Trash chutesevolved as a sanitary and economical means of collecting the refuse generated by building occupants in mid-rise and high-rise buildings. The word chute is derived from the French word meaning to fall or drop. Chutes are tubes through which objects slide from a higher to a lower level by means of gravity. There are linen chutes used by hospitals and hotels; construction trash chutes used to handleconstruction debrisin multi-story construction sites; and trash chutes used in multi-story condominiums, apartments, and dormitories. In a trash chute application, the bottom of the chute below the discharge door is a steel container typically located in the trash room. The steel container can be a fully automatic, hydraulically operated compactor or a small, simple cubic yard steel container. Recent developments by many manufacturers have made possible a collection system that allows for the automatic separation and collection of recyclable materials.