It’s probably not a secret that picking up trash and recycling for a living isn’t an easy job, but a very important one. The men and women who take care of our waste work hard and with just a small amount of effort, we could make their work a little easier. (In fact, that’s probably true for most of the service workers we encounter.) Here are five ways you can make your garbage man or woman’s day:

Slow Down, Pay Attention and Be Patient—One of the hardest parts about picking up waste for a living is being in harm’s way. Working in the road can be very dangerous. You can help by slowing down when you see a garbage or recycling truck, looking to see where the worker is and waiting until it is safe to pass and giving them a wide berth when you do pass.

Be Selective. Don’t put just any old thing in the trash. There are quite a few things that are either illegal to put in your trash or dangerous in some way. If you dispose of these items in some other, more appropriate or safer way, your garbage man or woman will thank you for it.

Keep it Light—People sometimes have a lot of trash, and that’s understandable, but overloaded and overweight bags and carts can cause a lot of problems on a route. Trash heavier than the 30-pound bag limit and 200-pound cart limit can hurt our equipment and, more importantly, our workers. Keeping things on the lighter side is much appreciated.

Bag Your Trash—It’s such a simple thing, but it can be a huge blessing to our workers. When the carts are opened to be dumped in the truck, whether by an automated truck arm or one of our associates, things can easily go flying if they’re not contained. Bagging your trash can make the difference between quickly and efficiently emptying your cart and spending several minutes chasing trash around.

Place Your Cart Correctly—Believe it or not, it does make a huge difference how you place your cart. Improper placement can make it very difficult to pick it up with one of our automated trucks without causing damage. Making sure you place your cart correctly is not difficult, and it makes a big difference to us.

So, there you have it—the best ways to make your garbage man or woman eternally grateful.

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