While renting a garbage bin, it’s essential to stay conscious of what goes into the rubbish bin. If something hazardous makes its way into the waste basket, you will risk a fire and a fine from the rental company. Take caution and review everything you need to know about dumpster fires.
How Garbage Catches on Fire
If you don’t know what starts a garbage fire, you’ll learn today. While dumpster fires only happen occasionally, it’s still an occurrence that happens to anyone. So, how can garbage become ablaze? For one, fires happen from cigarette butts and hot ash from fireplaces, pits, and grills.
When not cooled, burning charcoal could catch anything surrounding it on fire, especially when thrown into a garbage can. If you must toss the charcoal right away, do it in a metal can, separate from flammable objects like cardboard and paper so that it simmers down and isn’t dangerous.
The Types of Dumpsters
Depending on the dumpster, you, your neighbor, or a local business may have determined the detriment of a garbage fire. Look at the following dumpsters below to know your type and the best ways to prevent a fire from breaking out.
Construction Dumpster
A construction dumpster will contain all sorts of debris, but problems arise if you do not sort it precisely. While these giant bins stretch between 10 to 40 yards, it’s good to be mindful of what goes into each litter bin, especially if you have smaller sizes.
You may find these dumpsters near homes, business remodels, demolition sites, and new construction projects. The best way to prevent construction dumpster fires is to inform the rental company of any debris that may be hazardous; once you tell them, they will find other resources for you to use.
Residential Garbage Bin
Residential garbage bins are in every gated community, metropolitan area, and rural area—this dumpster is primarily used for trash. This garbage can has a plastic lid to keep out animals and control the trash intake.
When dumpsters overflow with garbage, many residents place their excess trash on the bins’ sides. Although dumpsters have tops to keep them sealed from unwanted visitors, they’re often left to the side. When fires break out, firefighters my struggle to navigate the mess and successfully complete their jobs.
Recycling Waste Bin
Recycling bins collect all types of recycling, but people often mistakenly recycle the wrong items. Harmful products like paint cans, aerosol cans, and electrical appliances do not belong in the recycling bin. While these items might seem OK to throw in, they are the leading causes of fires.
If you have trouble finding suitable methods, reach out to your community about donating used recyclables or finding a plant that takes them and disposes them separately from regular recycling. Using such initiatives creates a better environment and prevents fires from breaking out.
Specialty Garbage Can
For many hot things such as coal, oil, and sanitation products, cooks and janitors need specialty garbage cans to properly dispose of the waste. If they’re not careful, there’s a considerable fire and cross-contamination risk.
Always read your owner’s manual and learn the items that can go into a waste bin before using it. Without this knowledge, everything in the specialty bin could catch fire.
Things To Keep Out of a Dumpster
While it’s safe to throw some items into a dumpster, things like gas cylinders, household chemicals, ashes, and coal need their own waste basket. So, let’s learn more about each item’s toxicity and why they don’t belong with regular recycling.
Household Chemicals
We use different items in the house daily; bleach goes onto the floors and anywhere else that needs a deep clean; paint thinner helps reduce viscosity in paint so sprayer applications can use the color.
You may assume it’s OK to combine these items with normal trash; however, they pose severe risks, such as fire and toxic odors. They may damage your garbage bin. Contact a waste management company for advice on disposing of household chemicals properly.
Flammable and Explosive Items
Flammable items come in many forms, as do explosive things. You should never place things like gasoline, paints, or specialty equipment containing oil in the same bin as regular trash. Instead, a specialty bin should be used and then taken to a landfill that accepts flammable liquids and other explosive items.
Gas Cylinders
A gas cylinder is a compact tank that, when placed down, moved incorrectly, or not appropriately stored, can combust. These canisters work great on the grill but won’t become a hazard when surrounded by other recyclable items.
There are places to take cylinders once they’re empty, such as a recycling facility that takes the tanks and disposes of them properly. Before you send them to a facility, ensure they’re punctured and the pressure’s released.
Collected Hot Rocks From a Fire
Ashes and coal are other items that shouldn’t go into a garbage bin of any kind or size. There might still be dormant fire resting inside the stones. Don’t throw them onto the lawn; place the grill or pit out and let it sit for a few days. If you want extra precaution, douse the coals with water.
It’s best to take these collected hot rocks from the fire to a composter. Before transporting, wrap everything in aluminum foil and place it into a metal container.
Why You Shouldn’t Put a Dumpster Out Yourself?
Depending on the size of the fire, you want to avoid putting it out yourself. You could risk making a mistake that results in more accidents. So, call 911 immediately, and then grab the lid from the tip and close it up. The shell casing entraps the flames, letting the blaze settle and eventually die out.
Once the fire department comes, let them do their job, ensure that the fire’s entirely out, and remove everything from the bin.
Tips for Reducing Fire Hazards
It’s important to prevent fires, so follow these tips for fire prevention:
- Keep all hazardous items separate.
- Ensure there’s room around the dumpster.
- Have signage posted to prevent others from smoking near the garbage bin.
Get Informed With Your Dumpster Rental Company
The best way to learn about fire safety is through a dumpster rental company. All dumpster companies have resources for you to look at when deciding what dumpsters are suitable for your waste.
Let’s take remodeling as an example; you’re repainting a room and knocking walls down—while a 30 yard dumpster size is ideal for this project, it’s not suitable for combining paint cans and remodeling debris. Take this as an opportunity to learn other things you may not know about dumpster fires from your dumpster rental company.
Don’t fret over not having the right dumpster for your project. Vine Disposal has many sizes to pick from and many that can support your debris type. Contact us today for insight on our dumpster rentals.
