Is a Trash Compactor a Good Idea? Benefits and Considerations

Using a garbage compactor is a practical way to reduce the amount of trips you have to make to the sidewalk or garbage can with bags of trash. Compacted garbage takes up much less space than regular bagged garbage, but it does require special bags. I used to have one decades ago in my summer house in the forest, and I thought it was a good idea. However, unless the overall volume of your trash is a big problem, I would not recommend getting one.

Unless you intend to empty it every day, it's not worth the effort. I recently installed one in my kitchen and I like not having to take out the trash every day. In fact, I ran out of bags last week and I kept compacting them until the second week and there's still room there (barely). Fortunately, Garbage Day is Thursday.

The only times my compactor breaks is when someone places something sharp inside, such as a broken hanger, and when the ram is compacted, the hanger discards the side of the plastic. But other than that, the bags are strong and I've never hit rock bottom either. Despite this, there are many advantages to using a garbage compactor. By reducing the volume of household waste by up to 75 percent, garbage compactors can help you reduce the frequency with which you have to empty your trash.

In addition, compacting garbage in landfills helps prevent more landfills from opening and promotes biodegradation of garbage and produces methane gas. If you're interested in buying a trash can with compactor functions, there are a few things to consider before taking one home. Today, many major appliance brands manufacture garbage compactors as part of their product family. They come as standalone models (which look like a typical garbage can) or as integrated units (which look more like a compact dishwasher).

As the name suggests, garbage compactors compress trash into smaller blocks that take up less space in a garbage bin. This also means that you'll need far fewer traditional trash bags, and you may be able to use fewer trash cans on the sidewalk if you have to bring your own can to pick it up on the sidewalk. Nowadays, it's even common to have two garbage compactors in the kitchen - one for garbage and one for recycling - due to their much smaller design. Today's models are designed with style in mind and come with motors that offer more power than previous editions, meaning that more waste can fit in a single garbage bag.

Designed to meet your needs, trash compactors can be manufactured as stand-alone cans that you can place wherever it's most convenient. They are also available as built-in units that fit flush with cabinets and reduce odors while reducing 75 percent of waste in each compression. As cities strive to achieve their goal of recycling more waste, garbage compactors are becoming increasingly popular among households that want to contribute to reducing their carbon footprint. If you're looking for an efficient way to reduce your waste output while also making your kitchen look stylish, then investing in a garbage compactor may be worth considering.