Times are changing. Plastic containers have become a more manageable, cleaner, more substance tolerant material for our organic waste.
Toshi Ghalebi
Waste collection will never be the same. As the new public awareness takes hold and the new regulations kick into action, one can’t help but wonder: can we meet the public health concerns, environmental protection requirements and new legislation demands using the same old equipment and practices? Not likely, steel dumpsters have served us well, through the years we’ve lived, loved and loathed them.
Coined words on or around them, they have been on every street corner, they have been movie stars, icons, canvas for the street artist. But can they stand the test of acids and alkaline contained in the foodstuffs? Just like the good old corrugated, galvanized cans of yester years, it is time for them to retire. They are noisy, ugly and rusty. They leak, their bottoms fall off, they have sharp corners and worst of all, they wake you up at the crack of dawn.
Just like the old steel can, the steel dumpster is due to be recycled into a gleaming, white refrigerator or washing machine or even a fast sports car. The beauty of steel will never diminish, but some jobs it can’t do, some tasks that modern living demands.
Organic Waste
Containing food waste is one of them. Organic waste is the other. Fluids of various PH from any and all organic matter are more than a match for steel. They will digest the steel, leaving behind a trail of destruction. If highly active organisms are left in the open to decompose, they can and will be bio- hazards. Meat and poultry, that we depend on for our protein and growth, can become a serious health hazard. It can be contained, composted or anaerobically digested to regenerate the soil to support the next crop of healthy food. But for all this to happen, some dinosaurs have to sit back and watch. Nothing needs to die.
In our modern world, plastics have been the best containers of most of the things we want and buy as well as anything that we don’t want around anymore. Be it our discarded packaging, leftover food, yard waste, etc. It has worked well. We have these great, color-coded carts in our homes for all the stuff that we want out of our homes. They are clean and, more importantly, “cleanable”. The color coded carts can be cleaned hundreds of times with industrial cleaners, household sanitizers, baby shampoo—it is the essence of “re-use”.
The Benefits of Plastic Containers
In the case of food waste (organics), plastic containers really shine. Remember the good old days of sardine cans made of steel? You may find an old black and white photo of one in an antique magazine. Even though there are some steel cans still being used, the coatings are very advanced, expensive and delicate. If we were to analyze a week’s worth of waste from a kitchen, be it from home or a hotel, you’ll find a variety of corrosive (to metals) substances.
What is good for us to eat, will give metals, “reversed indigestion”—they will eat the metal. There are also oils that won’t damage the metal, but will go through the eroded parts of the metal to damage the drains and water systems. Then there are the meats, turning nasty when they decompose, harboring all sorts of nasty organisms. We need better containment and plastics will provide it, in a sustainable, economical and reliable way.
Bins that are made from injection molded plastic are versatile, can make great tanks for liquids and are heavy-duty, with up to 4,000 pounds of load capacity. They are quiet when tipped for transfer to the truck and put back in place.
Because plastic bins are lighter and easier to move around, they never rust or decompose and graffiti can be easily removed with non-toxic cleaners, eliminating the need to be painted and re-painted. The color is body deep, not just on the surface like steel.
Earlier on we talked about “cleanable”, which is one of the best properties of plastics. When the time comes to be washed and renewed, there are no worries of rust or damage. This is especially important when it comes to bio-hazard and infectious waste containment where the waste needs to be fully contained, transported and discarded under strict guidelines. Only plastics and high-grade stainless steel can take that kind of punishment, but polypropylene bin is fraction of the cost of medical grade stainless steel.
In addition to cleaning up well, when the time comes that your bin is no longer wanted, or if it has been badly damaged, it is fully recyclable. It can be made into anything, including itself—a sort of reincarnation without affecting our limited resources.
Times Are Changing
Times are changing, demands on progressing education is raising awareness all for the good of the environment and public health. When steel dumpsters cleaned our towns and cities they were a blessing; for their time on the job we are forever grateful. However, for the 21st century, a more manageable, cleaner, more substance tolerant material is called for. Plastics will take it from here.
Toshi Ghalebi is CTO of Deltik Industries (City of Industry, CA). Better known as “The Grease monkey from the age of 13”, he has spent most of his life in the workshop making everything from toys to defense control systems, processing machinery to production systems. Now, Toshi wants to do the same type of work on our environment. He can be reached at [email protected]Metal Vs. PlasticAR3.doc or visit www.durobin.com..