Any type of business in the food industry may ultimately have a lot of waste to deal with. This can be leftover food, expired food, and a lot of other waste.
Set up a system to help manage the waste and create a pattern which will ensure you do not run into any problem. Follow these tips to get the most out a dumpster rental and allow your restaurant to run smoothly.
Dumpster Size
As you select a dumpster rental for your restaurant, one of the main decisions you need to make is what size the dumpster should be. If dumpster is too small, the thing will get overfilled too quickly, which is unsightly, and can potentially spread odors around your business.
Go with one size bigger than you intended to start off. This way, you are able to learn the amount of garbage which will fill the dumpster and will not have to worry about overfilling the dumpster.
Garbage Pickup Times
Along with the option of different sized dumpsters, you may select multiple pickup times to empty the dumpsters out. A dumpster rental company may offer dumpster pickups almost every day of the week. You may want to empty your dumpsters after particularly busy days.
For example, if your restaurant has a bulk of its customers on Thursday and Friday, then you may want to schedule the garbage pickup for Saturday. The weekend pickup time will help ensure you have your garbage fully cleared out.
Also consider a pickup time based around the food you serve. For example, if you have a special seafood menu on Wednesday, then you may want a Thursday garbage pickup to help prevent the strong smell of fish and shellfish around your restaurant.
If necessary, you can schedule multiple pickups a week. Even with a larger dumpster, clearing out as much trash as possible will help keep things clean and reduce odors.
Sealed Garbage
With a dumpster, people can easily toss in garbage and item without a care, but in the world of restaurants, item should be completely sealed off. Every garbage bag should be tied tightly.
In some cases, double-bagging extra heavy food item will help prevent the garbage from breaking free or spilling out in the dumpster. The sealed garbage bags will help keep a dumpster organized and save space as bags of garbage are stacked and organized next to each other.
Sealed Lids
One of the easiest ways to help reduce the odors from restaurant trash is with a dumpster rental which includes sealed lids. The lid can help contain odors and prevent any messes.
To help keep the lids shut, you may consider using large clips. These clips will prevent any large pests from getting inside. Securing the lids also helps prevent any wind from pushing them open. Secure the lid to prevent rain or snow from soiling the garbage and filling up the dumpster.
On the night before the scheduled garbage pickup, be sure to remove the clips so the dumpster is easily emptied.
Pest Control
Along with a sealed lid, other methods can help keep pests out of your dumpster. Rats, mice, and other pests may not only seek out the old food in your dumpster, but could be drawn to your actual restaurant.
As trash gets put into the dumpster, debris may fall outside of the dumpster. Sweep any fallen food on the outside of the dumpster and hose the dumpster down every few days. Eliminate any type of food which will entice small critters to your restaurant.
Consider placing an outdoor ultrasonic rodent repeller at your restaurant. The high-pitched ultrasonic sounds could help build a natural barrier to help keep rodents away. The device should be placed near the dumpster, but not directly on it so that it doesn’t get lost or damaged when the dumpster gets emptied.
Sewer Drains
Over time, a dumpster may pick up a lot of odors and have a pretty strong smell. One of the main reasons the smells linger is because of the liquids which leak out of bags of garbage.
If possible, try to place the dumpster near a sewer drain. This way, liquids will drain down into the sewer instead of on the ground. The elimination of liquids will also help deter bees, mosquitoes, flies, and other bugs from being drawn to the dumpster.
Bees seek out sticky or sweet substances, flies are drawn towards food waste, and mosquitoes often live and nest near standing water like large puddles. A sewer drain helps prevent a lot of these problem.
Follow all of these tips to get the most out of a dumpster rental. For more information on dumpster rentals and various sizes to fit your restaurant needs, contact us at Tri-State Disposal. We will accommodate to fit your needs and schedule.