There was a time when a lot of people would make jokes when they thought about Earth Day. After all, it’s a ‘holiday’ where you don’t get the day off and most people don’t really bother to celebrate or acknowledge. However, Earth Day is no laughing matter, because there’s nothing more important to humanity than our home: earth. In recent years, more people have taken on a ‘green’ way of thinking and Earth Day is starting to get the attention it deserves.

Earth Day was founded by a United States senator in the year 1970, but it has since grown to be an international holiday celebrated by the United Nations. Earth day is all about promoting awareness of the Earth’s environment and how to best preserve it for future generations. It has become clearer to us in recent years that if we don’t take action to help protect the environment, then there will be severe consequences.

Earth Day is all about 3 major tenets, known as the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. Each of these elements is important to ongoing conservation efforts. While Earth Day is a day to promote these ideas, they really should become a part of every person’s everyday life if we want to make a real positive change in the environment.

Reduce means that you should try to reduce the amount of waste that you throw out. Trash is becoming a major problem all over the world - we throw out so much stuff that we’re running out of room to store it all. Reducing waste is all about being more conscientious about things that we buy and use.

It dies directly in with the second concept, which is reusing. Reusing means taking things we might normally just throw out and finding a new use for them. There are lots of ways to reuse all kinds of items that you might not think twice about throwing in the garbage. You can reuse old milk jugs or soda bottles and use them to store water or other liquids. Or you can turn your food waste into compost for your garden. You can even take would-be trash and do something totally unique and creative with it.

Recycling refers to a way in which you can essentially reuse things, even if not directly. Recycling facilities accept items such as aluminum cans, glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, and other items, and reprocess it to be used again. Many junk removal collectors have separate bins where people can put their recyclable materials to have them collected. Or, you can bring your own recyclables to a local center.

While those 3 basic R’s are a great place to start in a conservation effort, there are many other ways that we can help support the health of our Earth. Reduce doesn’t have to just mean reducing trash, for example. For instance, you can also try and reduce the amount of energy that use by buying energy efficient appliances or a hybrid car. The conservation options are nearly limitless; you just need to be willing to go the extra mile.

The extensive waste management strike in Toronto left citizens under piles of garbage and a sea of anger. The strike was a result of the waste management Labor unions requesting a wage increase to match other municipal workers. Their request was denied, resulting in a collective refusal to work. Such immediate and severe action finally caused Toronto officials to sit up and take notice.

Its affect
Other than the layers of garbage bags lining the streets, the strike also resulted in a 25% increase in sales of waste-removal products. Furthermore, it has generally forced residents to think carefully about how to dispose of their waste making environmentally friendly recycling a necessary option for those desperate to clean out their garbage.

Though the strike has left many to believe it is creating a mess out of the once beautiful city, there are some benefits to be gained. It is beginning to force residents to think of creative ways to minimize garbage as well as to recycle regularly and consider composting. By improving your method of waste control, you can help to reduce the already overflowing landfills and reduce environmental damage until they make the garbage removal.

How to improve your waste disposal
Bags are available to buy and each one stores between 30-40 bags of regular rubbish. Including recyclable items such as milk cartons, newspapers, glass bottles and plastics is an unnecessary waste for rhino bags. Such bags sell for between $20 and $40. They can be purchased from store and can be dropped off and picked up at your convenience.

Composting
As composting is an organic process it reduces waste using waste to feed your soil. Garden organics such as leaves, grass clippings as well as food waste such as vegetable peels, coffee grounds and egg shells can be composted to create organic materials that can then be used in the garden. Even materials such as human and animal hair and newspapers can be composted effectively.

In order to compost you will need to purchase a solid green bin. First, start with a thick layer of twigs or coarse mulch at the base for drainage. Then layer on your kitchen organics and green garden organics. Cover with a layer of brown garden organics ensuring no food waste is left exposed. Moisten and repeat the process. In eight weeks the compost will be ready to use. To ensure it does not smell make sure it is not too wet and air can circulate through the layers. A common cause is putting in too much food waste and not enough dry waste. In such cases, fork in dry mulch such as leaves or twigs. Turn the compost to also get more air in.

Recycling
The Blue Bin recycling program can be used to dispose of both paper and recyclable materials such as alcohol beverage containers, paper and foam polystyrene. This includes foam protective packaging, foam meat trays, foam takeout food containers, foam plates, foam egg cartons and foam coffee cups. Please note such items must be rinsed to ensure no residue remains.

Cities manage waste in different ways, the biggest variation being that between first and third world countries. In the western world, waste is typically manage quite effectively with all waste being disposed of a and treated properly where applicable. However, the way waste is handled largely depends on its nature. That is to say, some waste is potentially dangerous and needs to be dealt with in a different way, separately from everything else.

Today, all of the world’s largest cities have complex sewage systems. However, in poorer countries, the sewage systems may well not reached the poorer suburbs which have to deal with waste manually.

Sewers have been around since ancient times and were indeed very famous in ancient Rome. During classical times, Rome had a population of about a million inhabitants, by far the biggest city in the world at the time. At that time, Rome also had one of the most advanced sewerage systems ever seen.

In many European cities, waste management dramatically declined and indeed it was only 150 years ago in cities like London for example, that proper waste management actually started to take off. In fact, the infamous period of 1858 in London known as ‘The Great Stink’ was one of the driving forces behind the modern rise of proper waste management systems.

During this period, it was a very hot summer and all of the city’s waste was disgorged into the Thames and the whole of London became absolutely unbearable. Shortly afterwards, it was decided that major work needed to be done to construct proper sewer systems and deal with the problem with drastic actions.

Today cities still manage waist with these types of sewage systems but other types of waste such as the source that we throw in are beings, is obviously dealt with in of rather different way. All of this is often sent into landfill sites. Landfill sites slowly degrade over the decades but only so extent are some things are not biodegradable. Landfill sites also have the major disadvantage of taking up an enormous and ever growing amount of space.

However, things are changing with various other methods of waste disposal coming in. When gathering all of the junk removal that you have accumulated, separate the items under the categories compost, reuse, recycle. Incineration is also a popular alternative and can also convert waste materials into something useful such as electrical power or heat.

Recycling is also becoming very popular in some countries. Around half of the waste that we produce on a daily basis in our households is perfectly capable of being recycled. This includes any paper or cardboard based products, tins, aluminium or glass. Indeed, in some countries it has already become law to recycle certain materials and place them in separate bins for the rubbish collections.

As the population of the world continues to skyrocket as does the population of the world’s cities, it becomes ever more essential to introduce more effective forms of waste management and upgrade to more environmentally friendly alternatives. However, while progress is being made, demand continues to grow at an alarming rate.

If you have undertaken a home improvement project, you may find that you are left with a great deal of rubble, both construction waste and other trash that builds up.

How do you dispose of all that waste? There are several options available.
The first option, if you will have a large amount of waste, is to rent a dumpster from a rubbish removal service. This may be your primary garbage hauling service, but they are often too big to be bothered with a small customer.

Look on Craigslist or in the yellow pages for other waste removal services that offer dumpster services. The best idea is to get them to come before you begin the project so that you can fill the dumpster as you work on the project. Most have a variety of dumpster sizes, and many will drop one off at your home or job site, leave it for a week or more, and then pick it up when you have completed the project.

The price is usually fairly reasonable, and it gets rid of all the waste at once. Often you’ll have room in the dumpster to get rid of other junk removal that has been piling up in your home as well.

Another option for removing waste is to call a trash hauling service. These services generally operate with a dumptruck or large pickup and come to your home. For an extra fee, they will usually load the junk onto the truck, or you can load it yourself.  Advantages of this method is that it is done quickly and is less trouble than hauling it yourself.

These services also advertise in classified services or on roadside signs with names like 1-2-3 Junk or something similar.

The next option is renting a truck and hauling the load to the dump yourself. First, you need to contact the local dump and determine if they accept trash hauled in by homeowners. If not, call around until you find one that does accept such trash. You’ll need to tell then basically the type of materials you have to dump and about how much before they will quote you a price.

There are trucks available at home improvement stores that rent for about $20 an hour plus gas, or you can just check at a standard UHaul or rental truck establishment. The costs there may be slightly higher, depending on the vehicle you rent. You can often rent just a pickup truck, if that will do the job.

The next option is to advertise on Craigslist yourself. Note the type of waste that you have available, and see if it is of interest to anyone. People with woodburning stoves are often looking for inexpensive fuel sources, and others have different reasons for wanting some waste products. You may be able to winnow it down to a reasonable amount to simply throw away in the standard trash.

The last option is to break up the waste and bag it a little at a time, throwing it out with your regular garbage. If you have a small amount of waste and a great deal of patience, this method gets rid of the waste at no additional cost to you.

Every year, millions of people across the country take a day during the Spring season to clean up and get rid of all of the garbage and clutter that has accumulated in their homes over the previous year. This can include old paint cans, electronics, recreational equipment, old furniture, clothing…etc. When the bags of garbage are piled by the curbside, many do not usually consider where all of the waste goes.

Before awareness about the threats to our environment became widely known, household waste used to go entirely into landfills. Fortunately, many local and regional governments have now changed how we dispose of household waste. Most regions, towns, and cities, have implemented waste processing methods that reduce the amount of garbage going into landfills.

In many places, trash will be sorted at a Materials Recovery Facility. (MRF) It can be sorted using a conveyor belt or by hand. Reusable and recyclable materials are sorted from regular garbage. If you do not live in a community that has a materials recovery centre, a compost and recycling program is very important. MRFs sort out the reusable and recyclable materials that accidentally get put into the trash. The remaining trash is transported to a landfill. The trash is poured into the landfill and covered by a layer of soil.  Each day’s layer of trash is stacked on top of one another and the process is repeated until the landfill is full. Once full, more land has to be cleared and the whole process begins again
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When it comes to a local residential Spring cleaning day, there is so much garbage that is accumulated from all of the homes, that often many items that should be separated will accidentally get put in the landfills. It may seem if newspapers and other items that degrade, it would not matter if they went in a landfill. However, studies have found that this type of trash is slow to degrade in a landfill. Dr. William Rathje, a professor at the University of Arizona, formed a group called the Garbage Project to learn more about what is in America’s landfills. In 1989, his team dug up a newspaper from 1952 that could still be read. They also found an ear of corn with its husks intact mixed in with material dated from 1971.

When it comes to Spring cleaning, we must do our part to make sure unnecessary waste does not end up in the landfills. Remember, the threat of contaminating our water and air does not end once garbage is put in landfills. It takes a longtime for many items to decompose. Also, the soil has to be monitored for toxic contamination that could end up in our own water supply. The less waste that is created means the less waste that ends up in our landfills. When gathering all of the junk removal that you have accumulated, separate the items under the categories compost, reuse, recycle. Any household newspapers and organic waste should go in a composter. Items with toxic chemicals such as car fluids and cleaners should be separated and given to a hazardous waste disposal facility. Electronics and other items that contain toxic metals should also go to a recycle facility where they can be stripped down and disposed of properly and safely. Large items such as tires appliances, and furniture should be separated from landfill items so they can be safely disposed. You can donate items to charities such as clothing, old furniture, electronics that still work,etc. You will find that once you have separated and categorized your items, you will have very little left that will go in a landfill. If you have a great deal of waste, there are special waste hauling companies that will come to your home and remove all of your garbage. They are trained and certified to dispose of waste, hazardous materials, compost, and recyclable goods.

Because of the depletion of our natural resources and hazards to our environment, it is important that individuals and governments dispose of waste that is eco-friendly. Green Spring Cleaning is a great way to conserve and protect the environment.

Residential solid waste, also called urban solid waste and municipal solid waste, is refuse that normally comes from households. It is either in solid or semisolid form. There are five general categories of solid waste that include:

1)    Biodegradable waste: food waste and kitchen waste
2)    Recyclable material: paper, glass, bottles, cans, metals, and certain plastics.
3)    Stagnant waste: construction waste, dirt, rocks, and debris.
4)    Assorted waste: waste clothing, waste plastics,etc.
5)    Household hazardous waste: toxic waste such as paints, chemicals, light bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries,etc.

Cities and towns generally contracts out solid waste removal services. They will submit bids, assess each bid, and recommend a company. The waste company will bill the city or town. These companies are privately owned so if a person has a lot of waste after a project such as home renovation, they can hire a waste removal company to remove the refuse.

Because of environmental regulations and a growing demand for a cleaner environment, waste companies are now performing the following services:

Recycling Programs: Curbside recycling is usually available to all residential customers. Customers will separate their recyclables according to paper and plastics for curbside pick up. Depending on the contract, this is normally done every two weeks. There can be special recycling programs such as Christmas tree recycling. The trees are then made into mulch. Other special programs a town or city can offer are Spring and Fall Clean Ups. They are designed to encourage residents to get rid of large amounts of garbage.

Hazardous Materials: Every year, millions of people accumulate such hazardous waste products as  batteries, paints and stains, cleansers and polishes, motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides and herbicides,etc. These are dangerous to the environment, people, and animals. A junk removal service is trained to remove these products safely and responsibly. They will sort and categorize the hazardous materials before storing them in containment units. The contracted hazardous waste hauler packs the items in drums and sends them to hazardous waste incinerator or other treatment facility for proper disposal. Some materials, such as used motor oil, lead-acid batteries and antifreeze, are recycled.

Compost Services: Many cities and towns offer a compost service. They will provide compost bins for people to place such items as kitchen food waste, newspaper, and other items that can be composted. A contracted waste removal company will pick up the compost left on residential curb sides.

Energy Recovery Plants: Plants that convert waste to energy are popping up all over the country. These plants burn waste to heat water which produces steam in much the same way power plants burn coal, oil, natural gas, or wood. The steam can cause a turbine to produce electricity. Waste removal companies that have energy recovery plants in their area will make use of these services.

Special Handling Waste Removal Services: Cities and towns will have a contracted service to remove large items such as tires, air conditioners, household appliances, and construction debris. Tires are sent to a recycling or recovery facility and household appliances, after chlorofluorocarbon gas removal, are taken to recycling stations.

Individual Contracted Waste Removal Services: There are situations where a person has too much waste to be removed by a city or town removal service. They will then enlist the services of a private company. They are trained and certified to dispose of waste, compost, and recycle residential goods. For a nominal fee, a company will come to your home and remove all of your excess trash.

Because of growing environmental concerns, most companies dispose of waste in ways that will have the least environmental impact. You will feel good knowing that you are doing your part to protect and conserve the environment.

Because of global warming, pollution, diminishing forests, and a limited supply of natural resources, people are becoming more aware of the importance of protecting the environment. Waste in the environment affects the air, water, land, animals, plants, and humans. When we use the environment as a waste dump, we take away land from wildlife, pollute the environment, and deplete natural resources. One way people are doing their part to protect the environment is adopting the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Waste Program. The 3R program reduces the amount of garbage going into landfills thereby protecting and conserving our environment.

Reduce: People reduce by purchasing items that are durable and last a long time. By purchasing long lasting products with very little packaging, you will decrease the amount of waste entering a landfill. Other ways of reducing waste include:
* Buy products that do not require a lot of energy and resources to manufacture. Look for products that contain environmentally friendly packaging.
* Reduce car use by riding your bicycle, carpooling with friends, walking, or taking the bus.
* Composting is a great way to dispose of kitchen waste. It is healthy for the soil and less waste will go into the landfill.
* Turn off lights that you are not using and use energy efficient light bulbs.
* Turn off the taps when brushing your teeth.

Reducing will help with conservation efforts and decrease landfill waste and energy use. Reducing results in less pollution and a cleaner environment. It also helps conserve natural resources.

Reuse: You can reduce waste by reusing products. Reusing methods include repairing damaged items, donating items to a worthy cause, or finding another way to use them. Some reusing tips include:
* Use cloth grocery bags instead of plastic bags. They can be used repeatedly.
* Use reusable lunch bags.
* Metal cans and plastic containers can be used for storing items.
* Donate old clothes, furniture, and toys to a charity.
* Use silverware and dishes instead of plastic utensils and plates.
* Store food in reusable plastic containers.

Another way to reuse is to hire a junk removal service. Except for hazardous materials, junk removal companies will come and remove just about any type of waste. This includes furniture, appliances, electronics, and construction refuse. Many junk removal businesses donate items to charities, repair items, and recycle.

Recycling: This process involves making new products out of old products. This means potential landfill waste becomes a new product. You can protect the environment by buying products that contain recycled materials. Many of the things we use every day are recycled. Recycled products include: paper towels, toilet paper, paper bags, beverage bottles and cans, milk cartons, and much more. Most products have the recycle label on the package.

Many towns and cities have recycling programs. Some places even have mandatory recycling programs. Junk removal companies are actively involved in reusing and recycling. These companies are very aware of the public’s concern for the environment so they make reusing and recycling a big part of their business. Make sure you ask a junk removing company how much they recycle. You will feel good knowing that not all of the junk you are getting rid of will end up in a land fill.

Reducing, reusing, and recycling helps lessen our impact on the environment and benefits the community. With the help of environmentally conscious companies such as junk removal companies, we are decreasing the amount of waste going into landfills. By participating in the 3R program, you will feel good knowing that you are doing your part to leave a healthier planet for your children.

Most people don’t think about a junk removal business until they need one, if you have something that’s so large that your local garbage men won’t take it, if you’ve recently moved and need to dispose of some large things quickly or if you are in need of cleaning out a cluttered estate then a junk removal service becomes something that you may need.

Junk and scrap collectors have been around as long as scrap metals and the like have been a commodity that can be exchanged for cash.  Most of them collecting empty cans and bottles, scrap copper or aluminum to make a few bucks, but the idea of franchising a junk removal service or opening a sustainable business with junk removal at the forefront of the profits is actually pretty new.

For about the last two decades companies like 1-800-Got-Junk have taken the business of junk removal to new levels, creating a necessary niche and providing a service that can help both the people who have the junk to get rid of it, and the community around them by recycling or donating the materials collected.

How it Works
Virtually anything you have that you need to get rid of, with the exception of hazardous materials can be picked and hauled away, many junk removal service businesses even offer same day pick ups in the event that you need to get rid of something quickly.

Old furniture, appliances, construction waste and old electronic equipment can all be hauled away with a simple phone call.   Many junk removal businesses have close relationships with charitable organizations and recycling centers so you can feel confident that much of the material that is getting hauled away will either go to help people in need or will get recycled if possible rather than getting put in a land fill.  This gives the homeowner precious space that was being taken up by things that were going unused, provides lucrative jobs to those who work for the junk removal companies and aids in the preservation of the environment by sending much less material into dumps and landfills.

Some people are pack rats that can never let anything go, with attics, garages and basements loaded to the gills with things that will never get used.  Others hold onto random items in hopes of having stock for future flea market trips, online auctions or yard sales – but there are some things that just aren’t able to be sold.  For the run down refrigerators, broken bathtubs and construction scraps there are the trucks with the able bodied employees of the junk removal businesses

Junk removal has gone from a part time hobby to a big time business; some larger companies have dozens of trucks on the road every single day of the week.  There are franchises nationwide, each with a small fleet of box trucks and a few dozen strong employees who are willing to load and haul whatever junk you happen to have, provided that in isn’t dangerous or hazardous.

In the past twenty years the business of junk removal has grown substantially, and as long as people get improvements done to their homes, upgrade their appliances or downsize to a smaller living arrangement the business will continue to grow.  Paying the small fee for the removal is well worth it to most people to just be rid of the items that they would otherwise be forced to hold onto – or to haul away themselves.  Paying the one time cost for removing all of the junk that you don’t need and don’t use will clear up valuable space in your home and free you from potentially have to put some of your things into a storage unit – and by using a reputable junk removal service, you’ll be able to be confident in the fact that whatever you are getting rid of will either be donated to someone who needs it or recycled, so you won’t be contributing to the overflow occurring in the landfills.

Our environment is precious because it is what provides us food, gives us air to breathe, gives us water, and more or less keeps us alive. When the environment is compromised, animals become diseased and they starve, people can become sick off of the animals and the water supply, and the air that people, plants, and animals breathe in can make anything and everything sick. That is why we have to take care of our environment. We are literally draining it dry of everything clean it has to give us, so we have to make sure we replenish it the best we can, protect it, and add to it as we go.

Unfortunately, one of the contributors to the sickness that exists within the environment is the inappropriate management of rubbish disposal. There are individuals throwing away harmful items and substances. For example, the inappropriate disposal of batteries is harmful to the environment. Any toxic items are to not be thrown away with the regular trash, but disposed of in other ways that can be described to you by your local waste pickup service.

Appropriate disposal

Certain cities have certain rules surrounding the disposal of certain types of rubbish. For example, paint thinners may not be disposed of in your regular trash. Anything that may be toxic cannot be disposed of with the regular everyday trash. It will get into the ground and cause contamination.

If you are wondering about the proper disposal of toxic chemicals, gardening soil, and other items that your trash service won’t pick up, you can call your local sanitation director and see what they tell you to do. Some cities have designated drop off points or they may have a pickup service that you can take advantage of.

There are over 6 billion people in the world and all of us dispose of pounds upon pounds of waste every single day. The world is only so large, so it is important for us to be mindful of what it is we are throwing in the trash and it is up to us to make sure it is disposed of properly.

One of the biggest headaches for any homeowner, apartment renter and certainly city dweller is what to do when the junk piles up. We all try to stay clutter free but after years of residing in the same place things just have a habit of multiplying. Old furniture, ugly gifts from long lost relatives, kids toys, items from the hobby you don’t care to do anymore. All of these take up precious room and need to be removed on occasion so there is space for the shiny new things that you want to buy.

There are also those times when you decide to renovate and get rid of all the old cupboards and flooring that was making your life miserable, replacing them with nice new fixtures, but creating quite a mess for yourself in the process.

During renovations and spring-cleaning rituals the biggest question that comes up for all of us is: What do I do with all this junk?

The Friend With The Truck

Everyone seems to have a ‘friend with a truck’ and they appear to be the logical choice when looking for a way to remove the junk from your life.

However, these friends are only available at a time that suits them, which may not be a convenient time for you. Along with that you have to know where to take the different kinds of junk you are hauling. Some of it should be recycled, some of it should be donated and some of it needs to be disposed of at a proper facility. In many places this means running all over town wasting an entire day or more (depending on how much stuff you have) battling with traffic and delays as you deal with the staff at the different locations.

Putting It Out With The Trash

Most municipal garbage trucks will refuse to pick up certain types of junk. In many places tougher recycling laws prohibit anything that can be re-used from ending up in the landfill. If you try to sneak your junk out with the trash then you may find not only your junk still sitting on the curb but also your legitimate garbage removal too.

In city centers in particular it is illegal to place furniture and other renovation materials out in the street or in communal garbage containers. If you are caught the city or the strata council of your building could fine you.

Doing It Yourself

If you do not own a truck you will need to rent one and then break your back lifting, carrying, disposing and doing it all over again until your home is clear of clutter.

Is this really the way you want to spend your precious days off from work?

Why Choose a Junk Removal Service?

Convenience is certainly the number one reason to use a professional junk removal service.

- They come to your home at a time and date designated by you.

- They come prepared to haul away anything and everything (the only exclusion would be hazardous waste as this requires special permits and handling procedures).

- You do not have to move any of the junk yourself. The team members will come into your home or apartment and cart the junk from where it is sitting out to the waiting truck.

Another important reason for using a reputable junk removal service is the fact that they will ensure all materials and objects are taken to the right places. They will recycle, re-distribute to charities and dispose of renovation waste in the appropriate manner.