Company vehicles can be a tricky for a business. They’re absolutely necessary, but they also serve as one of the most common causes of injury to employees and the public. In some cases, a company might have one or two trucks that get employees from one locations to another. In others, such as with garbage trucks, the vehicle represents the core of the business. They need to be made safer.

Because vehicles can create problems for a company so quickly, it’s important to make sure that each has the proper safety stickers in place to ensure that everyone in, on, or near the vehicle is a safe as possible. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you’ll want to keep the stickers in and on your vehicles as up-to-date as possible.

On the Outside: Safety

• When your employees are driving a vehicle on public roads, it’s important that the public know what the vehicle of capable of or any special concerns that might need to be considered. Perhaps the most common of these stickers are the “This Vehicle Makes Wide Right Turns” or “Caution: Right Turn Danger.” It’s also important to have decals on any vehicle that might drop rocks from its bed suggesting that drivers stay back 200 feet. Of course, there’s also the need for the public to know if a vehicle stops at railroad crossings or if it’s more likely that other vehicles to slow down and back up more often.
• Some employees drive the same vehicle every day, but others will drive multiple vehicles in the same day. And while they might be familiar with the operation of the vehicle, they won’t always know which fuel to put it in when they run low. This is easily remedied by our “Gasoline Only” signs and our “Diesel Fuel Only” signs.
• In the event of an emergency, it’s important for anyone around to know where to find the fire extinguisher. Some vehicles are so large that finding the extinguisher could be a problem, but it certainly won’t be with this sticker that details exactly where it can be found.

On The Outside: Branding

• Because of our ability to make multiple sizes of custom stickers, we can handle the branding on your vehicles that will really hold up. We can put your company logo on permanent stickers that will hold up to the elements, and we put a special UV coating on them so that they can hold up to the sun’s ultraviolet light. It’s a great way to let the public know who you are and what your business does. To get the process started, simply click here.
• If you need garbage truck stickers or recycling truck stickers that will hold up well to the scrapes that occur to those types of trucks, we have what you’re looking for here.

On the Inside

• Over the last 10 years these signs have become a necessity in business vehicles in order to remind drivers that they are not allowed to use cell phones. This is not only a great way to protect them and the public, but it also serves as a remind that they shouldn’t do so even in their off hours.
• After cell phones, speeding is one of the most common reasons for employee accidents. Sometimes it’s because they’re going too fast for posted speed limits, and other times it’s because a vehicle (such as one hauling a trailer) becomes dangerous when it driven too fast. We have multiple signs that warn drivers about what the maximum speed is for vehicles, from 55 mph up to 70 mph. If you need stickers for a slower speed or would like them to be in kph (or in another language), we’d be happy to make you custom safety decals with that information. We also have warning stickers that tell employees that their speed is being monitored by GPS. Knowing that they’re being monitored is one way to ensure that they pay attention to the posted speed.
• We’ve all seen footage of vehicles that ignore their vehicle heights and then end up hitting an overpass. They’re fun to watch, but you don’t want that to be you or anyone on your team. Having signs that detail vehicle height is a simple yet effective way to ensure that your vehicles aren’t in unnecessary wrecks — wrecks that cause vehicle damage and property damage.
• Speaking of height, it’s also important that those in vehicles with cherry pickers or scissor lifts are made aware of overhead wires. Doing so can save their lives, their co-workers lives, and prevent unnecessary damage to public wiring.
• Whenever a vehicle is off site, you can’t be exactly sure what an employee is using it for. Are they picking their kid up from school? Are they meeting their girlfriend and taking her for drive thru? This “No Riders” sign is a good reminder to them that company vehicles are reserved for company business, and that no one else is allowed to ride in the vehicle.
• It can be tempting for an employee to leave the keys in a vehicle, especially when they’re simply driving it around company property. But that can lead to problems, from unauthorized employees moving the vehicle to major problems on take your kid to work day. Remind them to always take the keys with them with this “Do Not Leave Keys In Vehicle” safety decal.
• Finally, there’s the overall “be responsible” sticker that covers many of the situations that employees might find themselves in. Our “You are responsible for the safe operation and cleanliness of this vehicle” is a simple reminder to employees to take the responsibility to watch over company property. It’s also a great way to tell them to clean up those McDonald’s wrappers in the back seat...they’re mom doesn’t work here, and office cleaning doesn’t do the inside of their truck!

It would be nice if there’s weren’t any need for decals, but the fact remains that employees need reminders about their responsibility to themselves and public safety. Be sure to get all of the safety stickers — inside and out — that you need for your company's vehicles.

Many of the caution decals and recycle stickers we offer can get very specific. After all, when you offer a sticker that is so specific that it says “This compactor meets all ANSI Z245-21-2008 safety and performance standards,” you might think we have absolutely everything.

While it’s true that WasteStickers.com carries more stickers than just about any industrial sticker provider on the planet, there are still many instances where businesses are looking for custom decals that are specific to their particular needs. Here are a few of the reasons that we get requests for custom commercial stickers all the time.

You Might Have Something Too Old

If you have a piece of equipment that predates modern safety standards (OSHA has only been around since 1970), you might need safety stickers that simply don’t exist. So if you take your 1930s tractor to the country fair and want to warn people about the exposed belts near the engine, you’re going to need a sticker that simply doesn’t exist...yet. The good thing is that we can help you make it so that people are warned about aging equipment no matter how old it is.

You Might Have Something Too New

Industrial equipment is changing all the time, and while there will always be pinch points, new dangers are showing up as models are replaced. Even as more safety features come along, new dangers are created. If you have a piece of equipment that’s so new that the warning stickers for it haven’t been created yet, we can help you create some.

Sometimes our customers are those who are actually the designers, builders, or manufacturers of a new product. Since no one has ever seen this new piece of machinery, it soon becomes obvious that they’re going to need custom danger decals. Need a sticker that say “Stay Clear Of Giant Robot’s Articulating Feet?” Yeah, we can print that and make it look good.

Close Enough Might Not Cut It

Let’s say that you want to warn employees about electricity. One option is to use one of these danger stickers where you fill in the volts yourself. But a Sharpie’s ink can fade, so it might just be best if you go ahead and order a custom warning sticker so that it’s taken care of.

Similarly, you don’t want to mislead someone if the sticker doesn’t properly represent the danger at hand. If you put a “stand clear when tailgate is open” sticker when your vehicle actually has a side lift, then you’re just confusing the issue and aren’t really dealing with the actual danger that might be present.

Specific Recycling

In this blog we discussed how proper recycling can save you money. After all, many types of metal are highly valuable, so recycling as much as possible becomes a matter of the company’s bottom line.

We have many recycling stickers for the most common metals that get recycled, whether you want to separate the aluminum from the rest or have a general “metal only” recycling container. But many companies deal with more metals than just aluminum, steel, tin, copper, and brass (we carry recycling stickers for all of these). So if you have a specific metal or material that is often recycled at your business but we don’t have a sign for it, no problem. We can print you a custom sticker that looks exactly the same and is of the exact high-quality you’ll find in all of our stickers.

Foreign Language

English and Spanish are certainly the two most common languages spoken in the United States, and we have many bilingual warning stickers so that many of those who work in dangerous situations are covered. But just because the need for Spanish stickers are needed in one area of the country doesn’t mean that that’s the most commonly spoken second language in your area of the country. Perhaps you need warning stickers that are in German, Italian, or Arabic. If that’s the case, then we’d love to work with you to create safety signage for you place of work.

The important thing is that you have the proper warning and caution stickers so that as many people as possible are warned about the dangers associated with heavy equipment and other workplace hazards.

No matter what images and texts you're looking for on your stickers, we can make it happen. While our basic sizes are 8x12, 16x20, 12x18, 18x24, and 18x26, we can work with you to create the exact size you need. We can even make them reflective so that they are more easily seen in low-light situations. Oh, and they get a UV clear coat so that they are protected from the sun's ultraviolet rays which can fade the lettering and destroy the adhesive. You might expect that in standard stickers, but now you can get them in custom decals as well.

For the best in custom warning stickers and decals, all you have to do is click here to get things started. We’ll work with you to create just what you need.

As we noted in our article about “Fun Stickers For Your Man Cave’s Bathroom,” you should never put legitimate stickers up in an industrial warehouse, or even around the office, for comedic effect. Sure, you might see a mock sticker such as “Danger: Men Cooking” in someone’s cubicle, but you shouldn’t but putting up an actual “Flammable Gas” sticker above the bathroom no matter how funny it is. After all, you don’t want to make any inspectors who might be stopping by wonder why there’s such a warning in an office setting.

But...if you’re here picking something up for work and want to put some of these signs up around the house, then more power too you. (Yes, you can even use the flammable gas sticker.) Here are some fun household safety decals you can have fun with.

Empty

Slap it on someone’s forehead head after they make some boneheaded statement about how good that last Nicholas Sparks movie was. It wasn’t. (Careful, though, because our stickers are meant to stick...that means you could be causing them to lose some hair when it's removed. Of course, then you can make Patrick Stewart jokes.)

Maximum Load Level

Why not have a few of these maximum load level stickers around to make the point to everyone in the house very clear: do not overfill! The most common household use for this is for trash cans, because far too many kids will toss something into the trash only to have it fall out seconds later because they didn’t push it down. It’s also a great option for laundry baskets. (We’ve got it in Spanish, too.)

Do Not Fill Above Top of Container

Boy, we thought that the maximum load level sticker was appropriate for home trash cans, but this one is even better! The “$750 fine” and “violators will be prosecuted” verbiage just makes this one the absolute best for a trash can that you don’t want getting overfilled.

Do Not Play In…

Put this on you kid’s playset out back and see how they react. Then leave it on there to confuse anyone you have over for a barbeque.

Caution: Hot Surface

Okay, this is a good one for someone you’re involved with when you want them to know just how attractive they are to you. Just make sure not to apply this directly to their clothing, because there’s a good chance you could ruin it (ruin the clothing, not the sticker...the sticker only costs $.47!) Maybe stick a piece of scotch tape to it before affixing it to your favorite part of their body.

Door Must Be Closed

Sometimes there’s a room in the house that you just don’t want to heat. Maybe it’s the guest room that you never use in winter, and keeping it closed off and unheated will actually save you money on your heating bill. That’s where this sticker comes in, reminding people to keep that door closed!

Danger: Confined Space

Feeling a little hemmed in by your studio apartment? Is your bedroom a little smaller than you’d like it to be? Here’s the sticker you’re looking for.

Caution: Hearing Protection Required

Listen, hearing loss is a serious problem. WE SAID “LISTEN, HEARING LOSS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM!!!”

When you have a home theater, it’s important that you don’t keep it up so loud that you suffer damage to your hearing. But if you’ve spent a lot of money on your home theater, you want to let people know that they’re getting a quality experience. While they might not actually need hearing protection when watching a movie, this sticker will let them know they’re in for a rocking experience.

Fire Port

Have a collection of hot sauces that you like to bring out when friends come over? This Fire Port sticker is an excellent option to warn people about the heat they’ll be experiencing on their food.

Caution: Wide Turns

Oh boy, this one could get you into a lot of trouble with the wrong person. You have to know a person very well, and know that they’re comfortable about their weight, before you apply one of these stickers to their bluejeans.

You know what, we take this one back. Don’t risk it!

Caution: Do Not Push

Hey, why not put this on baby stroller? Like the “Do Not Play In” sticker we mentioned up above, it’s just a fun “opposite” sticker that will confuse other people at the park.

Industrial stickers can be fun, but make sure that you’re using them in the right place. As long as they’re inside your home, there shouldn’t be any problems. Of course, it’s important to remember that we offer only top-of-the-line recycling labels and caution decals, and they’re meant to stick where you put them. The high-quality adhesive will stick to whatever you put it on, so make sure you don’t mind it being there right-next-to-forever once you place it. (For temporary fun, just put some double-sided tape on the back without removing the sticker’s backing.) Have fun!

While the title of this article might make you think that we’re writing another blog about warning stickers that go in the bathroom, this is actually going to be about some of the more recent signs you’ll find in the workplace, ones that you might not have seen 60 years ago. Let’s take a look at some of the stickers we sell that would have completely confused your grandfather if you hopped in a time machine and visited the factory he worked in during the 1950s.

“No Cell Phone Use While Operating A Motor Vehicle”

First of all, your grandfather wouldn’t know what a cell phone was (although it showed up longer ago than you probably realized, in 1973). Now you might be able to explain to 1950s Grandpa that a cell phone is kind of like a two-way radio like those that they used in World War II. Combine that with the phone that’s on the wall at home, only instead of calling the operator all you have to do is punch in some numbers. And instead of being able to talk to just a few people, you can talk to billions of other people in the world. And you can also type on them to send people messages, like Morse code only faster.

What Grandpa Might Say: “Wait, they’re saying that we can’t use these things in the Plymouth? Why would I want to? I know where I’m going, they know where I’m going, and if they need to contact me they can call me on the phone when I get there. And if I want to get a message, they’ll send it to me in a letter or Western Union. What’s the rush? I’m not sending a message, typing is for secretaries! Now hand me a cigarette, I feel a cough coming on and doctor says Marlboros will help.”

“No Personal Cell Phones Allowed in Work Area”

After you give your grandfather a basic working description of the cell phone, you now present him with one that tells him he can’t use one of the factory floor, only during breaks.

What Grandpa Might Say: “Of course I’m not going to use this stupid contraption on the floor, I need to concentrate! Everything in this room is trying to kill me! Why aren’t you wearing a hard hat? If I ever meet the idiot who raised you…”

Recycling Stickers

We recently wrote a fun article about the history of recycling and where modern recycling efforts came from. Of course, your grandpa living in the 1950s is still 20 or 30 years away from any mass recycling efforts, so explaining this sticker might be a bit of a problem. You could tell him that there’s only so many resources in this world, and that you should do whatever possible to make the most of them.

What Grandpa Might Say: “Yeah, I get it, I take my sassafras bottles back so that I can get my nickel deposit. This factory must be putting deposits down on every box that comes in here, and we want that deposit back. Wait, what? You want me to do it voluntarily? I’m supposed to separate everything instead of just throwing it into the trash? I have five kids at home in a 700 square foot home, I’ve got other problems.”

Notice: No tires, No Batteries, No Chemicals

Much like with the recycling stickers we mentioned above, it might be difficult for Grandpa to understand that we’re trying to look after the earth in the future.

What Grandpa Might Say: “Everything goes to the dump! If I’ve got a car battery, what else am I going to do with it? And when I replace my tires, the kids get a new tire swing, but I’m not paying for rope for FOUR tire swings! In the future, I’m guessing that every kid has four tire swings, don’t they! Spoiled, four-tire-swing-having’ kids. I need another cigarette…”

We’re not trying to come down too hard on grandpas, because if we were that age in the 1950s we’d certainly have no idea of what was coming in this world. After going through World War II, they certainly had other things on their minds. Still, we’re glad that we can be part of waste and warning stickers that can make the world a better place.

Most people walk by caution stickers, danger stickers, and warning stickers every day and don’t notice that there are patterns in them, similarities and differences that each tell them something different. Many have no idea that there are actually specific rules that govern what these stickers convey and what they look like.

If you’re on our site looking for these stickers, it’s possible that you’re one of the few people who is familiar with the difference between all of these different types of stickers. Maybe you’re part of the plant safety team and are responsible for placing stickers on dozens of pieces of heavy machinery. But there are also those who stop by our site who are superintendents at apartment complexes who just need a few stickers and might never have the need to know how these different types of stickers are used. Today we’re going to break it down!

Technically, the stickers we sell all fall into the category that are called “precautionary statements.” Let’s take a look at what each of the hazards stickers is trying to tell us.

Danger Signs

Danger stickers and signs are reserved for only the most dangerous situations. These stickers are found in situations where failure to take precautions will almost certainly result in serious injury or death. OSHA states that danger stickers “Shall be used in major hazard situations where an immediate hazard presents a threat of death or serious injury to employees.”

Danger stickers are to be used in only the most extreme circumstances. Danger signs are not to be used to signal that there is potential property damage, unless the property damage could also lead to an immediate hazard that could cause someone bodily harm.

Danger decals are almost always red, white, and black, with an exclamation point accompanying the actual word “danger.”

Warning Signs

Warning stickers and signs are just below danger on the hazard scale. While there is still the possibility of serious injury or death, the danger isn’t immediate. Instead, the situation could become potentially hazardous if safety precautions aren’t followed. Like danger signs, warning signs should not be used to indicate the possibility of property damages unless it could lead to human injury or death. Warning stickers are usually orange, black, and white.

OSHA regulations are less specific about what requires a warning sign, simply placing it somewhere between danger and cautions hazard stickers. OSHA states: “"May be used to represent a hazard level between ‘Caution’ and ‘Danger,’ instead of the required ‘Caution’ tag, provided that they have a signal word of ‘Warning,’...

So, what’s a caution sign? Glad you asked...

Caution Signs

Caution stickers and signs relate the least likely possibility of harm to employees or the general public. The danger isn’t immediate, and there isn’t as large a threat of injury. Still, serious injury or death isn’t ruled out as a possibility in the presence of a caution sticker. As long as safe practices are adhered to, the threat of injury is minimal. OSHA states caution signs "Shall be used in minor hazard situations where a non-immediate or potential hazard or unsafe practice presents a lesser threat of employee injury."

Caution decals are usually yellow and black, but might also use white and red. Like the danger and warning stickers, an exclamation point is often incorporated.

Notice Signs

Warning, danger, and caution signs are all concerned with protecting human life and limb, so what do you use if you want to ensure that people protect the equipment? How do you tell them that they shouldn’t throw tires or batteries into the trash? How do you remind them that a vehicle shouldn’t be driven over a certain speed? Enter the notice sticker!

Notice stickers cover a wide range of situations that people should be aware of. In addition to those mentioned above, they can also indicate private use (as in the case of waste receptacle bins), reminders about etiquette (“keep lid of container closed”), or notices to the public (“employee entrance only”). In short, notice stickers can be used for just about anything that isn’t a danger to people, and if you don’t see what you’re looking for at the link above, we’d be more than happy to make you a custom notice sticker.

Notice stickers are most commonly white and blue, though other colors can be used to draw attention to them. There is no exclamation point next to the word “notice.” OSHA has no official stance on when notice stickers should be used.

If you are a plant manager, you might have already known when each of these types of stickers should be used. But we hope that this information is valuable to those who might never have noticed the levels of difference between danger, warning, and cautions stickers. Click those links above to find exactly what you need, or use the search box to find a sticker that’s right for your situation.

With so many of our product being warning and danger stickers, we’re happy to say that not everything we sell deals in life and death situations! But every sticker we sell is useful, and in this case we’re going to talk about how having the right recycling stickers can save you money. In fact, it could even make you money. How? Keep reading!

Recyclables Can Be Valuable

Not every recyclable is all that valuable. Paper doesn’t command a very high price, and neither does glass. Some recyclables such as CFL light bulbs and freon can actually cost a business money to recycle. But some recyclables are certainly valuable enough to recycle. Take aluminum, for instance; it’s one of the easiest materials in the world to recycle. And while it’s lightweight, you’d be surprised as how quickly you can get a load of it that’s worth recycling. We carry stickers for aluminum, mixed scrap metal, brass, copper, tin cans, and more. Visit this page to find the stickers than can make you money if your employees follow the sorting rules.

Paying Per Rolloff

So with paper and plastics not actually making you money, why recycle them at all? So you don’t have to pay to have them recycled. If you have large bins that you have to pay to have taken away every time they’re filled up, the less you have in them the better. While a single sheet of paper isn’t going to cause it to top off anytime soon, those plastic bottles (which, when uncollapsed, are 90% air) will cause you to have to call and have it rolled off more often...which costs you money. Recycle everything you can and you won’t be paying nearly as much for trash haul away.

Paying By The Pound

We don’t know where you are in the country, but there are some trash programs where you’re charged by the pound instead of by volume. If that’s the case, you’ll certainly want to get those heavy scrap metals out of the trash and into the recycling container. Not only are you saving money, but, as we detailed above, you’ll be making money.

This is also a time when you’ll want to make sure that you’re participating in any free recycling as well. If people pay attention to the paper recycling sticker, you’ll be saving a lot of weight. We all know that a single sheet of paper weighs nothing, but if you’ve ever lifted a ream of paper you know that those 500 sheets at up very quickly.

Avoid the Inspector

Sometimes you can get into trouble by putting the wrong items in a trash container. Maybe it ticks off the hauling company, or maybe OSHA stops by. That’s why you want to be sure to have some sticker detailing what kind of waste isn’t accepted, whether it’s batteries, tires, oils, or electronics.

Recycling is of company-wide importance, and as long as employees are informed as to why they should take part, they shouldn’t mind taking a bit more time recycle.

You know, we enjoy a good laugh as much as anyone, and we know full well that putting particular stickers around the home will get people chuckling. That’s what this blog is all about: the type of waste stickers and danger stickers that will get your friends laughing when they use your man cave’s bathroom.

Now please remember, we’re talking about putting these stickers around the home. At no time should you put these stickers around places of business or in a warehouse, even if they would be hilarious. The workplace should be limited to appropriate stickers that are detailing actual dangers and reminders.

Now that we have the warning about warning labels out of the way, let’s take a look at what you can put up around your bathroom for humorous decoration.

Private Use Only

Put this Private Use Only sticker under the lid of the toilet, and when a guest uses it they’re definitely going to do a double take!

Not For Public Use

“But you just told me where the bathroom was!”

No Dirt, No Concrete

Just in case someone was wondering where to put their concrete, the toilet isn’t the place.

Flammable Gas

Yea, this is getting too easy.

No Dumping

Seriously, what are we, 12 years old or something? (Still, this is an awesome toilet sticker.) This one even warns them that they’ll be prosecuted if they do so.)

Pull Lid ½ Way Out

Does it make sense? Just barely! But that’s the fun of it, because it makes for a confusing message to your friends. (Now that we think about it, do you really want to confuse people when they’re in the bathroom?)

Notice: Employee Entrance Only

We think we saw this form of travel in a Harry Potter movie once. (Spoiler alert: this notice sticker goes over the toilet.)

Residual Waste

We have to admit, we’re kind of not sure why this is funny. But we’re pretty sure it is.

Keep Door Between You and The Load

Finally, a sticker that doesn’t go on the toilet. This one goes on the outside of the bathroom door.

Washout Only

One for the bathroom sink.

Do Not Use For...

This “Do not use for disposal of scrap metal, wood, or hot ashes” sticker would go great in...yeah, it’s for right over the toilet again. Some day we’ll grow up…

Do Not Push Or Pull

This long, thin sticker certainly seems like it would work well on a plunger to confuse anyone who violates the rules of the next sticker.

Maximum Load Level

Do yourself a favor and put this as low as possible on your toilet. You don’t want to put it at the top and have someone take it as a challenge.

Fine, sometimes we’re a bit juvenile. But when you make danger stickers all day long warning people that they could lose an arm or die in a fiery explosion, sometimes you gotta have some fun! Click those links above to have some good fun in your man cave’s bathroom.

Sometimes we hear people saying stuff like “Do caution labels really work? Are people really paying any attention to hazard stickers?” To put it bluntly, yes. And even if they’re not consciously paying attention to them, it’s still vitally important that you keep them up-to-date and in plain view? Why? Let’s check out this scenario:

Let’s say that you have a compactor in your warehouse and have the appropriate danger decals on it. Over the years it’s been banged into so many times by carts, belt buckles, and the stuff being tossed in that it’s become completely unreadable.

Here are the reasons that you should replace it with a fresh caution label as soon as possible.

Protect the New People

If you have an industrial compactor, it’s unlikely that you’re the only one who uses it. You might have five, 10, or 50 employees who are working around and with it. The chances that every person you hire is going to work out and be with the company for 30 years are slim-to-none, and that means that there will occasionally (or perpetually) be new employees.

With worn-off stickers, new employees didn’t know that sticker used to be there, so they might not be aware of the danger associated with the compactor. Do they know that it starts automatically? They will with this sticker. Do they know that everything should be in the compactor before it starts, and that they shouldn’t feed it while it’s on? This sticker can tell them.

We’re dealing with something called a compactor, which could obviously hurt someone. And any piece of equipment that could possibly cause injury should have the proper safety decals. We know that you care about the safety of your employees. Of course, you also have to worry about your...

Legal Requirements

Do hazard stickers really work? They can certainly work by helping you conform to legal standards. OSHA requires that dangerous equipment not only be in proper working order but also be labeled in order to warn employees about the dangers at hand. Leaving a sticker off, even if it’s because it has worn off, could put you in violation and incur fines. (OSHA fines can be as high as $126,000 for repeat violations.) It certainly makes that $0.47 caution sticker quite the bargain!

Of course, it’s not just the violation of OSHA requirements that could get you into legal trouble. If something tragic happens and a worker is injured or killed, there’s going to be legal trouble for your company no matter what you do. But if you can prove that you’ve done everything possible to prevent the accident from happening — such as proper training and clearly-visible caution stickers — then any lawsuits you incur could be considerably less.

It’s a Constant Reminder

It’s true, workers aren’t going to read the safety decals every single time. But the size and shape of it reminds them of the time that they did read it. This means that the danger of the machinery at hand will be treated with more respect. (As a simple example, you’d stop at a stop sign even if it said “SKOP,” wouldn’t you?)

Do caution labels and danger stickers work? Yes. And we have what you need. Check them all out here and keep your employees safe!

In the first part of this article about recycling in America, many of the aspects we touched on wouldn’t exactly fall into the “toss the plastic bottle into the bin with the recycling label on it” category. In fact, when you look at how the Native Americans or early European settlers “recycled,” it was all about reusing what you had because there was no other choice. That mentality certainly showed up again during the Great Depression, where once-discarded items such as food containers would be used again and again until they gave out completely.

But those certainly aren’t what we think of as recycling today as we’re surrounded by ubiquitous recycling labels. Sometimes recycling goes beyond the need to recycle materials and begins to tug at the heartstrings of American citizens. Let’s take a look at the birth of the modern recycling movement in our country.

World War II

The first mass recycling effort in the United States occurred because of World War II, and here are the posters to prove it. The government was collecting dozens of items that could be used in the war effort, most notably scrap metal (for planes), silk (for parachutes), and fats (for explosives!). Copper was so important to the war effort that it was removed from all pennies in 1943, right in the middle of the war. With overseas supplies of some materials cut off, everyone was encouraged to recycle as much as possible. This was going far beyond the reuse that people were accustomed to and was much closer to what we’d think of as recycling today.

Not everything that was collected was recycled, unfortunately. Historians have discovered that much of the material was stockpiled and went unused, and that some of what was recycled was never meant to used at all. Why? Propaganda. Getting people in America involved in the war was a way to get them behind it. If someone feels that they are part of something, they’re more likely to speak highly of US involvement, buy war bonds, or even enlist themselves. Still, without a doubt the recycling campaign of World War II was a success no matter how you look at it.

Mass Consumption

Americans were forced to go from casual reuse to forced reuse thanks to the Great Depression. Then they were asked to give up potentially-valuable scrap metal to aid the war effort. So when the economy picked up after World War II, they were ready to embrace the consumerist mentality. More and more items came in single-use containers (Spam was a huge hit during and after World War II), and most GI’s returning from World War II were much more concerned about making a living than about how much refuse was going to the landfill. And after seeing the mass destruction that war caused, they weren’t concerned about small-scale de-beautification as they tossed that Coke bottle out the window on the way to the park.

Litter was becoming a problem in public spaces, and in 1953 Keep America Beautiful was created by the US government and some of the largest producers of disposable containers, including Pepsi and Coke. This coalition was, and is still today, focused on reducing waste and keeping litter out of public areas. The program truly came into its own in 1971 when it started the “Crying Indian” campaign, which brought environmental problems to the public conscious.

Earth Day

By the late 1960’s, what we were consuming and doing to the planet was catching up to us. Refuse in larger cities had to be transported farther and farther away to find a landfill that would take it. Deforestation across the world, thanks to the effects of Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War, was bringing attention to the environment. The book Silent Spring was published in 1962, bringing informed the public about the effects of DDT and how chemicals stay in the environment and work their way through the food chain.

People were starting to figure out that humans were having a lasting effect on the environment. After all, who wants to live on a barren plain surrounded by trash? That lead to the first Earth Day in 1970. Shortly thereafter a large company that dealt in recycled paperboard realized the need for a symbol that would identify items that could be recycled. They sponsored an art contest which was won by a college student named Gary Anderson, and the recycling symbol was born. This symbol...yes, it’s the one you’re thinking of, much the same as you’ll find on our recycling decals and stickers. While there are many variants, this symbol is recognizable all over the world as a way to express what is recyclable and where it should be placed when you’re done with it.

Curbside Recycling

Thanks to the Keep America Beautiful campaign and the popularity of Earth Day, people started to get the idea of recycling. They were being informed about the efforts it took to create the containers they used, whether it was the extraction of oil from the ground or the destruction of land in order to dig for metals. Public recycling — ones that relying on people’s altruistic interest in recycling without any monetary gain — started up in the early 1970s in larger communities. Most of the time it required the public to take what they wanted to a central location.

As more and more materials were able to be recycled and interest in environmentalism grew, communities began investing in curbside recycling. This increased the amount of recycling being performed by the average household, and increased the amount of recycling bin stickers that we sell as well! (We’ve been selling recycling labels for more than 40 years). While recycling often costs the community money, most people are in favor of the positive environmental effects that it offers.

The title of this article is called “A Quick History of Recycling in America,” but after two blogs and eight different examples of recycling it’s been far from “quick.” Hey, it’s still shorter than a book on the subject! There’s no doubt that recycling is an interesting topic, and we’re happy to be a part of it as we supply companies, landlords, cities, and towns with the highest quality recycling bin stickers around. Find exactly what you’re looking for right here.

"The idea that you threw stuff out when it wore out is a 20th century idea" — Susan Strasser, author of Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash

Here at WasteStickers.com, some of our most popular stickers are recycling labels and decals. Sometimes we sell thousands to a city wanting to brand the recycling containers they bought for every resident, and other times it’s just a couple to a superintendent wanting to update a couple of recycling containers for their apartment complex. Either way, they’re engaging in a very old tradition of recycling in America that few even think about as the bins are used to identify where detergent bottles and Mountain Dew cans should be tossed.

Even if you’re here to purchase recycling bin stickers, you probably don’t know much about the history of recycling in America. Let’s take a look at history of recycling (and its close compatriot reuse) and how it’s changed over the centuries in our country.

Pre-History

Before we even get to America being called America, there was recycling going on with native people. Did the stone hammer splinter? The sharp edge it left might make a good knife. Did the horse pad wear out in a single spot? Use the good parts of that elk skin to fix the hole in the tipi. When you amassed very little in the way of materials goods and were traveling as many Native American tribes did, it simply made sense to use what was at hand. After all, the animal was mostly hunted for its meat; when you use an animal hide for a blanket or an antler for a tool, isn’t that the ultimate recycling effort?

Revolutionary America

When Europeans and others from across the ocean began to settle in North America, recycling wasn’t really a choice but a necessity. While there were many resources for them to take advantage of — timber, food, and stone — you have to think about the lack of metal that would have been available to them. The nearest factory that could smelt metal was thousands of miles away in England. (Pittsburg wouldn’t start producing steel until the 1830’s.) So even if they were in an iron-rich part of the country, there was no way of getting to it.

That meant that the only metal you had was what came over on boats. And when you’re at war with the country that supplied most of it, you’d better learn how to make use of what you have laying around! Much as the Native Americans did, European transplants would have had to take something that broke and turn it into sometime else. Sometimes that meant turning a broken steel wagon tire into a barrel hoop. Other times it could mean melting it down and reforming it into something else completely. It also means that Paul Revere's horseshoes were probably made from recycled English steel!

America Grows

As industry grew in America, so did the ability to reuse stuff that had outlasted its original purpose. After all, plastic didn’t exist yet, which meant that most mass-produced items tended to last a bit longer. You wouldn’t use a plastic bottle once and throw it away; you’d use a mason jar season after season to preserve the harvest. Also, international trade wasn’t in full swing in the 19th century, meaning that America was using what it had and wasn’t importing many commodities.

Recycling at this time was very much about “I have something that’s of no use to me, but someone else is willing to give me a tiny amount for it.” So you might save the bones from the butchered cow because someone might come down your farm road looking to buy them and turn them into fertilizer.

Bottles Deposits

Aluminum cans are pretty awesome. They’re easy to recycle, unbreakable, and lightweight (requiring few fossil fuels to transport). But they weren’t invented until 1957, and if you wanted a soda or beer before that you were going to be drinking it in a glass bottle.

Glass bottles weren’t cheap to make. At the beginning of the 20th century, the cost of the bottle was considerably more than the cost of the beverage inside. That’s where the idea of bottle deposits came in, where a person would put down money at the store in order to ensure that the bottle would be returned, at which time they’d get their money back. While this worked when bottles were more expensive, on 10 states in our nation currently have a bottle deposit program.

The Great Depression

When the Great Depression hit in 1929, reuse and recycling became an absolute necessity. Everyone would reuse anything they could, which meant that once a piece of clothing become unusable, it became patches for other items of clothing. A tin can that might have held a single serving of beans became the replacement for the glass drinking cup that broke, because people certainly couldn’t afford a new glass. The new can might also replace the baseball that went down into the sewer, and a new game was born!

In fact, many items at the time were advertised with their secondary use in mind. A cardboard oatmeal container might suggest using it as a lunch box (after all, your paper bag won’t hold up long before it gives out.) A sack of flour might have ideas on it for how to turn it into clothing. While most people of today will take refuse and reuse it for craft projects — think 2-liter bottle bird feeders — people of the great depression used the packaging because they had no other choice.

Sorry to leave you on such a “depressing” topic, but there’s a lot more to talk about when it comes to recycling in America. So far what we’ve talked about has fallen into the reuse part of “reduce, reuse, recycle” that you’ll see on some recycling decals. But next week something big happens that truly bring recycling into the modern era. Check back next time to find out how reclining really took off.