Where to get Waste Bins in Omaha for Your Recycling Program

Don't let trash cans empty your wallet!

It turns out trash cans are kind of expensive. And if you have a business or school that needs a lot of them, chances are you don’t have it in the budget.

No worries. We have options ranging from free and cheap to beautiful and expensive to help with your Omaha recycling or composting program.

Free & cheap — go hunting online.

Since reuse is better than buying new, unleash your inner treasure hunter and explore online marketplaces.

Online Market Places: 

Repurposed Materials: they call themselves “America’s largest industrial thrift store.” Depending on the day, you may be able to find a large quantity of bins from a former office space.

Facebook Market Place, Craigslist, or Nextdoor: These old and trusty marketplaces are great if you need a small number of bins.

Buy Sell Nothing Groups: How about free bins? That’s what these Facebook groups are all about. You’ll need to find your local group. Protip: start your post with “ask” if you’re looking for something or “gift” if you’re getting rid of something.

Zero Waste Omaha: Similar to Buy Nothing groups, Omaha’s zero waste community is always up for gifting items.

For cheap and local — we love us some secondhand shops.

Thrift shops and secondhand stores are gold mines for affordable home essentials. Find traditional kitchen cans or quirky options that will keep the bank intact. For more of a commercial context, you may want to try one of Omaha’s three Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore locations. And if you wanna check from your seat, they also list some items online. Search here.

Interestingly enough, at the time of publishing this the Nebraska Recycling Council (NRC) posted a bunch of used bins for sale from Lincoln Public Schools. So we recommend reaching out to NRC to see if any other opportunities are floating around.

There’s a grant for that!

The Nebraska Recycling Council (NRC) picks one lucky duck per month. Apply and your organization could receive upwards of $25,000 to buy new bins. For more than 20 years now, the NRC has been receiving support from the Nebraska Environmental Trust to do this.

You’ll need to submit some reference letters. Assuming we’re partnered together, we’re more than happy to provide one. Also, there is some tracking you have to do. But tracking will make your program better in the long run. Check it out here.

As a last resort — purchase new!

Buy local. Buy online. Or buy fancy. We have three options for ya …

Larsen Supply Co: the low-cost local option. We love them because they know our process. Plus they keep bins, bags, and compostable service ware in stock. Please mention we referred you!

Bin Manufacturers: If you have a hefty budget and want something super rugged, customer, and aesthetically pleasing, Recycle Across America has our preferred list of the nation’s top bin producers.

Affiliate Marketing Options: Yes, it’s cringe to recommend purchasing more stuff on Amazon, but check the link for a set we recommend. We do get a kickback from any purchases using that link.

Get more insider tips.

Now that you have all the hacks for finding low-budget waste bins, you’ll need to think about signage, bin placement, and education. Lucky for you, we have a guide for that!

And if you prefer to talk to one of our consultants, just reach out! We can advise on strategy and provide you with pick-up services.