Latest Blogs

5 January,2018

Garbage chute blockage

Garbage chute blockage is inevitable. There can be a myriad of reasons chutes block. A very common mistake residents do is putting items not meant to be put in chute door. Tree branches, umbrellas, broom sticks, hard boxes, Styrofoam, furniture, heavy quilted blankets, and the list goes on No matter how much signage, no matter what language you speak, people are creatures of habit.

If all else fails, then the ultimate way would be to pull the garbage down from below the blockage with a hook. We would not advice any one doing that because of the obvious danger of falling garbage. Call a professional.

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5 January,2016

Compactor Servicing

Garbage compactors, like other mechanical machines, require regular service and maintenance. There are components like gearboxes, motors, screw drives, actuators, plungers, rams etc. These components need to be inspected, lubricated, adjusted and made sure they perform their required functions. In the waste room, there is always contaminants that will get in the way and prevent proper functioning of the machine.

Chute doors should be checked for proper function, it should open and close easily. These are fire rated doors and as such, they must be fire compliant. It is a good practice on the part of the cleaner to make sure these machines function properly.

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8 January,2019

The Advent of High-Rise Garbage Compactor

Highrise apartment garbage disposal systems have evolved with the proliferation of high-rise apartment lifestyle. High rise living has become a convenient and affordable mode of existence. It has created a collective sense of communal living, with residents sharing in the use of amenities. One very critical and useful amenity is the garbage disposal system.

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In days gone by, residents had to take their rubbish to garbage bins located somewhere in the yard. As buildings became more user friendly, garbage chutes were built into the towers. Initially these chutes were formed with in the brickwork and they used to be square risers. The bottom had a receptacle to collect the rubbish. As buildings became bigger, the volume of garbage increased.

One solution at that time was to add a gas fired incinerator to the bottom of the chute. Well, this system had its advantages. All garbage was burnt down to ashes and there was no need for bins. But the downside of burning rubbish was pollution. Councils started phasing them out in consideration of the ill effects of the smog it created.

That prompted the advent of compactor machines and the wheelie bin. Councils see an enormous benefit in the use of compactors. The main benefit is the smaller number of bins required, since two or three bins of waste gets compacted into one. The other is the number of bins left on the street for the pickup truck. Too many bins on the side of the road creates pedestrian and traffic hazard. The compactor machines have evolved into something of a godsend. Residents drop their rubbish down a round chute into one of the many styles of compactors. There are hydraulic, pneumatic and mechanical types. Their basic function is to decrease the volume of rubbish by a certain percentage.

Most compactors are multi bin types, where rubbish keeps filling the bins and the bins keep rotating to accommodate more rubbish. There is a plunger which presses the rubbish down into the bin. This creates more volume in the bin Some compactors are basket types where rubbish falls into rotating baskets.

These baskets are lined with plastic bags. Once all bags are full, cleaners have to pull them out and place them into bins. This is a tedious task. As of recently, some companies have started to incorporate waste sorting systems into the chute. One chute is used for garbage and recyclable. The chute doors on every level have selector switches for garbage and recyclable waste.

At the bottom end of the chute is a diverter which channels the waste into appropriate bins.

This innovative system is very thoughtful, but it has its many downsides. When one person is using the chute, the rest of the doors remain electrically shut. Most residents don’t have the patience and time to wait, so they leave the bag of rubbish on floor.

The integrity of this system relies on the residents doing the right thing. But unfortunately, it is not the case. The E-diverter system has created a very technology laden system of waste separation.

When too much processes are incorporated in the disposal system, a lot can go wrong, which will create a lot of inconvenience. And too much complexity has its own downside.

Breakdowns are common and down times are bothersome. The best system of sorting waste is a twin chute system, where rubbish and recyclables are thrown down into respective chutes.

Recyclable items do not get biologically contaminated with organic waste so it is cleaner for the sorting centres.

Garbage chutes and compactors have really transformed the waste disposal to a very convenient .It has made living in an apartment very easy and also created a lot of employment along the way.