Enclosing a dumpster with a fence and sturdy gate or door makes good business sense on several levels. You don’t want just anyone – or anything – gaining easy access to your dumpster. Chief concerns are these:
Visually Dumpsters are Never an Attractive Look
- Dumpsters are never going to be the most attractive aspect of a business. It‘s more aesthetically pleasing to hide them behind an enclosure. With the right design, colors and materials, you can make the enclosure blend in with other buildings and recede from prominence.
- You want to keep intruders from gaining access to your dumpster. People going through your garbage and ripping open bags to see what’s inside can result in an unsightly mess around your property, requiring time and personnel to clean it up.
- Thieves sometimes target dumpsters expressly to gain access to personal information in documents inside the garbage with the intention of committing identity theft or fraud.
Keeping Your Trash in And Critters Out Matters
- You want to keep animals out of the dumpster. Smaller animals may find a way over or under the fence, but often by building the fence and gate or door high enough and close enough to the ground, you can keep most animals on the outside. An enclosure system is another line of defense against any animal that might try to gain access to your dumpster, or be attracted to garbage that may have spilled around it.
- Keep people from dumping trash inside your dumpster. An enclosure may not be foolproof, as sometimes people will throw bags of trash over a fence just to rid themselves of the responsibility of properly disposing of their own garbage. But an enclosure with a locked gate or door is a deterrent from most passersby using your dumpster to unload their garbage. A locked gate or door can also prevent other businesses from dumping on you.
Gated Enclosures Are a Necessity in Some Areas
- Open dumpsters without gated enclosures can emit unpleasant odors, especially in warmer climates. They can attract pests such as rodents, insects, or scavenging animals. This can create health hazards and potential nuisances for residents, customers, or employees.
- Lack of containment can result in wind-blown litter and debris, leading to a messy and untidy environment. This can give the impression of poor maintenance and lack of care for the property.
- Depending on local regulations, businesses may need to have gated dumpster enclosures. This might be to meet specific standards for waste management, containment, and aesthetics. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in penalties or fines.
Gates and Doors
Dumpster enclosures are available in a variety of materials, including plain chain link fences, functional and sturdy steel or aluminum or more aesthetically pleasing wood, brick or vinyl/PVC.
Put some thought into the gates or doors – not just the way they open, close and lock but also the way they look. The enclosure may just be protecting a dumpster, but sagging or dented doors have a negative effect on the visual appeal of your commercial property, so replace damaged doors and posts, caps and hinges as needed. Options range from simple closing doors, to automated sliding doors and gates, double drive doors and gates and more. Gate or doors might be made from PVC, metal decking, wood, chain link with PVC plats for privacy, chain link with windscreen and aluminum louvers.