City of Santa Barbara
One city's event ratio
One portable toilet for every 250 to 300 expected attendees, at least 10 percent accessible, and some events required to service toilets during the day.1
Waste and event services for hotels and hospitality
Hotels, resorts, casinos, venues, stadiums and festivals run a steady back-of-house waste stream, then add a wedding weekend, a sold-out event or a floor-by-floor renovation on top. We source compactors, balers, containers, restroom trailers and renovation roll-offs from local providers in the markets we serve, with every property on one agreement and one invoice.
- Back of houseCompactors and balers
- EventsRestroom trailers
- PortfolioOne invoice
Every property
One agreement across the portfolio
A downtown hotel, a resort and an event lawn rarely share a hauler. Local providers do the work; we hold the contract, own the problems, and send one bill.
- Charges by property on one invoice
- Split by entity, region or cost center
- Managers call us about a missed pickup, and we contact the local provider the same business day
- A new property? We source a provider in that market
- Ask us for waste data by property for your ESG report
One invoice, by property
Sample layout
- City hotelFront-load trash and recycling
- ResortCompactor hauls and cardboard bales
- Airport hotelRenovation roll-offs and swaps
- Event lawnRestroom trailer for a wedding weekend
Split by entity, region or cost centerOne bill
By area and season
Typical needs around a property
General guidance on where each service usually sits. Your brand standards, your local code and your lease decide the details.
| Area or season | Typical need | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Loading dock | A compactor for trash, a baler for cardboard from deliveries | Compactors and balers |
| Enclosure | Screened front-load containers that keep the fire code distance from the building | Enclosure requirements |
| Kitchens and banquets | Trash, cardboard and food scraps where a local program exists | Restaurants and food service |
| Guest floor renovation | Roll-offs with swaps, a chute, storage for furniture and crew restrooms | Dumpster rental |
| Lawns, ballrooms and arenas | Restroom trailers, portable units, accessible units and hand wash | Event rentals |
| Peak season | Extra pickups or an added container while occupancy is high | Front-load vs roll-off |
| Off season | Fewer pickups, and the window for renovation | Commercial dumpsters and compactors |
Compactor down on a full weekend? We can set a backup roll-off beside the machine until it is repaired. See compactors and balers.
Events
How many restrooms for an event
There is no national number. The City of Santa Barbara publishes one public example for park events: one portable toilet for every 250 to 300 expected attendees, at least 10 percent of them accessible, and permanent restrooms not counted.1 Your venue, permit, hours and whether alcohol or food is served can push the count up.
| Expected attendees | Portable toilets | Accessible, at least |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | 2 | 1 |
| 1,000 | 4 | 1 |
| 2,500 | 9 to 10 | 1 |
| 5,000 | 17 to 20 | 2 |
| 10,000 | 34 to 40 | 4 |
Rounded up from Santa Barbara's ratio for park events. It is one city's guide, not a rule where you are. Guest-facing events often use restroom trailers instead of a row of units; see portable toilet vs restroom trailer.
Planning in more detail? The event restroom planning guide sizes on peak concurrency and service visits, and restroom trailers covers the water, power and level ground a trailer needs.
A wedding, a concert or a season of events?
Send the date, the venue, the hours and the expected crowd. We recommend a count and source the units.
Renovation
Brand standard refreshes and property improvement plans
A guest room refresh or a property improvement plan often runs floor by floor while the hotel stays open. The contractor's plan sets the schedule; these are the services it usually calls for.
- 01
Roll-offs with swaps
Carpet, casegoods and drywall come out fast. Swaps keep the container from overflowing beside guest parking. See dumpster rental.
- 02
A chute on upper floors
An enclosed chute keeps debris out of guest elevators and corridors. See trash chutes.
- 03
Storage on site
A storage container holds new furniture until the rooms are ready. See storage containers.
- 04
Crew restrooms
Portable restrooms in the staging area keep the crew out of guest restrooms. See portable toilets.
Old furniture that someone has to carry out? Junk hauling sends a crew to load it.
The rules
What the primary sources say
Check your own city and venue. These four sources come up most for hospitality operators.
IFC 2024, 304.3.5
Five feet from combustible walls
Containers of 1.5 cubic yards or more cannot be placed within 5 feet of combustible walls, openings or combustible roof eave lines, with exceptions for sprinkler protected areas.2
U.S. EPA
Banquet food: donate before you dispose
EPA's Wasted Food Scale ranks prevention and donation above composting and digestion, and landfill and incineration last.3
OSHA SHIB 08-13-2013
Baler and compactor doors
OSHA warns that fatigue cracks can make a baler or compactor discharge door lock fail, and lists the lockout and tagout and machine guarding standards.4
How it works with Detritus
One request for the property and the event
You get one point of contact. A local provider delivers, services and removes the equipment.
You send the properties or the event
The addresses, what each uses today, and any event or renovation with its dates.
We source local providers
Providers in each market for the containers, compactor hauls, roll-offs and restrooms. Availability varies by market.
Delivery
Units and containers set before the event or the project starts.
Service and removal
Pickups on schedule, service visits during long events, and removal when it is over.
One invoice
Charges by property on one invoice.
For a quote
What to tell us
The more of this we have on the first call, the faster the quote.
- Each property address
- What each uses today: containers, a compactor, a baler
- For an event: the date, hours, venue and expected crowd
- For a renovation: the scope, floors and dates
- Where containers and units can sit, out of guest view
- How you want the invoice split
Common questions
Hotel and hospitality questions
What waste services does a hotel need?
Usually a compactor or front-load containers for trash, a baler or container for cardboard, recycling, food scraps where a local program exists, and roll-offs for renovation.
How many portable toilets does an event need?
There is no national number. The City of Santa Barbara's guide for park events uses one for every 250 to 300 expected attendees, with at least 10 percent accessible. Your venue and permit may require more.
Do you provide restroom trailers for weddings and events?
Yes. We source restroom trailers, portable units, accessible units and hand wash stations from local providers and schedule delivery, service and pickup around your event. Availability varies by market.
Can you handle waste for a hotel renovation?
Yes. We source roll-offs with swaps, chutes, storage containers and crew restrooms for the project, on the same agreement as the property's regular service.
Can several properties be on one invoice?
Yes. Charges by property go on one invoice, which can be split by entity, region or cost center.
How do I get a quote?
Call sales at (888) 588-2607 or request a quote with the properties, what each uses today and any event or renovation dates.
Every property, one bill
Local providers do the work. We source them, schedule them around your guests and send one invoice.
Read next
Sources
- City of Santa Barbara, Parks and Recreation, Special Events Quick Guide: Toilets. Checked November 4, 2026. santabarbaraca.gov
- International Fire Code 2024, Section 304.3.5, as published for the U.S. General Services Administration. Checked November 4, 2026. up.codes
- U.S. EPA, Wasted Food Scale (last updated September 16, 2026). Checked November 4, 2026. epa.gov
- U.S. OSHA, Safety and Health Information Bulletin, Operating Hazards of Baler Discharge-Door Locks (SHIB 08-13-2013). Checked November 4, 2026. osha.gov