenants.

-        Do you have a recycling program established already in your building?

-        Do you provide your tenants with the correct containers and bins to support the program?

-        Do you regularly advertise, educate and encourage the participation of your tenants?

If you have answered “no” to any one of these questions, please read on for some helpful tips and pointers to help you get your apartment recycling program up and running smoothly.

Planning and Implementing your Apartment Recycling Program

It is one thing to want to initiate a recycling program for your apartment or condominium complex, it is another to follow through with the proper steps to make it happen.

One of the first steps you should take is by calling your municipality to find out if they have a recycling pick up schedule in place already in your area.  If they do, what days is this being offered?  What recyclables do they accept?  How will they be accepted (eg. Plastic bags, blue boxes?)

If you find that they do not collect recyclables, call around to Recycling Centers in your area and set up a weekly pick up schedule.

Tip:  Some Recycling Centers will pay for your collectibles.  There are many products on the market today that are made from recyclable material making your discarded items a precious commodity.  One that carries a value that goes back into your pocket.

Providing your Tenants with the Proper Containers

There are many options when it comes to purchasing recycling containers for your tenants.  You can provide your tenants with the standard blue and grey bins but more often than not, they will end up tucked away in a closet or barely used at all.  No one wants a big blue box in the middle of their kitchen or hallway.

Stackable recycling bins are a better option.  They are easy to clean and maintain, stackable so they can fit easily underneath your kitchen sink or conveniently into a corner.  By having a recycling container that is small, colourful and appealing your tenants will be reminded and encouraged to “do their part”.  Chances of contamination of the recyclables will be minimal due to the clear sorting system in place. 

The "Multi-Recycler" from Busch Systems

Tip:  The Multi-Recycler from Busch Systems is a great choice for multi-residential recycling programs.  These handy recycling containers can be used as a recycling station with multiple color options so you can decide which colors would appeal the most to your tenants.  These recycling bins can be stamped as well to prevent theft and misplacement. 

Creating Awareness

This step is just as significant as any of the others.  It is extremely important that you, the landlord or property manager establish awareness amongst your tenants to recycle.  Announcing your recycling program to your tenants is necessary when trying to encourage participation.  Try sending out letters, putting up posters and providing them with a list of what to recycle and what not to recycle. 

Tip:  Create a hand-out to complement your tenancy agreement that explains your recycling program initiatives, offers instruction on how to set up a recycling program, where your tenants need to bring their recycling containers once filled and on what days collection takes place.

Hopefully, this article has been of use and you are now well on your way to establishing a cost effective apartment recycling program that will not only help make a positive impact on the environment but save you money in the long run.

For your options on recycling containers, please visit http://buschsystems.com/home-apartment-recycling-bins.html

by Tammy-Ann Chapman 

Multi-Unit Recycling is Easier Than You Might Think

Do you own an apartment or rental property? Are expensive waste removal costs cutting into your bottom line?  Do you think that there is no way around it?  Well guess what, you do have other options.  How, you ask?

How about starting a recycling program that will divert waste from your waste stream as well as our landfills?  This can be easier and more beneficial to your facility than you think!  Most waste haulers are paid every time they have to come and dump your large centralized waste collection bin.  Each and every time that garbage bin becomes full you have get your waste hauler to come and empty it.  Most facilities have to empty their garbage container at least once a week.  What if you only had to empty it once every two weeks?  You would save half of your waste removal costs!

How can you do this?  Most recyclable materials are not only bad for the environment but they take up a lot of space.  How much of the space that a plastic bottle takes up is actually just air? A LOT! Think about when you have 100 plastic bottles, the wasted space increases dramatically, most of which is just air!  It can get very costly if you continue to pay your waste hauler to come and dump air. 

The "Multi-Recycler" from Busch Systems

Unlike waste haulers, companies who pick up your recycling are actually more than likely to pay you to take recycling away.  They will break it down into reusable material and get paid by companies who want to use reusable plastic or paper products. Just think, if you had quality, durable, & easy-to-use recycling bins for each of your residents, your recycling participation will increase dramatically.  What does this mean for you? More $$$$ on your bottom line.

 After hearing that, do you think it can really get any better?  Well it can!  Your facility can now use the green approach to marketing and selling your services. What if you were to provide your residents with portable, stackable recycling containers with a small enough footprint to be used in any size complex? Not only will you be generating less waste (and thus saving money), you will brand yourself as an environmentally responsible business.

Green Apartment Complexes are Leading the Way!

If you were a home or apartment dweller and you were looking for your next place to live, would you choose the normal everyday apartment complex, or the one down the street managed by a company which is environmentally friendly and recycles?

Now that you have seen the recycling light, what will be your next step be?

by Mike James

The sign frames were developed to compliment their Waste Watcher Centralized Collection Containers Series.  These recycling and waste receptacles were developed ideally for community and school recycling programs as well as ‘green office’ programs. 

Free Recycling Signage Promotion with every Sign Kit Purchased through Busch Systems

According to CEO and Founder Craig Busch; “We created the Waste Watcher Centralized Container Series to help facilitate high recycling participation rates.  Through consistent visual reinforcements that their personal contributions are making a tangible and measurable difference, people are given the pat on the back that keeps them motivated to recycle.  Our new Recycling Facts Signage instantly rewards and encourages recycling participants through colourful, informative prompts that tell them how their individual recycling efforts are saving the environment.  We designed these signs to take standard 8 ½ X 11 paper, so that motivational information, successes and milestones could be communicated quickly and effectively to maintain and even increase participation rates.”

Busch Systems Sales Manager Serena Brooks states; “Our Waste Watchers Centralized Containers with Recycling Signage are an excellent choice when creating an effective recycling program in a school, office or community facility.  The Recycling Signage and Kits are available separately and are compatible with similar recycling and waste containers that are on the market.  Our Recycling Signs provide a clear division and purpose for each of your recycling and waste receptacles and encourage people to ‘do their part’ by prompting them with factual visual aids that deliver feel good messages as to how they are reducing their carbon footprint.  It is important that participants know that by recycling just one can, one bottle, one piece of paper, they really are making a difference.”

The Waste Watcher Containers are offered in a variety of colors with many lid styles and openings to choose from.  If you are looking to separate your cans, bottles, glass and paper efficiently, the Waste Watcher Containers have unique connector kits available to create a stable and durable recycling station.  Their free recycling signage promotion is sure to be a hit with school recycling programs and community recycling initiatives.  For more information about the complimentary Recycling Signage Promotion or other Busch Systems Products, please visit www.buschsystems.com. Have a success story about your recycling program?  Tell us about it!  Email mandyb@buschsystems.com with your recycling achievements and enter to win a great prize for your school or office!

Green Facts Recycling Signage are now available through Busch Systems and will encourage participation rates in classrooms and on campuses.

With Recycle Mania set to begin February 6- April 2, 2011 these free printable signs couldn’t have come at a better time!  Now, colleges and universities can choose from a variety of colors, styles and categories for their recycling bins and containers to enrich their sustainability programs.  Students and Faculty will find the recycling and waste signage easy to use and simple to understand.  The graphics are enlarged and vibrantly coloured for easy visibility and interpretation. Designed to fit easily in the exclusive sign holders for the Waste Watcher Containers, the 25 ‘Green Facts’ signs now available can be rotated often to keep participants engaged and motivated.

According to Busch Systems Marketing and Promotions Co-ordinator Mandy Bortolussi, “using the ‘Green Facts’ Recycling Signage is a great way to educate the public about how they are helping their environment.  Far too often good deeds go overlooked and it was a great idea from our President, Craig Busch, to come up with the ‘Green Facts’ initiative.  Many schools have taken steps towards a more effective sustainability program and with Recycle Mania set to begin I am excited to see the results.”

The Waste Watcher Collection Containers are an effective way to establish a new recycling program or update a current system in your school.  The containers are offered in a variety of colors with many lid styles to choose from.  If you are looking to separate your cans, bottles, glass and paper efficiently, the Waste Watcher Containers have unique connector kits available to create convenient, centralized recycling stations.  Now, with the free printable ‘Green Facts’ Recycling Signage, the Waste Watcher Containers are sure to be a hit on college and university campuses as well as elementary and post secondary school recycling programs.

For more information about the ‘Green Facts’ Recycling Signage, Waste Watcher Containers or other Busch Systems Products, please  visit www.buschsystems.com. Have a success story about your recycling program?  Tell us about it!  Email mandyb@buschsystems.com with your recycling achievements and enter to win a great prize for your school!

The perfect solution for waste diversion and recycling in centralized high traffic areas.

The selected product line for this partnership is the Smart Sort from Busch Systems.  The Smart Sort from Busch Systems is perfect for centralized area placement.  There are a variety of lid and label options including a paper flap with stamping.  Lids, stickers, openings and flaps can also be customized.  The Smart Sort allows for the creation of a simple, effective recycling and waste station that is attractive in any environment.  The Smart Sort also offers a connector kit option for added stability and durability. 

Busch Systems  Regional Manager Jarrod Cameron was pretty ecstatic with the news; “I have always been a fan of the Smart Sort Series, the various colors and stamping options make this item one of my biggest sellers in the college, university and community markets.”  He adds, “We offer Vinyl wrapping which looks absolutely incredible, I could see this option as a great opportunity to support team spirit in schools and is an excellent solution for placing recycling facts on the sides of the bins in communities and public recycling spaces.  This educates the public as to which items go where making for less confusion and a more productive sort.”

To Busch Systems  President and Founder Craig Busch, the news is just another opportunity for Busch Systems Products to help in the diversion of waste.  “We are a company who has been in operation for over 25 years; we pride ourselves on our quality products and service.  Behind every selection we make when it comes to our product line, there has been a combination of passion and practicality.  We create compost, waste and recycling containers with the goal to help communities locally and internationally create an effective sort.  The more we recycle and less we waste, the greater impact we will have on the environment and its preservation.  Knowing that another community has selected our product line to feature in their grant program is very rewarding for Busch Systems.  We look forward to this partnership in the months to come.”  For more information on the Smart Sort Series  or other products offered through Busch Systems please visit www.buschsystems.com.  To learn more about the Indiana Recycling Coalition Public Space Bin Grant click here.