Summertime…we all look forward to the weather, but not the bad smells. Garbage thrown down the chute is stored in the compactor room. Most compactor rooms are either on ground level or on P1. If they are near the lobby, then wafting odours can linger there. If they are on P1, the heat released when car air conditioners are turned off makes the air very warm below ground and increases odours up the chute.
Both can result in complaints or a list of emails every morning. No manager looks forward to those.
Are we more sensitive to odours in the summer or are they more noticeable?
It’s both.
- Increased temperature causes odour-causing molecules (volatile organic compounds) to turn into gas. In gas form, they rise and are more noticeable. Higher temperatures increase VOCs, and our noses are sensitive to odours rising from below because our nostrils face downwards.
- Higher humidity traps VOCs, allowing them to travel farther and to linger
- Odour receptors in the nose are more effective in warmer temperatures, so they pick up smells more effectively. Warmer, humid temperatures mimic our body’s temperature, which is when the nose works optimally.
What does this mean for managers?
Stop smells from various sources:
- Heat makes cleaning gaps that aren’t noticeable in winter much more noticeable in warm summer and fall months. Make sure bins, floors, chutes, and the grate at the top of the stack are free from debris and washed with degreaser.
- Clean bins and the pick-up area immediately after garbage pick-up
- Try to reduce the time full or empty bins (before cleaning) are in direct sunlight.
- VOCs in the compactor and organics bin rise up the garbage chute. They arise from volatilization of compounds in the waste formed during early decomposition and rise upward due to the Stack Effect. Use odour control to manage this.
Air Fixx provides:
- Unscented compactor odour control that prevents organics-bin and compactor smells. No smell rises up the chute.
- Cleaning supplies for the compactor room – and free cleaning training in Spanish or English if you want it.
