Busch Systems has been creating innovative new products for the recycling industry since 1985. This Canadian company specializes in manufacturing recycling containers for numerous industries as well as helping to establish recycling and composting programs throughout North America. With the launch of their new retail site, these high quality recycling and composting containers will soon be available to the general public as well.
Interview with Michael Gailius of Busch Systems
LoveToKnow was able to talk to Michael Gailius, Account Manager at Busch Systems International. He told us more about his company's innovative products as well as how you can encourage recycling and composting efforts in your home and community.
LoveToKnow (LTK): Can you tell us about Busch Systems?
Michael Gailius (MG): Busch Systems is North America's largest manufacturer and distributor of recycling and compost containers, supplying municipalities, businesses and organizations in Canada, the United States and abroad for over 23 years.
Unlike other plastics fabricators who primarily produce waste receptacles, occasionally re-branding certain products for recycling, Busch Systems specializes in products which support waste diversion programs. Our experience with waste management professionals, civic authorities and the business community has given Busch Systems a broad understanding of the process involved in diverting waste output from landfills and back toward re-processors in need of quality raw materials. All of our products are domestically produced and contain a minimum of 35 percent recycled material. This unique perspective has allowed Busch Systems to take a leadership role by creating particular containers to suit our customer's waste diversion needs.
The most important priority is to provide our customers with receptacles which produce a clean-sort with as little cross-contamination as possible. This ensures that the output of captures recyclables has the greatest possible commercial value. We do this by incorporating the principles of Capacity-Communication-Convenience into all of our over 170 container designs.
LTK: What changes have you seen in the recycling industry in the past 20 years?
MG: Over the past two decades we've seen a dramatic growth in recycling programs of all types across North America. Initially, waste diversion was only a priority of large metropolitan areas seeking to prolong the life of their limited landfill resources, but as environmental issues have become mainstream, communities of all sizes are implementing programs to minimize the amount of waste going to landfills.
The most recent development is the popularity of organics, or composting programs in which organic matter is separated from the waste stream. Because organic matter is capable of rapid decomposition, and the remaining material, known as compost, is a valuable soil amendment, many waste management companies are viewing the collection of organics as a new revenue stream.
LTK: If a community does not have its own program, what can individuals do to reduce their impact on the earth?
MG: If you live in an area which is not serviced by a recycling program, there are some things you can do to reduce your household's landfill-destined waste.
- Shop around. Many waste haulers offer subscription-type service. Seek out a hauler which provides recycling and organic pick-up.
- Reduce waste before it arrives at home. Adjust your shopping habits to purchase items with a minimal amount of packaging. Take reusable boxes or bags to the grocery store instead of coming home with new plastic bags every trip.
- Re-use wherever possible. Why purchase lunch bags while throwing out single use grocery bags? Plastic water bottles can be cleaned and re-used multiple times.
- Composting is a great way to reduce waste output. Instead of throwing kitchen scraps in the garbage, collect them in a compost collection bin (Busch Systems KC series is among the best!), and dispose in a backyard composter or take to the curb for your organics pick-up.
Many communities have a central location for households to drop off recyclable materials. With a little organization at home, this task is made easy. The secret is a clean-sort. Once stuff becomes intermixed, nobody wants to separate it. So just start at the beginning and maintain that separation right to the curb! Most household waste is generated in the kitchen. Keep a small recycling bin under the sink (Busch System BC 1000 is a six gallon kitchen recycling bin) or near the garbage can so separation is as convenient as possible. Taking out the recyclables is no more difficult than taking out the garbage! When the container is full, carry it out to the garbage and transfer the contents into the appropriate bin. Come garbage day, everything is already cleanly sorted with hardly any extra effort at all. You'll quickly find that once the paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and organics are no longer put in the garbage can, there's hardly any garbage left!
LTK: Do you see any new trends?
MG: Although Busch Systems has been supplying municipalities with curbside bins from day one, the business community is now seeking opportunities to incorporate recycling programs, and Busch Systems has introduced many new tools to address this need.
Our Super Sorter containers are designed to be attractive, durable, multi-sort containers for use in public areas, malls, food courts, arenas and institutional settings. We have a complete line of office products for desk-side recycling, secure document destruction and centralized containers for copy rooms and lunch rooms.
Apartments and multi-family complexes require special programs, so we have a range of Apartment Recycling Bins, Bags and Carts to address those particular needs.
As people are looking for more "green" products, we have designed a new line of products for retail distribution. So hopefully within the next few months folks should be able to find Busch Systems Kitchen Recycling Bins, Recycling Bin Wall Brackets, Wheel Kits, and Compost Carriers in hardware stores across the country. Consumers can also visit our retail web site, Recycling Container.com, to acquire a broad range of recycling and composting solutions.
We are privileged to be a part of so many recycling programs, large and small, established and in development. Every day we get to work with people who are interested in the environment and making our world a better place to pass on to our children, and that's a pretty cool thing.
More Information
For more information about Busch Systems and their products, visit Busch Systems.com or Recycling Container.com. LoveToKnow would like to thank Michael Gailius for taking the time for this interview.
