Trash Turned into Treasure
“The decision to specify hot-dip galvanizing as opposed to a paint coating, will only serve to bring a greater awareness to the galvanizing industry as a whole.”
When J.J. Richards & Sons was founded in Australia in 1932, they set out to do one thing; provide innovative waste management solutions to their customers. They continued to grow the company over the course of the last 86 years by sticking to their simple philosophy of safety, reliability, and excellence in customer service. Fast forward to 2018, when J.J. Richards & Sons decided to bring that same philosophy to North America, and alas, JJ’s Waste & Recycling was born. They set out with one goal in mind; to revolutionize the North American waste industry through superior customer service and innovative solutions for all of their customer needs, all while maintaining a positive working relationship with their customers and the communities in which they serve.
Two things that most dumpsters have in common: Rust and corrosion. What makes JJ’s Waste & Recycling unique was their decision to hot-dip galvanize all of their industrial size trash dumpsters. With their industrial trash service, JJ’s Waste & Recycling offers 2yd, 4yd, 6yd, and 8yd size dumpsters. They started galvanizing them in the 1980’s, and quickly realized that the benefits were insurmountable. Darrell Corbett, VP of North American Operations, revealed that dumpsters coated with paint tend to yield approximately 4-5 years of service. With the hot-dip galvanized dumpsters, they expect to yield 8-10 years, possibly as much as 15-20 years of service, depending on the harshness of the environment. Based on average zinc coating thickness, in some of the most extreme environments, the Life to First Maintenance is approximately 50-75 years.
JJ’s Waste & Recycling is conscious of the environment and the communities in which they serve. By choosing to hot-dip galvanize their dumpsters, they have decreased their carbon footprint and created a sustainable product that can be used by future generations for several decades. However, this did not happen without some challenges along the way. Communication between the owner, fabricator, and galvanizer was instrumental in achieving a galvanized coating that not only met the requirements of ASTM A123 specification but was also aesthetically pleasing. The sheer shape and size of the dumpsters meant that fixturing techniques must be optimized for the hot-dip galvanizing immersion process. Trash dumpsters serve a very specific purpose, therefore, vent and drain hole locations were designed to accommodate both product functionality and a quality hot-dip galvanized coating. The galvanizer was able to perfect their processes to ensure a smooth, uniform coating, both inside and out. The beauty of a zinc coating only adds to the overall appeal, and by choosing to hot-dip galvanize their dumpsters, JJ’s Waste & Recycling has gained a competitive advantage over their competition and created a new and improved standard of excellence in the waste industry.
JJ’s Waste & Recycling specified hot-dip galvanizing for its superior corrosion protection, initial and life cycle cost savings, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal. The decision to specify hot-dip galvanizing as opposed to a paint coating, will only serve to bring a greater awareness to the galvanizing industry as a whole. Paint coatings have dominated the waste industry for years; however, this initiative will propel the galvanizing industry to the forefront and continue to increase its rightful share of the waste industry. The benefits far outweigh the costs, which made the decision to hot-dip galvanize an easy one.