When we talk about waste management, there are always going to be different challenges. Job sites, businesses, and events come in all different shapes and sizes, and it’s important to find the right waste management solution that will work for each situation.
There are major differences between waste management for residential properties and commercial sites. The city may allow certain products to be disposed of by homeowners that might require special care for businesses, and vice versa, so it’s vital to understand the differences in waste management for both.
Our team of experts at FenceLine Rentals Ltd. provides waste management solutions across all sorts of sectors in Calgary and throughout Alberta, so we’re qualified to provide a few tips.
Here’s what you need to know about both residential and commercial waste management.
Recycling on Commercial & Residential Construction Sites
Diverting waste from landfills is a long-held, important goal of the City of Calgary and across Alberta, and separating recycling is an important part of residential and commercial waste management.
Commercial Properties
Businesses in Calgary are required to separate their recycling from their garbage by law, so it’s important to understand what can and can’t be recycled in the city.
The municipal government has resources to help the commercial sector divert recycling away from landfills, but businesses should be sure to store their recycling in a separate space from their garbage so it doesn’t get mixed together. Among the items that should be recycled are:
- Paper products, including newspapers, catalogues, magazines, shredded paper, and phonebooks
- Boxboard and corrugated cardboard
- Glass jars and bottles
- Food cans, tin foil, and refundable beverage containers
- Plastic containers
- Scrap metal (not including galvanized metal, rebar, or coat hangers)
- Raw and unprocessed wood
- Clear plastic film
It’s worth noting that there are financial incentives to recycling, too. When you drop off a load of recycling at a city landfill, you’re charged $90 per tonne. Compare that with the $113 you’ll pay per tonne of basic sanitary waste.
How to Manage Recycling on Commercial Sites
The City of Calgary allows businesses to pick a waste management company to dispose of their waste and recycling, and a LEED-certified company like FenceLine Rentals can help tailor a recycling program to your specific needs.
LEED certification is a recognized standard for assessing environmental sustainability, and FenceLine has a proven record of collaborating with businesses to help meet their diversion goals.
In addition to providing bins and hauling services, FenceLine has a digital reporting system that can track waste diversion and produce accurate reports showing where businesses can improve.
Residential Properties
Every Calgarian has the opportunity to divert waste by recycling through the City of Calgary’s blue cart program, and the city has extensive resources available for anyone wondering what can and can’t be recycled, including a handy search tool.
Every residential property in Calgary will have a blue cart collection at least once a week. Here are a few things to remember:
- Be sure to have your blue cart out for collection by 7 a.m. on the day it’s scheduled to be picked up. Homeowners can easily find their pickup schedule here.
- Items can be left loose in the bin, but plastic bags should be placed together in a single bag.
- Items that don’t fit into the blue bin won’t be collected, but they can be dropped off at one of the many community recycling depots around the city.
Waste Management in Calgary
Commercial Waste Management
The City of Calgary allows businesses the flexibility and choice to work with a waste collection company that best meets their own needs. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, FenceLine Rentals Ltd. has a proven track record of helping local businesses find waste management solutions.
Commercial waste management needs vary from business to business, but doing it properly can save money at the landfill and create a clean, safe, and sanitary environment for clients and staff.
There are a few things every business should keep in mind when coming up with a commercial waste management plan.
Containers & Bins
Every business will want waste containers for collection and hauling, and FenceLine Rentals Ltd. provides the highest-quality equipment and containers available in the region. The strong and versatile containers can be used with compactors to maximize efficiency, and lids are available when containment is required.
Pickup and drop-off are included when renting containers.
Disposal
Businesses often produce more waste, even those that work as hard as possible to limit their waste through recycling, composting, and other environmentally-friendly efforts.
That means having a reliable company to handle hauling and disposal is important. We provide disposal services for every kind of project, including industrial and commercial construction, and can be booked to collect waste whenever necessary.
Residential Waste Management
The City of Calgary’s black cart program collects waste from single-family homes every week for items that don’t go in recycling or composting bins. The city provides a full list of what can go in the black carts and suggests that black carts be set out no later than 7 a.m. on the day of collection and no earlier than 7 p.m. the evening before.
- The city’s black carts can hold up to 60 kg of material or four standard garbage bags.
- When carts are full, homeowners need to purchase garbage tags from a location around the city.
- Sometimes, homeowners will need to have more waste hauled away, like if they are renovating an area of their house on their own. FenceLine has residential garbage disposal services that make this easy, including bin rental and pick-up and drop-off.
Convenient Waste Management Solutions
Whether you’re a homeowner or running a business that requires waste management solutions in Calgary, FenceLine Rentals Ltd. can help. Our team can help you implement a successful diversion program, provide the bins and containers necessary to collect and dispose of waste and haul away whatever is needed.
For more information on how our team can help with your waste management, call us at (782)825-5737 or contact us online.