The verdict is in! (trash problem)

[Sequoia]

Since mid-October, I have had no trash receptacles at all. I removed my dumpster after fighting a frustrating, losing battle against excessive trash. Before I removed it, I had increased trash pickups from 2x per week to 3x per week. I hoped more frequent dumps would help; it only attracted more trash.

Because there are many holiday cabin rentals in my area, I decided to run through Christmas and New Year, then evaluate. For 14 years, my property has been the dumping ground right after Christmas and New Year's. Many of those cabin renters "drop off" their trash on the way out of town after the holiday. To my complete surprise, this year I got zero trash after Christmas, and zero trash after New Year's.

In about 2 1/2 months I have had, in total, about 10 bags of trash show up. These were placed where the dumpster used to be. All of them were left by the same individual. I finally met up with him, and he agreed to stop leaving trash.

I know everyone's circumstances are different, and what has worked for me might not work for you. I can say, probably like most operators, that I had a very hard time envisioning having a car wash with no trash receptacles. But --- it has worked out great. Less work, no expense for trash service, and a much cleaner vacuum area. As far as I can tell, it has not affected vac revenue. Overall revenue for 2019 was up.

I have had only a few inquiries from customers about a trash can. One person commented that not having one is no big deal, as every gas station has a trash can by the pumps. Since you need to wait for the fuel to pump anyway, you might as well toss out your trash. That was an idea I very much liked! One person commented that they had seen the huge mess many times once the bears and birds got into the overflowing trash, and he understood the decision.

I've decided to keep running with no dumpster.

 

[mjwalsh]

My dad when I first started because he did not want to excessively reward the trash hauler ... he actually had me as a young buck make a trip to the dump grounds with our small covered trailer ... gasoline was much cheaper then. Long story short ... my time ... flat tires on the dump ... & what really tipped the scale for putting a stop to hauling our own is when our "deep state-megacorporate partnering local gov't" starting charging substantial fees everytime we dumped!

We have a 4 yard pickup weekly for about $120 ... we are tempted to scale back to twice a month during our winter months. It used to be very recently gas surcharge would temporarily only make the rate over $80 ... so you see the creeping cost factor. Not sure if the cost will drop to $60 (in proportion) though. Maybe we need to try get other bids besides just Waste Management again ... like we have tried before! Some years we have a mild winter so it can be a bit tricky changing the # of pickups.

I guess the above could be an alternative to removing the dumpster completely like Sequoia seems to being lucky doing. Maybe with car wash only the "no dumpster" is more feasible. If I did that ... I am thinking that the city might play around with an ordinance that all or certain businesses have to have some type of trash bins???

Do other localities have too little competition when it comes to trash hauling???

I wonder if Sequoia's neighboring gasoline stations with their possibly? increased trash in their receptacles are totally happy?

 

[Sequoia]

I wonder if Sequoia's neighboring gasoline stations with their possibly? increased trash in their receptacles are totally happy?

3 overflowing dumpsters per week times 11 weeks (so far) is 33 dumpsters full of trash. All that stuff found a home somewhere else, and I am not sure where the "somewhere else" is. Someone in the community is .... "feeling the love!"

 

[wyatt]

I finally got frustrated enough that I got rid of trash cans at one of my washes. People kept coming late at night and going through my trash and leaving it all over. Plus most of the trash was planned in advance (shoes, cloths, parts, household trash bags full, ect.).

Anyways, since removing it I've had ZERO trash (4 days so far), not even any to hit with a broom. Previously I would spend quite a bit of time sweeping trash in the parking lot.

Now today I'm giving it a go at a different wash to test the results. Who knows, if it works out maybe I'll switch my other two washes to trashless as well. I realize now how much time I was spending on trash and I couldn't be happier with the results so far.

Updates to come..

 

[MEP001]

I want to try this, but I just don't think it'll work in my market. I just upgraded to an 8 yard dumpster picked up once a week, and it's full by pickup time each week. There are two car washes fairly close by, mine being the busiest one, but I'm certain I'll lose business with no trash cans.

 

[wyatt]

MEP001, I agree with you. I could lose business but I think it would only be vac revenue which is only a small portion for me. But on the flip side my washes should stay cleaner and therefor look better in the public’s eye possibly increasing bay revenue??

Also, I think it’s important to point out the two washes I’ve converted to trashless are adjacent to gas stations so if people really need to throw something away they still can.

 

[sparkey]

I have been running without trash cans for about a year and a half now. Rarely see any trash laying around and if I do it is less than a hand full. I rarely get a complaint. If I do I tell them we are going green, lol. Zero landfill waste. My income was also up last year so I don't think it has affected my business. I like the fact that I don't have people blocking access to my bays for 40 minutes at a time then just drive off.

 

[KleanRide]

I want to try this, but I just don't think it'll work in my market. I just upgraded to an 8 yard dumpster picked up once a week, and it's full by pickup time each week. There are two car washes fairly close by, mine being the busiest one, but I'm certain I'll lose business with no trash cans.

Sounds like we share the same demographic. My customers will throw trash on the ground when they're standing six inches from a trash can. It's ingrained in their DNA.

 

[Roz]

Find a HS kid who wants to earn some extra money to empty your cans before and after school. Kid will have an easy job for gas money. Less of a headache for you.

 

[sparkey]

Find a HS kid who wants to earn some extra money to empty your cans before and after school. Kid will have an easy job for gas money. Less of a headache for you.

Yea, good luck with that. No one wants to work anymore.

 

[MEP001]

Sounds like we share the same demographic. My customers will throw trash on the ground when they're standing six inches from a trash can. It's ingrained in their DNA.

I went to my bank today which also has the "same demographic." They give out lollipops, so of course there were lollipop wrappers on the ground in the parking lot, and ATM receipts all over the ground in front of the ATM, even though you can tap "No receipt," and there's a trash can right by it.

 

[Roz]

Yea, good luck with that. No one wants to work anymore.

You are right, does take a bit of luck to find the right person! As the saying goes, sometimes it is better to be lucky than good....

 

[ScottV]

I have 3 wash locations and eliminated the trash cans at one of them about 8yrs ago. It was near the entrance to the City park and every weekend we'd end up with 20lbs of macaroni salad and other picnic trash. Pulling them did not effect my vac business at all. The younger crowd were the only ones that complained. I'm getting ready to eliminate the trash cans at my other locations as well. Spring cleaning is coming and we don't need to be the drop off point for all of that!

 

[mjwalsh]

I want to try this, but I just don't think it'll work in my market. I just upgraded to an 8 yard dumpster picked up once a week, and it's full by pickup time each week. There are two car washes fairly close by, mine being the busiest one, but I'm certain I'll lose business with no trash cans.

I don't think it would work with our laundromat-car n dog wash situation either. Also ... just thinking outloud ... nearby businesses with thrash bins & unlocked dumpsters might not appreciate us doing that possibly. I can just see some PD officers ignoring any calls we might have to make because extra littering caused by no trash bins etc.

The cost of dumpster service had been creeping up locally for us as in over $100.00 per month weekly a 4 yard dumpster ... even though fuel cost has been stable. I made some phone calls & by signing a three year contract with one of the outfits ... it looks like we have some protection ... but not totally ... fuel surcharges & landfill fees are the most likely danger of increased costs. It just seems a shame there is so little competition between the haulers.

Front loading dumpster pickup seems to yield a more empty pickup.

We have an ATM & it seems most users guard their ATM receipt with their life taking them with them ... so the demographic is probably at play with that kind of littering.