All trash compactors are not created equal.  It is important to weigh key considerations when selecting the right type of compactor to meet your company’s waste management needs.  Evaluating certain details will help you to make a wise purchase that will not create additional challenges or expenses with costly repairs.

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Sourcing your commercial or industrial waste compactor is a big investment. Having the right type of trash compactor on-site optimizes your waste storage and waste handling process and provides many benefits for your business such as a cleaner environment, a reduced risk of fire, pest infestation and odor protection. 

So how do you make sure you get the right type of compactor to meet your needs and provide all these benefits? Evaluate these top five considerations for choosing the right trash compactor to meet waste management needs:

1. Type of compactor – there are basically two types of trash compactors, stationary and self-contained. 

• A stationary compactor is anchored to the ground and compacts dry waste into a removable container that can be removed and dumped. 
• A self-contained trash compactor is one mobile unit that utilizes hydraulics to compact trash and features leakproof protection for wet waste. This type of compactor is picked up and hauled to the landfill by waste haulers to be dumped and returned to the business.

2. Type of waste generated – the type of waste that a business generates is an important consideration to choose the right type of compactor. For companies that discard typically dry waste such as paper, recyclables and cardboard, a stationary unit may be the best choice. For other types of businesses like restaurants, hotels, apartments, and hospitals that discard all types of waste including liquid, self-contained compactors are a better choice because they efficiently and sanitary early handle wet waste.
3. Space available – the space available to house your compactor is another consideration when choosing the right trash compactor for your business. Both stationary and self-contained compactors require a significant amount of space. For companies with limited space available, a vertical compactor might be a choice.
4. Compactor size and volume – the volume of waste generated as a business is a key driver for the type of compactor chosen. Compactor volume is measured in cubic yards. Companies will want to have an idea of the amount of waste generated and compared to the cubic cards available in the compactor size as well as frequency of pickups and disposal. Companies need to weight the cost of pickups vs. the cost for a larger size based on the volume of waste generated. 
5. Disposal method – how workers will get trash to the compactor is another consideration. For a stationary type of compactor, workers may carry or use a cart to get trash to the compactor. A self-contained trash compactor may either have a door on the side to put trash in or could be outfitted with a chute.

Self-Contained Commercial Trash Compactors

Self-contained trash compactors serve waste removal needs for a wide range of commercial businesses and industries, managing large volumes of liquid waste. Self-contained compactors provide efficient and sanitary waste removal for many types of establishments such as grocery stores, shopping malls, manufacturers, apartment complexes and more. A waste hauler picks up the entire compactor when the container is full and hauls it away to be emptied.

C-BASS Protects Self-Contained Compactors and Reduces Risk

Self-contained compactors are efficient and sanitary, although because waste haulers load the entire unit to haul off for disposal, errors can occur. Drivers must disconnect the hydraulic hoses prior to driving off. It has been shown as documented in this case study, that waste haulers with the fleet of compactors experience this problem approximately 13 times for every 100 compactors serviced. This one error can cause serious damage with leaking hydraulic fluid, damage to the equipment, hydraulic and electrical power circuits.

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When you decide that a self-contained trash compactor would best service the needs of your business, consider protecting your investment with the Stucchi C-BASS solution.

Stucchi’s Compactor Break Away Safety System, C-BASS, protects self-contained compactors against damage and protects your overall business operations.  Watch this quick video to see the many benefits of a self-contained compactor with a break away safety system.  Contact Stucchi with any questions and to protect your commercial compactor and waste management process. 

trash compactors preliminary considerations checklist

Before deciding on the size and type of compactors that will best fit your needs, there are several basic considerations, including site selection (or location), that can help guide you to the right choice. In addition to the placement and space requirements of your Waste Equipment, there are other factors that can also be critical, especially if the overall benefits of the equipment are to be maximized. 

• Base / Floor Prep - Compacting Dumpsters, Stationary Waste Compactors, Self-Contained Waste Compactors, Pre-Crushers and other outdoor trash compactors require a solid concrete base to withstand the weight and secure the equipment.  Typically, the intended location must include a suitable foundation with a minimum of 6 inches of concrete.  Of course, the size and thickness of the concrete base depends upon the total size, weight and dimensions of the trash compactor plus any container considerations.  For example, most roll-off applications require a surface dimension of 12 feet wide by 25-45 feet in length, however the compacting dumpsters have a much smaller footprint. 
  
  
• Hauler Access - The site needs to be clear of overhead obstruction.  For example, most roll-off trucks need a minimum of 18 - 19 feet clearance in order to safely lift the container onto the truck.  Electrical Wires, wires and other factors need to be carefully considered. In addition, the hauler will need ample room to (safely and easily) maneuver in and out of the premises.  For compacting dumpsters it is important to know whether the hauler uses a Front Load truck (i.e. with the tipping arms in the front of the truck which raise over the cab) or Rear Load (i.e. with the tipping arms in the rear of the truck).
  
  
• Electrical Access - The accessibility of the electrical service impacts the cost of installation.  In cases where electrical service is not feasible then Solar Powered compactors can be utilized.
  
  
• Minimum Height Requirements: For Self Contained Compactors it is best to allow a minimum of at least 25 feet height clearance and for the small outdoor compactors that are tipped onsite it is best to allow a minimum height clearance of 30 feet. However the safest path to take is to allow at least 30 feet height clearance in the event there is a change in compactor style from one to the other.  However, another alternative is to build a 48" high metal platform that the compactor sits on which means the compactor is at the same level as the hoist on the roll-off truck (so that the compactor can be pulled directly off of the platform without having to raise the hoist). The height requirements for the smaller outdoor compactors that are tipped onsite oftentimes depend on the tipping vehicle and the size of the container but 30 feet height clearance should be sufficient. 
  
• Grade - Typically, the slope of the concrete pad should be 10% - 15% or less, however a site diagram or photo is oftentimes needed in order to provide a more accurate assessment.
  
• Material Flow Considerations - The site selected should be compatible with the material flow.  Improper site selection could cost you additional labor
  expenses, while proper site selection could save you substantially in labor!
  
• Typical Size of the Trash Profile - The largest size of the various items that will be discarded should be considered.  This is necessary to determine the clear top opening when specifying the trash compactor.  This will help to determine the size of the waste compactor system.
  
  
• Typical Volume of the Trash Profile - What volume is discarded now and how much is expected to be discarded in the future? If you take the time to evaluate what the current volume of trash is, this will help you greatly in deciding on the size and/or type of compactors.  For example, if you currently have a 40 yard container that is being picked up 2 times per week, then this means that your volume is roughly 80 cubic yards per week (assuming, of course, that both containers are totally full when picked up)
  
  
• Consistency of the Trash Profile - Do you anticipate a change in the profile of your discarded materials in the near future? For example, if you are currently considering a Stationary Compactor for helping out with the cardboard and paper that makes up a majority of your trash, but you are anticipating a change in business that will also produce junk pallets and appliances in addition to the cardboard and paper, then you will need to consider a Pre-Crusher Compactor instead.
  
  
•  The material must be able to be compacted.  Dense materials like blocks of wood cannot be compacted. Also, items such as 5 gallon plastic buckets will not compact very well so they should be removed from the waste stream and discarded separately.
  
• Does your trash profile have a high liquid ratio? - (Some trash compactors such as the Self-Contained Waste Compactors handle wet waste much better than others.)
• If food waste is going into the compactor, are there any codes that may require a certain frequency of hauls (This may affect your sizing considerations.)

Other Considerations (for example) that will affect site selection:

• How will the compactor be fed? For example, Do you intend for the trash compactor to be chute fed from inside your building, either manually or with an existing (or future) air handling system?

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