How to Choose the Right Waste Enclosures for Waterparks

When your guests are walking around in swimsuits, flip-flops, and dripping wet towels, the last thing you want them thinking about is where the trash goes.

At busy waterparks, waste and recycling systems have to do a lot of work quietly in the background. They need to be durable, easy to service, and obvious to guests—without distracting from the theming and experience you’ve worked so hard to create.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the key considerations when choosing waste enclosures for waterparks and similar high-moisture attractions.

1. Think in terms of stations, not single cans

Scattered individual trash cans create more work for your team and more clutter for guests. Instead, think in terms of waste and recycling stations placed at logical guest decision points:

• Entrances and exits
• Food & beverage areas
• Locker and shoe storage zones
• Near restrooms and changing areas

Stations with clear labeling and consistent color stories make it easier for guests to do the right thing automatically.

2. Prioritize materials that shrug off water and chemicals

Waterparks are hard on materials. Sunscreen, chlorine, moisture, UV exposure, and frequent cleaning can quickly destroy lower-quality products.

Look for:

• Recycled plastic that doesn’t rot, rust, or peel
• UV-stabilized components to prevent fading
• Hardware that resists corrosion
• Smooth surfaces that are easy to wipe down

At Landmark Studio & Design, we engineer our enclosures specifically for these environments, so they look good season after season—not just the first year.

3. Make servicing easy for your team

Guests only notice waste stations when they’re overflowing or messy. Your operations team notices them every hour.

When evaluating designs, pay attention to:

• Door or lid style and how liners are accessed
• How fast liners can be removed and replaced
• Whether containers can be serviced safely in crowded areas
• The internal configuration for separating waste and recycling

Even small improvements here add up to significant time savings over the course of a season.

4. Match your brand and theming

Waste enclosures are one of the most visible elements in your park. They’re in photos, by queue lines, next to food, and at entrances.

Use them to reinforce your brand by specifying:

• Custom colors that align with your palette or ride areas
• Logo panels or engraved signage
• Shapes and rooflines that match your park’s style

Because we build everything to order, we can design stations that feel like they belong in your environment—not generic off-the-shelf boxes.

5. Plan for growth and flexibility

If you’re planning park expansions, new attractions, or future F&B concepts, consider building flexibility into your waste system now:

• Modular station designs that can be expanded over time
• Interchangeable labeling for when waste streams change
• Coordinated designs that can be replicated across new areas

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If you’d like help reviewing your current waste setup or planning for a new attraction or expansion, our team can work with you to design custom stations that fit your operations, branding, and budget.