Trash Compactor And Overflowing Dumpsters Behind Apartment Building For Popularity of Valet Trash Surges Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Blog Post

Valet Trash Popularity Surges Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

While the popularity of valet trash has always been debated, it has won many new fans during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This is because it solved two unforeseen waste management challenges at multifamily properties. As residents were locked down and continue to spend more time at home, the volume of waste at multifamily properties has surged. Valet trash services have been extremely helpful in addressing these challenges. In fact, some of the largest multifamily companies have added the service or increased the frequency of collections as a result of the benefits to both residents and property managers.

Using Compactors and Trash Chutes

According to Cortland, one pandemic related trash challenge was getting residents to actually use dumpsters, compactors, and trash chutes. Residents simply did not want to touch anything, out of a fear of contracting COVID-19. Rather than putting waste into a dumpster, chute, or compactor, residents simply left trash in the area.

Issues with bulk trash exacerbated the problem. Residents reorganized their apartments and ordered new furniture to transition to spending more time living and working at home. Consequently, this meant more bulk trash, especially furniture, in dumpster areas. In many areas, bulk trash haulers were not operating, which only made matters worse.

Increased Trash and Recycling Volume

Since the start of the pandemic, the overall volume of trash being produced by multifamily residents has grown significantly. This is because residents are staying home due to shutdowns and work from home orders. Residents being home equals more trash. Just how much more trash? The Solid Waste Association of North America projects residential trash production has increased 38% as a result of the pandemic. This fits with estimates from Camden Living, which reported increases between 30% and 35% across its portfolio of 165 communities.

This creates a real challenge for properties using dumpsters and bins. While this increase in volume is not a traditional problem for compactors, it becomes one when residents are not using them. In general, the huge growth in trash output at multifamily properties has created new challenges for property managers.

Valet Trash Solved Problems

Plain and simple, valet trash addresses the core challenges of increased waste volume and residents’ fear of touching dumpsters, compactors, and trash chutes. This is because residents just place their waste outside of their unit doors where it is collected by trash valets. The top valet trash providers can also handle issues related to bulk trash as needed in many markets. In turn, the popularity of valet trash has grown as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Another way valet trash is solving pandemic related waste management challenges is increasing the frequency of service. As residents produce more trash because they are staying home, valet trash companies can add an additional night of service at a property. While this will increase valet trash service costs, the benefits and peace of mind for residents and property managers is worth the additional expense.

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