What happens to the stuff you pick up?
Each piece of junk we pick up is different from the last, but the basics of what we do with your old junk is to recycle it and minimize the landfill impact any way we can. Sometimes this means donating gently used furniture or appliances to charities and sometimes it means breaking things down into their individual parts in order to recycle them or sell them for reuse in repair or production of other products. The overall goal is for us to remove it for you and then keep as much out of the landfill as possible.
Why does it matter if my junk goes to the landfill?
Most junk carries with it several different types of pollutants that are hazardous to the environment. Old air conditioner thermostats, fire alarms, and even thermometers can hold liquid mercury. Refrigerators and air conditioners along with aquarium and pond chillers contain Freon in one form or another, all of which are harmful to the environment through greenhouse gases. All power equipment of one kind or another contains things like grease, oil, liquid coolants, and heavy metals that can damage the environment on a local level by leaking into the groundwater if not properly disposed of. Electronic waste from computers and televisions to old cell phones, microwaves, and even electronic toys contain heavy metals that are poisonous to humans and animals. This e-waste is also harmful to the environment and can get into the local water supply if not properly recycled.
How do you remove the hazardous materials?
If we are recycling a product, let’s say a refrigerator, we start by deciding if it provides benefit to the environment as repair, donate, or recycle. If repair is chosen then it it best to repair the product and find a new home for it because it still has usable years left before it needs to be recycled. Donation might happen if we remove a nice refrigerator and there is a local charity in need. All appliances we pick up either fall into the repair or donation or they are recycled. Generally, we start by pumping out the refrigerant (r-22, r-410a, HFC-134a, etc) into a certified holding tank for recycling. Once the entire system is pumped out we drain any remaining oil and take the refrigerator apart to separate the metals and electronics for recycling. If there are any working parts they may be sold to repair other appliances.
Every product is different and the refrigerator example is just one. Furniture could be donated, repaired and sold, or broken down to recycle the metals and lumber. Mechanical devices like tractors and trailers are almost completely recyclable. Yard debris is composted. TV’s and electronics have heavy metals in the circuit boards and switches and are taken apart and separated for recycling.
What don’t you take?
If a material is considered a hazardous waste then we can’t take it. If you don’t know if it is a hazardous waste then just ask us. In some cases we can take hazardous waste like paint, gasoline, propane, oil, tires, and more, but a special disposal fee may apply to each hazardous item in order to properly recycle or dispose of it based on environmental impact and regulations.