If you’re looking for waste containers that minimise your carbon footprint and save you money, you might want to consider the humble concrete bin. In a world that is becoming increasingly impacted by climate change and the environmental damage of extracting natural resources, sustainable development is incredibly important. The construction and use of concrete bins are a sustainable alternative to managing litter and waste as concrete is considered a sustainable building material.
If you’re interested in learning more about the importance of the concrete bin in promoting sustainable development and the concrete bins offered at StreetScape, this article has you covered.
What Is Sustainable Development?
Sustainable development encompasses the choices and changes made in the present that positively impact both current and future world concerns, such as environmental protection, social inclusion and economic growth. Sustainable development initiatives help to balance these concerns without compromising them. For example, it is possible to successfully grow an economy, but this may lead to the earth running out of its natural resources or most of society staying consistently poor. However, these concerns can be managed through the implementation of sustainable development.
At a fundamental level, sustainable development educates us on how to use our resources in the correct way. To name a few, here are five important ways in which sustainable development contributes to protecting the planet and its people:
Provides For Crucial Human Needs: One of the founding principles of sustainable development is developing an infrastructure that can be maintained for future generations. By prioritising the needs of both present and future societies, resources can be allocated more fairly and people have less to worry about when it comes to providing for the needs of humans many years from now.
Concentrates On Sustainable Farming Methods: In addition to affording our future generations the resources needed to maintain their human needs, sustainable development also ensures that our current generation does not exploit or destroy the earth’s natural resources. With sustainable farming initiatives such as efficient seeding and crop rotation, our resources are better sustained and utilised without becoming depleted or damaging the planet.
Financial Stability: Implementing the use of renewable sources of energy over fossil fuels does more than just help the environment – it also helps to strengthen the economies of countries. Sustainable development helps to create steady economic growth as renewable energy is far cheaper and more replenishable than fossil fuels.
Sustainable Biodiversity: If done correctly, sustainable development can help to keep the habitats and homes of living animals safe and alive. Biodiversity can then be protected and maintained as the preservation of ecosystems is a top priority in sustainable development.
Helps Stabilise The Climate: The wasteful and unnecessary use of fossil fuels as well as destruction of animals’ habitats has led to the ever-pressing issue of climate change. The harmful risks and effects of climate change are lessened through sustainable development as the practices that are used avoid using materials and methods that destroy the atmosphere.
The Concrete Bin: How Is It Sustainable?
Now that we’ve broken down the importance of sustainable development, let’s talk about the sustainability of concrete bins. Concrete is considered a sustainable material for a variety of reasons, such as:
Strength: Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials, particularly for its durable qualities. As a substance, concrete can withstand both man-made and natural disasters. This means that the use of concrete in construction reduces the release of carbon emissions as additional materials do not need to be produced to replace or recreate these structures. As such, opting for a concrete bin over a plastic bin ensures durability.
Low Construction Costs: Energy, materials and other resources used in construction are kept to a minimum when it comes to making a concrete bin. Additionally, the sturdiness of concrete makes it incredibly easy to preserve as it requires little to no maintenance over its lifespan. Investing in a concrete bin for you or your business means you’ll be saving significantly on construction costs compared to other materials.
Reliability & Safety: You’ll never have to worry about your concrete bin rotting, burning or rusting. By comparison, plastic bins, for example, tend to wear and tear over time as they can soften and collapse in hot weather conditions or become brittle and shatter in colder temperatures. Concrete, however, is known to withstand various weather conditions and is considered a very reliable material.
Extremely Long-Lasting: Concrete is notorious for standing the test of time, with concrete structures and buildings lasting as long as a few thousand years. If you’re looking to invest in bins that are long-lasting, concrete bins are guaranteed to have a far greater life span than other materials.
Environmentally Friendly: One of the biggest factors that concrete bins contribute to sustainable development is that they are constructed with eco-friendly materials. Not only is concrete made from renewable resources, but it is also recyclable. Additionally, the moldability of concrete allows for any concrete bin to be constructed with separate compartments for recycling.
The Construction Of Concrete Bins
Whilst concrete has been proven to be a reliable and sustainable material, how exactly is a concrete bin constructed? Creating these sturdy structures requires a certain level of precision and attention to detail. Given that these bins need to be durable, practical and visually pleasing, the manufacturing process of concrete bins is important. Here are some of the essential steps involved in producing a concrete bin:
Evaluation Process: Before beginning the construction of these bins, there are several factors that influence how they will be made. These factors include the location of where the bins are being placed, what the needs are of the area, available space for the bins, the volume of foot traffic near the area and the proposed amount of rubbish that will be collected.
Creating The Design: Once these factors have been accounted for during the evaluation process, the team can begin designing the bins. The main aims of the design are to create bins that are not only visually appealing to the public eye, but also efficient for collecting rubbish. The concrete bin will then be designed according to the needs of the area whilst integrating visual elements into the design. These visual elements often help to make the bin pleasing to look at, such as choosing specific shapes and colours that can help to enhance the space around the bin.
Constructing The Mould: Now that the design of the concrete bin has been completed, it is time to start the building process. Before constructing a concrete bin, the mould must be created as it will form the shape of the bin. Materials such as silicone or fibreglass are typically used for the mould of concrete bins as they provide both strength and heat-resistance. Additionally, this mould will be used to construct multiple bins so using high-quality materials is of utmost importance.
Making A Concrete Mixture: Materials used to create the concrete mixture are then measured and mixed. During the mixing process, the construction workers make sure to achieve the correct consistency needed for the concrete before pouring it into the mould. Once the mixture has been added, the curing process commences. After several days, the mixture fully sets and cures. For the best results, it is recommended that the concrete is stored in a location that has a regular humidity and temperature level.
Adding Final Touches & Touch-Ups: After the concrete bins have been removed, assessed for defects and touched up, final visual elements are added. To protect from stains, weather conditions and graffiti, a sealant is painted onto the exterior of the concrete bin. The addition of protective sealants is very important during the construction process as they also help to prolong the lifetime of the concrete bins. Once the final touches are added, the bins are then washed and made ready for shipping.
Do Concrete Bins Help Reduce Litter?
Whilst having any rubbish facility in an urban space is important, concrete bins are far more effective in reducing litter due to their sturdiness, reliability, long lifespan and low environmental impact. Since litter has become such a prevalent issue in many South African communities, having access to waste facilities is crucial.
Waste management plays a significant role in both safeguarding and protecting our natural ecosystems, so whilst having a capacity of rubbish bins may add functionality to an urban space, it also contributes to preserving the nature around us. Considering that our country produces over 108 million tons of waste a year, investing in functional and sustainable waste management for our communities is of utmost importance. The more concrete bins we have accessible to us, the less litter we’ll see.
Concrete Bins At StreetScape
If you’re looking to acquire concrete bins that are ideal for any urban setting, we’ve got you covered at StreetScape. Buying our bins is more than a mere purchase – it’s an investment for enhancing your outdoor space. Unlike the replaceability of other bins, our concrete bins are incredibly durable. Additionally, our bins weigh a whopping 97 kilograms, so you won’t have to worry about getting new bin replacements anytime soon.
At StreetScape, our bins are not only durable, but also visually appealing. With exposed aggregate finishes, our concrete bins offer visually interesting textures to help make your outdoor landscaping stand out. Additionally, our exposed aggregates come in a variety of colour and sizes, giving you the choice to find the concrete bin perfectly suited to your outdoor space. StreetScape’s concrete bins are offered in 6 main types, which include: Square Ash, Square 400, Round 500, Round Bin with Letterbox Canopy, Pyramid Ash and Round Bin with Dome Canopy.
If you care about making your urban spaces more sustainable and environmentally friendly places to be, you may want to think about adding one of StreetScape’s concrete bins to areas that need rubbish facilities. Litter can leave harmful and lasting effects on urban spaces and is usually caused by a lack of waste facilities in the area. Want to reduce the litter in your community and throw away environmentally harmful waste? Get your sturdy, sustainable concrete bins at StreetScape today!