The holiday season is one of the most colorful and entertaining times of the year for commercial businesses. It’s the busiest time of the year when people and families spend the most, eat the most, and produce more waste than in any other month. Even with all the energy and waste reduction techniques implemented by most commercial businesses, holiday waste still remains as a significant amount of trash being disposed during this time of year. In this article, we’ll discuss the most common types of holiday waste most commercial businesses have to deal with and the best solutions to dispose of holiday waste properly.
Impacts of Holiday Commercial Pollution
Over 25 million tons of holiday waste is produced yearly in the United States alone, which considerably impacts our natural resources.
This holiday waste costs businesses financially due to increased disposal fees, and comes with more environmental risks such as pollution, ecological damage, and adverse environmental impacts.
In addition to physical waste, carbon emissions are significantly increased during the holiday season due to energy consumption from heating systems or lighting decorations. With demands for energy soaring in winter months due to extended use of heating systems and other activities related to the holidays, power plants work harder to meet this increased demand.
The abundance of waste brought about by the holiday season has resulted in more stringent laws regarding its disposal. In some countries, there is a ban on certain types of plastic packaging material commonly used during this period.
Companies must strive to reduce their resource consumption and associated costs by implementing energy-saving measures to lessen the financial burden associated with waste disposal fees and dumpster rental services. Limiting the environmental damage by the impacts of holiday waste.
Common Types of Holiday Commercial Waste
Commercial establishments produce a lot of waste during the holiday season. Among the most common types are the following:
Plastic Packaging
Plastics are one of the most commonly used materials to package holiday products and decorations. Unfortunately, the plastic packaging from gift wrapping to packaging food is a large source of holiday waste.
Wrapping Paper
Wrapping paper is often used for gift giving in the holidays. However, recycling can be difficult due to its materials or lack of visible recycling codes.
Styrofoam
Styrofoam containers are popular this season as they are cheap and easy to use for shipping or packaging food items like take-out meals or baked goods. Styrofoam isn’t recyclable and must be disposed of properly to avoid harming the environment.
Electronics
During holiday sales and promotions, electronics such as televisions, computers, phones, and other gadgets become highly sought after. However, due to their material composition and potentially hazardous contents like chemical components and heavy metals, these items must be disposed of properly to prevent contamination of landfills or water sources.
Batteries
Batteries are commonly used during the holidays for powering up electronics and toys, which can be hazardous if not recycled correctly; improper disposal can lead to toxic chemicals seeping into soil and water systems.
Best Solutions to Dispose of Commercial Seasonal Waste
Seasonal waste disposal is a challenge for many commercial businesses. With the changing seasons and holidays come new products, decorations, packaging materials, and other seasonal items that must be disposed of properly. To help businesses reduce their carbon footprint and ensure proper disposal of seasonal waste, here are some of the best solutions for disposing of commercial holiday waste:
1. Recycle What You Can
Many commercial businesses receive shipments of seasonal items like store decor and seasonal merchandise that may be irrelevant after the holidays. Instead of throwing these items away and ordering new items next year, pack these items away for storage and reuse next season. This will not only help in the reduction of waste cost for these items but also assist in the disposal of their packaging material.
2.Donate Unused Items
As mentioned above, many of these seasonal items become irrelevant after the holidays. Instead of throwing these items away, donate them to local charities or organizations in need. Not only will you be helping those less fortunate, but you will also be doing your part to reduce waste and save the environment.
3. Plan For the Future
One way to reduce commercial holiday waste is to plan. Developing a comprehensive and sustainable holiday waste management plan can help reduce the number of waste materials used in celebrations, decorations, items manufacturing, food catering, and other holiday activities.
For example, one way to reduce holiday waste is for business retailers to offer products with less packaging. Furthermore, retailers should also consider offering customers refill programs and bulk buying options so they have fewer individual containers being thrown away after use. In addition, promoting the reuse of wrapping paper and other festive decorations can help keep these items out of landfills and encourage a more sustainable future for our holidays.
4. Compost Organic Materials
If your business produces a lot of food waste during the holiday season, consider composting it instead of throwing it in the garbage. Now that most companies are going green, and some even have commercial green rooftops or greenhouses, composting would be a suitable way to reduce holiday waste. Composting organic materials is a great way to create nutrient-rich soil for gardening and landscaping projects.
5. Make Use Of Commercial Waste Management Services
Dumpster rental services are one of the most common services commercial establishments seek to properly manage and dispose of their trash, especially during the holidays when businesses have a large amount of seasonal waste that needs to be disposed of quickly and effectively.
Get Help From Waste Management Experts for Proper Holiday Commercial Waste Disposal
The holiday season can be an incredibly wasteful time of year. Following the best practices outlined above can reduce environmental issues and keep our planet healthy and clean during this special and busy time of year.
For commercial establishments, you can save time in dealing with your waste disposal process by hiring an expert waste management company like Cobblestone Container Service. We can help you with your commercial dumpster rental needs and provide expert advice and systematic and compliant commercial waste disposal solutions at a fair price that you can rely on.
We offer 50 years of experience in commercial waste management and disposal services in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and nearby areas. To get rid of your commercial holiday waste efficiently at a fair cost, call us at 877-853-2922 and book an appointment.