With consumers becoming more environmentally conscious, many companies are also embracing “green” practices and striving to put environmentally responsible practices into place. An obvious way for companies to help conserve resources and protect the environment is to implement a recycling program. Doing this seems easy enough. Collect recyclables like cans, bottles, and boxes and have a recycling truck periodically take them away.

But there may be hidden problems with this plan. The facility, which is probably already tight for space, needs to store its recyclables somewhere until there is enough recyclable material to fill a transporting truck. Unfortunately, most facilities don’t have a separate place to store these recyclables.

From a pest management point of view, this could create a major pest problem.

For example, let’s say your facility receives a box filled with canned pet food. During transport, one of the cans accidentally opens and spills onto the cardboard box. Once the box is unloaded, a worker unknowingly puts it aside for recycling with the spilled product still on the box. Since there’s no separate space allotted for recyclables, it’s stored in the same warehouse space as good products that are slated to be delivered to customers.

This practice may seem harmless, but it actually poses the potential for attracting stored product pests, flies and other serious pests. This could lead to a pest infestation, which could also contaminate new food product, multiplying the problem.

What about storing recyclables outside? This practice also should be avoided. For example, storing recyclables like boxes outside will invite rodents and other pests to nest in them, and if it rains or snows, the cardboard will be damaged.

What to Do?
While recycling is absolutely necessary, companies need to think through their recycling process so their good intentions don’t cause a pest problem.

First, warehouses need to designate a separate room for their recyclables. The area doesn’t need to be a brick-walled storeroom. A dry-walled area within the warehouse would be sufficient. The main goal for the area is removing it from where new product is stored and preventing pests from being drawn inside by the material.

If you have a smaller facility, such as a restaurant or convenience store that doesn’t have many square feet available, using a plastic wind curtain could be sufficient in preventing insects from entering the storeroom.

Another stored product pest deterrent would be to install a large industrial size fan in the storage room. Since pests like flies don’t like strong, moving air, it will deter them from entering and it will also help dry up any spills in the area.

Also, have your recyclables picked up on a regular basis, preferably weekly, to reduce the chance of them attracting pests.

By implementing these simple pest prevention and exclusion measures, your company also will be incorporating “green” pest management principles. That’s because “green” practices focus on using non-chemical solutions, like exclusion, for pest problems as the first line of attack.

Yori Sasaerila is a Technical Support Specialist and Entomologist at Abell Pest Control, Ontario, Canada.

Contact Copesan: For help with eliminating pests in your facility, contact Copesan or your local Copesan Service Center to determine the approach that is best for your facility and your situation. When you call, also ask for a copy of Copesan’s Guide to Stored Product Pests.