One man’s trash

Not many people get excited about trash.

But to Post Falls resident Jamie Major, waste management is simply smashing.

Smash My Trash is a mobile waste compactor service with locations across the U.S., including a new one in Coeur d’Alene that serves North Idaho and the Spokane area.

Major runs the business alongside his wife. They employ a growing team of drivers and salespeople, with two more trucks on order.

“We help our customers manage their waste and garbage more efficiently, with a positive environmental impact,” he said.

The process is simple. Smash My Trash uses specialized machinery to compress waste inside roll-off dumpsters.

This reduces the volume of waste in a dumpster by as much as 70%, allowing more material to be added before the dumpster is hauled.

That means fewer waste hauling trucks on the road — and when the waste finally goes to a landfill, it takes up less space.

Waste management poses a particular problem for the construction industry, Major said, which is booming in North Idaho.

Some construction companies haul their own garbage in small trailers, which takes time, labor and gas that could be better used elsewhere.

Others have dumpsters on site, which fill up quickly but not completely, with gaps between differently-sized pieces of waste.

“The customers are paying to haul off air,” Major said.

In some cases, customers attempt to compact the trash inside dumpsters themselves using a forklift or backhoe. But they risk damaging the dumpster, which they often don’t own.

Smash My Trash, meanwhile, offers professional trash compacting that causes no damage. In fact, the machine that compresses the waste doesn’t touch the dumpster at all, while five cameras record the process.

Matt Adams, owner of Coeur d’Alene Tractor, said Smash My Trash has saved his business time and money.

“It helps with our workflow efficiencies, as our dumpster isn’t overflowing and we continuously have plenty of room to dispose of our recyclables,” he said.

There’s an added bonus, too.

“Smashing stuff is pretty dang fun,” Adams said.

Environmental consulting company Trinity Consultants reportedly found that Smash My Trash reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

“We use clean technology,” Major said. “We’re decreasing landfill space. There’s less wear and tear on the roads.”

The company’s “Smash Trucks” are equipped with fuel-efficient technology.

Taking into account the number of Smash My Trash locations throughout the U.S., these emissions reductions are the equivalent to saving more than 2.7 million gallons of gas, removing more than 5,200 cars from the road or conserving enough energy to more almost 3,000 homes annually.

Smash My Trash offers free demos.

Info: www.smashmytrash.com