Trash is an unavoidable part of life. In an office environment, trash can build up over time until it becomes a nuisance. Cleaning crews are tasked with getting rid of the trash before it becomes a problem. Believe it or not, there are more and less efficient ways to manage trash.
Whether your company contracts with a commercial cleaning provider or employs a dedicated janitorial staff, efficient trash handling leaves more time for other things. The more efficiently trash is dealt with, the less of an interruption it becomes when cleaning crews are trying to get other things done.
It’s Not So Easy
Handling the trash in a busy office environment is not as easy as it looks. Do not assume that the task is identical to how you handle trash at home. At home, most trash goes into just one or two cans. Once or twice a week, a family member takes a full trash bag out to the curbside bin. The bin goes to the curb on the appointed day. It is pretty simple and doesn’t require a tremendous commitment.
In an office setting, handling trash is significantly more complicated. You are dealing with more people generating more trash. You’re also dealing with more trash cans. You might even be dealing with trash on multiple floors of the same building. It all needs to be collected and taken to the dumpster.
How to Do It More Efficiently
So, how can cleaning crews efficiently manage trash without getting bogged down by it? Here are some of our best tips:
1. Establish a Schedule
One of the worst things cleaning crews can do with trash is attack it haphazardly. It is far better to establish a schedule. Perhaps the trash cans in your office don’t need to be emptied every night. Every other night seems more appropriate. That’s great. Put it on paper and stick with it.
We like to schedule trash collection around peak times. In other words, we want to address trash at those specific times throughout the week when most of it is being generated.
2. Provide Cues
Handling the trash is complicated when certain items that need to be segregated are thrown in with everything else. Cleaners then need to take the time to sort through trash bins. This can be addressed by providing visual cues that help employees better understand trash segregation requirements. Signage and color-coded bins are examples of visual cues.
3. Incentivize Participation
You can also make the lives of your cleaning crew easier by incentivizing employees to participate in dealing with trash. For example, reward employees for keeping clean desks and cubicles. Encourage recycling efforts by rewarding departments for meeting defined goals.
4. Optimize Trash Transport
Collecting trash throughout the office is one thing. Getting it down to the dumpster is another matter. Trolleys and carts capable of holding large volumes of trash reduce the number of trips cleaners need to make to the dumpster.
Along those same lines, planning the route helps a lot. In a multi-floor building, starting at the very top and working down minimizes backtracking. In a single floor space, starting at the furthest point and working toward the exit accomplishes the same thing. Ultimately, cleaners need to cover less ground getting to and from the dumpster.
Handling trash may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things. But when it comes to business and office cleaning, handling trash inefficiently only makes general cleaning more difficult. Getting a handle on the trash and cleaning crews will have more time and resources to put into more important tasks.
