So, maybe your bin setup is a bit rubbish

Overflowing every Tuesday? Half empty every Friday? Recycling bin somehow full of everything except recycling?

Your bins might be trying to tell you something.

A good waste setup shouldn't require much thought. The right bins are in the right places, they're collected when they need to be and people know what goes where.

If that's not happening, it might be time for a rethink.

Your bin is regularly overflowing

If you're constantly playing rubbish Jenga to get the lid closed, something isn't working. You might need a bigger bin, more frequent collections or a better way of separating different waste streams. Either way, “just squash it down a bit more” isn't really a waste strategy.

Everything is going in the same bin

Cardboard. Food scraps. General waste. Recyclables. The remains of someone's lunch. All happily living together.

Separating different types of waste can create opportunities to recycle more and reduce what's going into general waste. With FOGO

also becoming part of the picture for more NSW businesses, it's a good time to look at what you're throwing away and where it's going.

Nobody knows what goes where

If every trip to the bins involves a small existential crisis, your system is probably too complicated. Clear signage, sensible bin placement and making it obvious what belongs where can help reduce contamination and make life easier for everyone. Because nobody should need a flowchart to throw away a banana peel.

Your business has changed. Your bins haven't.

Businesses grow. Teams change. Waste volumes go up and down. New waste streams appear. But the same bins can sit in the same spot, being collected on the same schedule, for years. It's worth asking occasionally: does this setup still make sense?

A better setup starts with knowing what you’re actually throwing away.

Take a look at what’s filling your bins, what’s not, and how often they’re being collected. If something doesn’t add up, Smallmons can help you work out a waste setup that makes more sense for your business.

Right bins. Right size. Right collection schedule. Rubbish sorted.