Trash in landfills is accumulating at astonishing rates. Much of this garbage is junk and scrap that will never decompose. However, a great deal of the refuse that is currently sitting in landfills is litter that could have been recycled. Perhaps more of this trash would have been recycled if more people had owned trash compactors for recycling.
What is a Trash Compactor?
Many people have never owned or even used a trash compactor before. So, they have no idea how beneficial these units can be for assisting with household trash.
A trash compactor is a household appliance that fits underneath a counter or that can be a freestanding unit. It has a motor inside that operates a press. The press lowers onto any trash that is in the compactor at the press of a button, and compacts it into a fraction of the size it was previously. Compactors use special bags that typically cost about $1 per bag; however, the bags are changed much less frequently.
Advantages of Using Trash Compactors with Recycling
It is generally recommended that trash compactors are not used with glass. In addition, since compactor bags are not emptied as frequently, it is typically suggested that people not put food items into compactors. So, how can using a trash compactor help a person recycle?
On average, trash compactors turn six bags of regular trash into one 30-pound bag. Some areas of the country do not have consumers separate out their recyclable items into different categories. Also, some areas charge by the bin for recycling. Therefore, the slower the bin fills up, the better. By using a trash compactor for the recyclables, the bin will fill up much more slowly.
When consumers own trash compactors for recycling, they are much more likely to keep their trash separate from their recyclables. This means that more waste is able to be recycled, instead of more waste heading to the landfills.
Some people may argue that trash compactors are not ecofriendly because they compact trash so tightly that it cannot decompose. This may be true for regular refuse; however, using a trash compactor only for recyclable materials is a great way to help the environment. The recyclable items can be recycled in their compacted form, and the consumer uses less plastic bags.
Choosing the Best Trash Compactor
There are several models and brands of trash compactors from which a person can choose for home use for recycling. Most can be built into cabinets, or they fit easily into cabinets that already exist in the kitchen. Or, a person could select a model that will fit in with her décor. There are stainless-steel, black, and white freestanding units that have handy butcher block tops.
Different models of trash compactors come with varying amounts of force. This is the amount of pressure that the plate applies in order to compact the trash. Larger households will want to choose the maximum amount of force – 3000 pounds – in order to get the maximum amount of recyclables in each bag.
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