Dive Brief:
- Sunburst Bin Cleaning has launched in Georgia, offering its residential and commercial customers a trash bin cleaning service, as well as a discount to property management companies and homeowner associations in and around Atlanta. The disabled veteran-owned company says their service extends the life of waste management equipment and support stores and restaurants in complying with health and safety codes.
- The company uses filtration, 200°F water, and nontoxic cleansers that cut through oil, grease, and organic waste, disinfecting to prevent bacteria, mold, and mildew. Workers pretreat bins and dumpsters, perform hot pressure washing, remove debris, and deodorize.
- Service fees vary depending on frequency and bin size, but an example price for one residential service model is $100 for 12 monthly cleanings. Commercial fees are customized and depend on scope of service but range from $100 for a storefront cleaning, to $650 for a large-scale compactor cleaning.
Dive Insight:
Even after garbage is picked up, maggots, flies, and pungent odors may linger. Sunburst is banking that people and companies will pay for a trash service that will prevent these unpleasant problems without having to deal with them themselves.
Sunburst CEO Darrell Simpson comments in a press release that the company is patching a "clear gap in the market," as there aren't many companies that offer this service. He continues to say, "The wonderful thing about Sunburst is that the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts – from our stance on environmental issues to the service disabled veteran-owned small business nature of the company, we have striven to make a real difference."
Another company in Fresno, CA has taken off with a similar idea, using pressurized jets to clean containers, and also pitching the company as having a conservation focus; the trucks catch, filter, and recycle water, sourced from Fresno's recycled water yard.
