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.

When you have to have junk removed from your property, you do have several options. However, there are only two options on the minds of many people. Those options are to take advantage of a free service or to take advantage of a pay service. What you choose depends on what kind of junk you want to get rid of and how much of it you have.

Free junk removal services

If you have junk that is nothing but recyclables, then you can take advantage of a free junk removal service. The reason for this is because a free junk removal service obtains their money by recycling the goods they pick up. If it is not recyclable, then they cannot take it. It would cost them to have to get rid of it and they’re not going to take on that cost. They’re not going to take it on because they get nothing in return.

Fortunately, most items can be recycled in some way, so that will work in your favor when using a free junk removal service. However, you also have to take a look at how much junk you’re looking to get rid of. If it is above a certain amount, then they may charge you for the additional or not take it at all. That doesn’t make it so free, does it? It doesn’t. They also may not take those things that can be donated because they do not make a profit from it. This can include such materials as soil you have left over from planting your flower bed.

When choosing a free junk removal service, make sure you look at it from every angle. That way you know if they can take all or most of your junk. If they can take most and you can deal with the rest, then it might be a good deal. Otherwise, you may want to employ a pay service.

Pay junk removal services

When you pay a junk removal service, you can get rid of those things that a free junk removal service won’t get rid of at all. You may have old garden junk that you can’t do anything with. You might even have old furniture that can be donated to a family in need. A junk removal service will make sure the furniture is sent to the right place for refurbishment so that it can be turned into a usable piece again, if it isn’t already usable.

There are a few things, however that no junk removal service will remove and those things are chemicals and other hazardous wastes. Anything that is considered toxic must be disposed of in another way. The best way to find out is to contact the waste department within your city and see how they suggest certain hazardous materials be disposed of.

The reason why they cannot haul off hazardous chemicals is because these chemicals can spill in their trucks, the employees can become hurt, and they may not have the proper venue to dispose of those materials. Make sure you check with your local junk removal service regarding whether or not they can haul off certain materials. If they can’t, you need to consult with your city.

Which one?

Which one is entirely up to you. Just keep in mind that free services tend to take less care. They do make money off of your material, but they may not be quite as convenient as your commercial junk services. Remember that they give items to charities and they recycle as much of the materials as they can. It is rare you’ll find your things in a landfill.

No matter where you live in Canada, from Vancouver to Toronto to Halifax, clutter is a problem for most people. Things just tend to pile up and if you are a classic pack rat personality (or have a spouse who is), you`re always thinking that you could be able to use that broken light bulb or that old stack of scratched records from the sixties. Sadly, most of us never do get around to using these things, so they just fill up closets, basements and attics and threaten to take over the house in general.

Junk Removal as a Means of Decluttering

One of the biggest problems people face when trying to declutter their homes is not having anywhere to put the stuff they want to get rid of. Many organization books will suggest that you have various boxes, to give away, to sell, etc. This is a big problem, though, because once you`ve finished sorting all your stuff into these boxes . . . you haven`t gotten rid of a single thing!

The whole point of decluttering isn`t to organize the clutter you have, it is to actually get rid of it. Let`s face it, most people just don`t have the time to actually set up a garage sale or sell stuff on Ebay, so it all sits in those neat little boxes, still taking up space in your basement. Sur, it looks neat and tidy, but you still have a space issue. And your home shouldn`t be for storing things you will never use again.

Rather than plan on something that you will never get around to actually doing, it can be quite cathartic to get rid of all that junk at once. A junk removal service can be very helpful in getting rid of it. You can put everything into boxes or bags, whatever you like, call the service and they will haul it all away for you. This eliminates the problem of piling even more stuff up just so you can store it until “someday” you do something with it.

The Benefits of Decluttering

There`s nothing like having a home that you are free to live in to make getting rid of all that junk totally worth your while. You`ll find that you have plenty of extra space once all those boxes are gone, too. Here are just a few of the benefits of tossing things you don`t use:

• You won`t be searching through piles of stuff for one important item.

• There will be plenty of space for things you do need to keep.

• No more feeling guilty that you don`t fit into your skinny jeans . . . and haven’t for ten years.

• You`ll discover a lot of things that you may have thought were lost and gone forever.

• It`s an emotional lift to see everything cleared out.

• They say a cluttered home makes for a cluttered mind . . . so cleaner should mean more concentration.

• Everything you need will be easier to find.

• It will be easier to keep your home clean with fewer things in it.

Decluttering can take a while, especially if you`ve been stockpiling for some time, but it`s something that will make you feel a lot better once it`s done. The best way to feel that weight lifted and to breathe a sigh of relief is to actually physically remove all that junk from your home and send it on its way with the junk removal service. Well worth the money, junk removal will whisk all your unwanted, unneeded and useless clutter away, leaving you with a neat and tidy home.

It is a sad and stressful time when a loved one passes away. You grieve for that person; you have to deal with the technicalities of their passing such as funeral arrangements and memorial services. After this is all said and done, there is that moment when you and the family have to go through your loved one’s belongings. This is another step in the process that is difficult because everything reminds you of that person. Once everyone has sifted through their things, there is always stuff left over that no one wants. As sad as it is that you can’t distribute everything, you then have to figure out what to do with all of it. Just like everyone else, your late loved one had accumulated junk and junk can be a problem when trying to clear out an individuals living quarters.

What you find yourself dealing with is old pieces of furniture that everyone said they could not use, boxes of old books that everyone has already sifted through, old magazines that your loved one was collecting, and stuff that you don’t even know what it is or what purpose it could possibly serve. You have no idea what you’re going to do with all of it because it is literally going to be impossible for you to haul it off to a dump somewhere on your own and some of it you’re not even sure if it is safe for a dump. That’s when you entertain the idea of hiring a junk removal service.

Junk removal service

A junk removal service uses different sizes of dumpsters, trucks, and trailers to take care of your junk removal needs. They will take care of the removal of trash, rubbish that the garbage man would not pick up in a million years, junk removal, furniture removal, and so much more. There really isn’t too much that a junk removal service will not pick up unless it is some sort of hazardous material. In that case you need to contact your area’s waste department to see how to properly dispose of those materials. But the point is that you’re going to be able to dispose of all of that stuff that no one wants and you’re going to be able to do it affordably.

Basically, you can shop around for the best junk removal service in your area based on the amount of stuff that needs to be removed. When you tell them how much stuff there is, they can quote you a price based on the manpower needed and the size of the truck, trailer, or dumpster that needs to be used. You can then use that information to compare services in order to find the best one for you.

What do they do with it?

Once they pick up the stuff, they take it back to their facility and they sort through it. Many times such items as furniture can be salvaged. Once it is salvaged, it is used in such facilities as nursing homes or for the less fortunate. Recyclables are recycled and anything else that can be salvaged is donated to facilities and organizations that can use them. The amount of the junk that does not see another chance at a useful life is very small because there are so many uses for junk that no one wants.

So when it comes down to it, don’t stress and remove the junk on your own. Call a junk removal service to do it for you. That way it is being done quickly and you know that your loved one’s junk can become someone else’s treasure.

If there was ever a unique service provided to households, junk removal services are exactly that. These services will take your junk and will dispose of it in the proper manner so that you don’t have to do it all yourself. Sometimes the junk that you have may be way beyond your handling capabilities, so you call on the junk removal service of your choice to get it done for you. When utilizing these services, you would be quite amazed at what kind of difference it makes.

How much of a difference do they make? They make quite a difference. If you are renovating your home and you have a lot of junk that is getting in your way, a junk removal service will clear out the obstacles for you. However, it is important that you choose a service that will provide you with the services that you need. This is because not one junk removal service is the same. They all get things done differently.

What does a good junk removal service do?

A good junk removal service will not waste your time, will carefully screen all of their workers to make sure your belongings will not be tampered with, they won’t walk off of the job before they finish it, and the workers will have good moral character. That means they should treat you with respect when coming to haul off all of that unwanted junk.

The disposal

The junk removal company should be able to take around 70% of the junk that is retrieved and recycle it. This means that not all of your junk is going to end up in a landfill somewhere where it can hurt the environment. In fact, having a junk removal service dispose of your junk is probably the most responsible thing that you can do because they are going to make sure that everything is disposed of properly.

They may also take pieces of furniture and other salvageable items and have them fixed for use in nursing homes, hospitals, schools, homeless shelters, low income homes, and other uses that give them a second life. Even soil can get a second go around. If the soil is usable, then the junk removal company will donate it to greenhouses and nurseries because they can always use good soil. If you have any green waste, the junk removal will make sure it is placed within lakes and ponds because the aquatic life can thrive on it.

As for what can’t be disposed of is common sense. Anything that is considered to be a hazardous material cannot be removed. This is for the safety of the junk removal service’s workers and for the environment. There is also the fact that they may not have a license to remove hazardous waste. The best way to learn of how these materials can be disposed of is through your local waste management office or a recycling center.

Keep in mind

Keep in mind that there is a cost associated with junk removal and it will depend on what and how much you are disposing of. The service will most likely charge based on volume, which is how much space is consumed in the truck. Some heavier materials such as concrete and plaster may constitute a higher fee due to the fact that they are disposed of differently. That is why it is difficult for a junk removal service to give price quotes over the phone. Nevertheless, you’ll find that junk removal is an affordable and environmentally friendly way to clear the clutter out of your life.

Hazardous waste is defined as any toxic, biologic, infectious, or radioactive material that can harm individuals in their homes or cause harm to workers through exposure at their place of work. However, the definition is broadened when it comes to residential and business waste pick up. This is because there are a number of chemicals that when disposed of by individuals and businesses, can cause harm to the workers picking up the trash. It is possible for these workers to receive such injuries as chemical burns, internal damage from fumes, damage to their eyes, etc. That is why other provisions are made for the disposal of harmful waste items.

What is considered harmful?

What is considered hazardous waste and what is not depends on the trash pickup company. It depends on what kind of vehicles they are using, what types of equipment they have available at their facility, and what kind of safety precautions are put in place. Some companies have a department that can process hazardous waste, while others do not.

If the trash pickup company does not have a hazardous waste system put in place, the types of materials most likely listed as hazardous waste are:

• Paint and other materials related to paint such as varnish, paint thinner, solvent-based stains and paints, cleaner for paintbrushes, and paint stripper. Latex paint is the exception because it is not considered hazardous.

• Flammable materials such as gasoline and kerosene.

• Chemicals such as Mercury, Asbestos, products made of lead, photo developing chemicals, PCBs, and paints used by artists. For proper disposal of these items, it is important to check with the residing state.

• Outdoor products such as fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals for the swimming pool, and propane cylinders used on gas grills.

• Carpet cleaning materials and spot removers.

• Automotive waste such as batteries, engine coolant, brake fluid, products used in auto body repair, degreasers, and motor oil that has been used are considered hazardous. In regards to the used motor oil, there are designated areas and certain procedures in which motor oil can be disposed of. This information can be obtained from local government, the internet, or from a local oil change company.

How to dispose of these items

There is nothing that cannot be thrown away, but certain materials need special care and there are certain areas that are designated for these materials. For those who must dispose of hazardous materials, the internet makes a great resource for finding a local company that will properly and professionally dispose of them. If not sure, a local trash removal company or a recycling center may have the information needed. It is also ideal to contact the individual in charge of trash pickup in the closest city to acquire that information.

Although there are specifications as to what can be considered hazardous, hazardous waste does find its way into residential trash bags without the garbage pickup crew knowing. This can be very harmful to them, so it is very important to find out what your trash pickup company will and will not pick up in order to dispose of it properly. Each hazardous item that finds its way into a trash bag could be endangering the health of those who must work around it for long periods of time. Proper disposal protects the health of all of those involved.