Designing and allowing for operational waste management in a multi-unit, mixed use or commercial development seems straight forward, but there are a few pitfalls and things to consider. We have included our top ten tips for designing for waste management – these are things to consider for your waste management plan.
1. Allowances: For townhouse developments generally allow 120L for garbage and 120L for recycling per dwelling per week. Many councils will not require this amount, but some will. Apartments, retail, restaurant, commercial and institutional waste allowances are more varied.
2. Footprint areas: Most Councils collect 240L bins which have an approximate footprint of 750mm(D) x 600mm(W). Allow 50mm between bins in each dimension in bin store locations. If you calculate waste areas based on the above rates and these bins, you will in most cases have a large enough space for residential waste storage.
3. Efficiency: Larger bins will be more space efficient.
4. Organics digestors can reduce organics waste to 10% of its original volume with end products that are useful soil additives. In residential or restaurant applications where food scraps are a significant component of waste, these can be a smart solution to significantly reduce the size of a waste room, or reduce the frequency of waste collections. They can be purchased or hired for reasonably short periods.
5. Other waste: Allow a minimum of 1m2 space and ideally 2m2 for temporary hard garbage storage in apartment developments. This is the MCC rate per 100 dwellings, but some councils require more. Green garden waste may be removed by a gardening contractor. Otherwise allow an appropriate space for green waste bins which in some councils are collected on alternate weeks to recycling bins. Increasingly garden waste is being collected with food organics in what is called a FOGO (food organics garden organics) bin.
6. Council collections: For Council waste collection, most councils will require bins to be able to be positioned in one row parallel to the kerb with min 300mm spacing between for automated mechanical side arm collection vehicles. In addition, allow space around trees or other obstacles. If space is not available for such a collection zone, bins may need to be retrieved from a suitable location or stacked more closely, and perhaps collected by private waste contractor(s).
7. Ramps: If bins are stored in a basement with a ramp up to the street, the bins will need to be able to be transferred to the collection zone via the lift or mechanical tug. Some collection contractors can collect from basements, but these trucks are smaller, and need to be emptied more regularly, and for this reason are a more expensive collection option. The other option is to design bin stores at ground level.
8. Mechanical tugs are relatively expensive generally ranging from $10 – 15k. Four wheel plastic bins can be connected directly to the tug unit. Two wheel bins will be required to be transported on a trolley. Allow a 1m2 footprint for tug storage, and more if a trolley is also required.
9. Close proximity of bins: Waste and recycling bins should be co-located in a bin store to ensure recycling is easy and supported.
10. Other Council requirements: Councils have other additional design and process issues be taken account of to satisfy their Waste Management Plan requirements.
If you would like a quote, call us to discuss or email your project details on pdf. We can generally confirm a written quote within 24 hours.
CONTACT US
