If you’re in the construction business, you know that waste is plentiful and that dumpsters become necessities on any job site. Chris Darling of A Track-Out Solution knows quite a bit about dumpster rental in Las Vegas, and according to him, working with a dumpster rental company that’s both responsive and reliable is a critical part of any Las Vegas construction project’s success.
What Is Construction Waste?
According to Darling, construction waste includes several types of materials because different types of construction projects produce different types of waste. Home construction, he says, produces quite a bit of wood, plastic and cardboard waste. Wood waste from residential projects is mostly scrap 2 x 4 pieces. Cardboard and plastic, because they’re used to pack certain building materials, are also very common. When larger buildings are under construction-after all, it’s Las Vegas- scrap metal is a common by-product.
There is also a large amount of general trash from the job site that must be hauled away regularly. “A construction site,” Darling says, “is like any place of business. The dumpsters on a job site are the same as the trash and recycle bins at any office.”
How Is It Removed from the Job Site?
To get rid of construction waste, Darling says, you’ll need to work with a waste removal company. He explains that his company’s service is very straightforward. In most cases, they simply drop off dumpsters at the job site and then wait for the call to come back and pick them up. A Track-Out Solution uses three sizes of dumpster - 10 yards, 20 yards and 40 yards.
The 10-yard dumpsters, Darling says, are most appropriate for heavy materials like concrete and dirt. Larger dumpsters are primarily used for bulky, lightweight materials like HVAC ducts, insulation, wood, etc. When Darling’s company is hired for a project, he works with the customer to determine how many bins are necessary and which sizes are most appropriate, and then sets up a rental agreement. The customer, he says, pays for only the number of dumpsters they use over the course of the project. Because he wants to make sure customers get the most for their money, he allows the job superintendent to decide when a bin is full before calling for a replacement.
“For instance, last week we began a project that includes five school remodels all over town,” he says. “We sent a 40-yard bin to each of the job sites and throughout the project we’ll be ready to pick them up and replace them as the construction crews get them filled.”
When it comes to keeping the construction project moving, though, Darling says timing is everything. Once a unit is full, getting it replaced quickly is key to staying on schedule. If a waste removal company falls behind, it can impact the entire project. “Because re-work and delays are never good on a construction site, we do our best to respond right away when we get the call from the superintendent,” Darling says. “Nobody wants to have to start stacking trash on the ground while they wait for their new dumpster to arrive.”
Where Does It Go?
What happens to construction waste once it’s been removed from the job site? Darling says that his company recycles as much as possible. Once a bin has been removed from a site, he explains, it’s taken to a MRF (materials recovery facility). Darling says that a MRF is a special facility, governed by the Southern Nevada District Board of Health, at which waste materials are sorted and, as appropriate, prepared for re-use or recycling. “We do everything we can to keep construction materials out of landfills,” he says. “While it’s labor-intensive, it’s also the most cost-effective approach as well as the most environmentally responsible.”
