Garbage Cans - do they need lids?
Hi all,
I've been talking with our SQF practitioner and neither of us are huge fans of our current trash cans. We have a few different styles in house but primarily either there is a horizontal flap on top that folds in (which takes too much weight for some trash to operate the mechanism) or a swinging vertical door (which basically necessitates pushing your hands INTO the bin in order to throw trash away). We don't want to go with battery operated or foot pedal bins for varying reasons. She has been looking into both SQF and FDA regulations for our industry (powdered infant formula blending/packaging) and cannot find anything stating explicitly that covers are necessary for the rubbish bins. Is it possible that having trash cans without covers would be acceptable? Has anyone ever tried something like this in their facility? I can see some downsides to it if the garbage cans are small enough to be knocked over, but don't see many other issues. Please let me know if you have firm counterpoints either from formal regulations (SQF or FDA citations would be great) or experience. Any other advice such as a particularly great bin design that I'm not aware of would also be more than welcome :-)
Thank you in advance for all your help!
I use no trash can lids. IMO all they do is require your operators to touch them and soil their hands, or encourage filling trash cans past their "full" point. I've used no lids at USDA facilities as well.
Your only requirement is that trash cans are kept in a clean and sanitary condition and are emptied regularly enough to not be overflowing. If you store trash, or otherwise have enough moving air that trash could be blown out of the can, then you have some lid obligations (such as outside).
Relevant SQF Code (7.2 ed)
11.9.1 Dry and Liquid Waste Disposal
11.9.1.1 The responsibility and methods used to collect and handle dry, wet and liquid waste and store prior to removal from the premises shall be documented and implemented.
11.9.1.2 Waste shall be removed on a regular basis and not build up in food handling or processing areas. Designated waste accumulation areas shall be maintained in a clean and tidy condition until such time as external waste collection is undertaken. 11.9.1.3 Trolleys, vehicles waste disposal equipment, collection bins and storage areas shall be maintained in a serviceable condition and cleaned and sanitized regularly so as not to attract pests and other vermin.
11.9.1.4 Adequate provision shall be made for the disposal of all solid processing waste including trimmings, inedible material and used packaging. Waste held on site prior to disposal shall be stored in a separate storage facility and suitably fly proofed and contained so as not to present a hazard.
11.9.1.5 Adequate provision shall be made for the disposal of all liquid waste from processing and food handling areas. Liquid waste shall be either removed from the processing environment continuously or held in a designated storage area in lidded containers prior to disposal so as not to present a hazard.
11.9.1.6 Reviews of the effectiveness of waste management will form part of daily hygiene inspections and the results of these inspections shall be included in the relevant hygiene reports.
Hi all,
I've been talking with our SQF practitioner and neither of us are huge fans of our current trash cans. We have a few different styles in house but primarily either there is a horizontal flap on top that folds in (which takes too much weight for some trash to operate the mechanism) or a swinging vertical door (which basically necessitates pushing your hands INTO the bin in order to throw trash away). We don't want to go with battery operated or foot pedal bins for varying reasons. She has been looking into both SQF and FDA regulations for our industry (powdered infant formula blending/packaging) and cannot find anything stating explicitly that covers are necessary for the rubbish bins. Is it possible that having trash cans without covers would be acceptable? Has anyone ever tried something like this in their facility? I can see some downsides to it if the garbage cans are small enough to be knocked over, but don't see many other issues. Please let me know if you have firm counterpoints either from formal regulations (SQF or FDA citations would be great) or experience. Any other advice such as a particularly great bin design that I'm not aware of would also be more than welcome :-)
Thank you in advance for all your help!
Hi nonentitie,
IIRC there are previous threads here for both BRC and SQF from posters complaining at having received NCs during the audit for garbage containers without lids. Reason for NC - basic GMP failure.
I recall one poster's suggestion was to decide whether the preference should be for lids or rats !
Dear,
Just some thoughts in addition to the other comments, to have different opinions to make your decision.
- Indeed, you can receive remarks (NCs) if there is a contamination risk. Dust is the problem here
- In this light, the distance between the bins and the production line is also of importance
- Hand contact with the bins = Contamination risk. However please note, that one needs to wash his or her hands after handling garbage
Kind regards,
Gerard Heerkens
Thanks all for your input,
As I suspected there isn't a cut and dry answer here, but you've certainly given us something more to consider here.
- Hand contact with the bins = Contamination risk. However please note, that one needs to wash his or her hands after handling garbage
This is an excellent point, but here is the rub: The trash bins for our papertowels used for drying hands after washing them have this same problematic style of lid on. So you wash your hands, and then immediately after drying your hands touch a dirty trash can lid. It seems like a huge catch 22 to me :-(
Thank you.
Lids on trash cans are required by GMP and SQF due to pest controls issues...flies, etc. Handwash station trash cans do not require lids as long as the only item in them is paper towels. We even had an SQF auditor go through the hand wash trash cans looking for gum, food, food wrappers, etc. that might attract pests.
Hope this helps...
The trash bins for our papertowels used for drying hands after washing them have this same problematic style of lid on. So you wash your hands, and then immediately after drying your hands touch a dirty trash can lid.
We have one bin upon entry to production areas for paper towels, this has no lid for the same issues mention above. In the production areas we use flour sacks. As long as they are removed frequently and not overflowing BRC auditors and EHO's don't seem to have a problem. We have used metal / plastic bins in the past but they get rusty / break and create more of a foreign body risk than they solve.
Hello,
I never knew on food safety aspect that uncovered trash bins is allowed.
regards,
redfox
I've never been a fan of the pedal and swinging door mechanisms on trash cans. These are niche and harborage areas for dirt and hard to clean. I am a huge fan of the funnel lids (https://www.uline.co...wE&gclsrc=aw.ds) and never had an issue in 2 different facilities with 4 different SQF auditors.
Do a risk assessment to determine how frequently they need to be emptied as not to be a pest attraction.
Hello,
In the past, I worked at facilities where the bins were open with no lids and had no issues with auditors.
In my current facility, we use bins with flat lids and a hole in the middle. Nobody has to touch the lid and there is no issue with pest. We also set up a GMP that after every break the trash bin is removed from the production floor and emptied.
The retail oriented Food code stipulates that a garbage can in continuous use does not need a lid. There is also a definition to consider: "trash" is basically dry solid materials that aren't likely to foster microbes or pests. "Garbage" has moisture or food that may contribute a hazard. define which is which in your Food safety plans and set hazard levels accordingly. (please confirm the current definitions, I am going from memory).
Hi,
Garbage cans must be covered for reasons most of which have been outlined above. Get hold of ISO/TS p.1 and read on waste disposal. This Standard deals with everything per-requisite for food and food packages manufacturers.
I think buying garbage lids is a bad idea.
Lids for garbage cans can perform different roles. For example, the lid may be suitable so that the smell of garbage from the containers does not spread. The lid can also protect the garbage from bad weather since most garbage must be in good condition for recycling. There are bins with lids near my house, but at work, we use bins without lids that we rent here https://www.dumpster...slafayette.com/. I work as a construction worker, and a lot of trash is left after construction.
We use the large plastic garbage cans around our facility. We cut holes in the lids, so if it tips over, trash isn't going to fall out as easily, but it still has a lid to make auditors happy.
During our recent USDC audit, the auditor specifically mentioned the garbage cans in the bathrooms. He wasn't concerned about it, but his boss will be accompanying our next USDC auditor next year and the boss will be looking.
He also mentioned having backflow prevention devices on EVERY water drop.
We do not use lids on our garbage cans. They are checked every day and emptied and cleaned as needed. We have not had any audit issues with this practice.
No lids here as well, for the same reason that I don't want employees touching a lid every time they need to discard product or trash byproduct like packaging. Policy covers routine removal of trash once the cans are full, plus at the end of every shift regardless of how full it is. So long as your other programs don't appear to suffer from your trash handling policies (environmental monitoring, pest control, etc.) there really isn't much argument to be made about an open trash can.
Antique thread. I repeat Post 3 but cf Post 7. Sometimes no telling with Auditors.