Your municipal waste management program likely covers a wide range of sources and types of waste, but have you considered adding streets? Waste in the streets can look like litter, which may be easy to notice, though it can also include dirt, leaves, pollutants and more. Keeping your roads clean is vital and beneficial to the health, safety, appearance and preservation of your municipality and the surrounding areas. The most efficient way to clean your streets is with a street sweeper.
Learn about how you can fit a street sweeper program into your waste management plan and why doing so can benefit your city.
What Is a Municipal Waste Management Plan?
People, businesses and other institutions in cities and towns can generate high volumes of waste. A municipal waste management plan is essential to handle all this. This program should outline processes for collecting, storing, treating and disposing of solid waste within the city limits to prevent harm to humans, animals, plants and the environment as a whole. Such programs ensure proper handling of solid waste, rather than littering the town or surrounding area.
A waste management program’s purpose is to specify expectations for dealing with trash while ensuring the processes remain consistent. Cities and towns should review their waste management plans every several years. Doing so allows for an opportunity to reevaluate current methods for waste collection, disposal and other processes for efficiency.
Components of a Municipal Waste Management Plan
Waste management programs typically consist of many elements related to the collection, storage, treatment and disposal of solid waste. For example, your municipal waste management program document may feature specific sections outlining topics like waste collection, source reduction, reuse and recycling, treatment and disposal. So, how do street sweepers fit into a city’s waste management plan?
Street sweepers collect waste that would otherwise clog up storm drains, block roadways and pollute the environment. This equipment can make tasks like storm drain cleanup and road and highway sanitation much more effective and efficient. While street sweepers must move slowly to ensure they are picking up everything, they take care of their tasks late at night or in the early morning hours, when most people are asleep.
Workers can use sweepers to pick up various debris and materials, including leaves, dirt, trash, motor oil, chemicals, shards of metal or glass, loose gravel, salt and more. Once sweepers pick up the waste, workers can empty and properly dispose of it.
Street sweepers can also help municipalities with source reduction. Sweeping materials off the roads can help you notice seasonal patterns. For example, many cities use sand or salt to give drivers better traction in wintry conditions. However, remember you’ll eventually have to pick up whatever you put on the roads, or you’ll run the risk of contaminating rivers and lakes.
In this case, you may realize the added maintenance required to clean up the remaining sand isn’t worth it. Rather than impact the streets and environment every winter with sand and put in the extra hours of sweeping to remove it all in the spring, you may decide to do away with sand altogether. Doing so would require less maintenance, reduce the materials built up on the road and eliminate phosphorus loading.
Street sweepers can help municipalities look for opportunities to improve, as in the above example. Make road debris sweeping part of your waste management plan for a more well-rounded program.
Benefits of a Street Sweeping Program
Street sweepers can give your municipality a competitive edge. While the most obvious advantage is that sweepers can improve the appearance of your town’s streets, other perks include your citizens’ health and safety and the preservation of the surrounding environment. Consider the benefits of street sweeping and how they can impact your community.
Health
Leaving waste and materials to linger on your community’s streets can directly affect community health. For example, hazardous materials in the form of metals, harmful nutrients and other organics can collect near homes, schools and businesses. These dangerous contaminants can get into the water, air and food. When this happens, the community’s health is on the line.
Street sweepers help remove hazardous debris from the road to help prevent it from affecting your town’s health.
Safety
Health and safety go hand in hand. Debris in the street becomes a hazard for drivers and pedestrians. A buildup of dirt, gravel, leaves, twigs or other roadside detritus can block the road, disrupt traffic or make it challenging for runners and cyclists to maneuver a path or roadway. All these situations can result in vehicle accidents or other public safety incidents.
Street sweepers clear roads of collected debris, reducing safety risks in the streets.
Aesthetics and Property Values
Your city’s streets are one of the first things people will notice when vacationing or passing through. People will be less likely to visit your town, invest in your economy or choose to move their families there when the roads are visibly dirty and seemingly unkempt. Garbage and debris left sitting in the street can adversely affect your town’s aesthetics.
Sweepers help improve your streets’ appearance, making the area more desirable for homes and businesses. While having clean streets might not bring an immediate economic advantage, you’ll notice a difference in the long run.
Preservation
Another significant benefit of street sweeping is the preservation of the pavement and the surrounding environment and wildlife. Removing debris from roadways can prevent deterioration and prolong the streets’ useful life span. Additionally, street sweeping removes litter, plastics, harmful metals and other pollutants, preventing these materials from entering the environment.
Clean Your Municipality With Sweepers From Stewart-Amos Sweeper Co.
High-quality street sweepers can go a long way in bolstering your city’s reputation and instilling a sense of civic pride. If you’re looking for the right sweepers for your city, consider Stewart-Amos Sweeper Co. sweeping equipment. We have been in the industry for over six decades, offering user-friendly products that clean expansive spaces efficiently and effectively. In addition to a wide selection of sweepers, we offer various training resources to help you understand the machines and get the most out of their features.
To learn more about our products, parts and services, contact our sales representatives today.