Where and How to Dispose of Junk
In this blog post, we outline the different methods for how and where to remove junk, dispose of waste, and eliminate trash. Every at-home project is different and poses unique challenges. That’s why we want to provide you with some options in order to find the right method that fits your needs.
So you have some junk removal needs? You’ve come to the right place. This post aims to inform you on how to make the best decision for moving your junk.
- Maybe you are moving soon and need your furniture removed in a hurry
- Maybe you are cleaning and organizing your backyard and it’s turning out to be more than you bargained for
- Maybe you took a good long look at the garage and realized that your habit of holding on to old memories has gotten out of hand
Whatever the reason, you need to get rid of some junk, and we are going to walk you through how and where to dispose of that junk.
The first thing you need to do is take a hard look at whatever you are getting rid of and decide what is recyclable, what is donatable, and what is trash. The Junk Trunk is a green organization, and we are advocates for recycling and donating every item that we can. Our goal is to find new homes for your old memories. We strongly encourage you to consider landfills as a last resort for your old junk, because a lot of household items can be reused, repurposed, or might just need a new home. You can find our guide to donating and recycling your junk in our next blog post. That being said, sometimes trash is trash, and the only option is going to the dump.
So, back to the point. You have some junk that you need to get rid of, and you want to know where and how to dispose of it. Basically, you have five main options for junk removal:
- Load up a pick up truck, and drive it to the nearest disposal facility
- Rent a dumpster
- Use a Bagster (dumpster in a bag)
- Hire a junk removal company
- Leave it to your kids to take care of…we won’t count this as an option for this post
All of these options have their pros and cons, and each one is better for certain situations. We are going to walk you through each option and how to choose which one is best for you.
Pickup Truck Method
The “Pickup Truck Method” involves loading all of your junk into a pickup truck and driving it to the nearest disposal facility, whether that is a landfill, junkyard, or recycling center. This method is ideal if:
- You have access to a pickup truck
- Your junk load is small enough to fit in the bed of your truck
- You have friends/family that are willing to help you out
- You have time to drive to the nearest dump at least once or twice, if not more
While this method is often seen as the cheapest option, there are still costs associated with it. First, there is the economic cost of using your time to compile your junk, load it into the truck, and drive it to the nearest landfill or transfer station. Note, you may end up driving to and from the facilities multiple times, depending on how big of a load you need gone. Pickup trucks have very limited space, especially when transporting large items. The bed of a full size standard pickup has dimensions of: 8′ long X 5.33′ wide X 1.5‘ high. When loaded level full, a truck of this size will hold 2.5 cubic yards of material. In comparison, the Junk Trunk drives around a box truck that is 14ft long, 8ft wide, and 5 ft high, and can fit 8 pickup truck loads into one box truck.
Second, the price of gas to get to and from the dump must be considered (especially right now). Lastly, it costs money to throw things away and recycle at the dump. An Arm Chair costs approximately $65 to recycle at Western Disposal, while a washer dryer or dishwasher costs about $56. A mattress/box spring can cost anywhere from $38-78, while a bike is about $13, a refrigerator $78, and a pickup truck bed full of trash at Front Range Landfill can cost anywhere from $96-193 depending on the material, weight, and volume.
If this is the option you choose, make sure to look at what you can dump or recycle at each location before going there. Here is a list of places where you can throw away or recycle your junk in the Denver MetroPolitan Area:
2051 63rd street, Boulder, CO 80301
Open Monday – Saturday 7 AM to 5 PM
Closed on Sunday
5500 Franklin Street, Denver, CO 80216
Open Monday – Friday 6 AM to 5 PM, Saturday 6 AM to 2 PM
Closed on Sunday
Waste Management Drop off: D and R Transfer Station (Commerce City)
6091 Brighton Boulevard, Commerce City, CO 80022
Open Monday – Friday 6 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 6 AM to 2 PM
Closed on Sunday
Waste Management Drop off: South Denver Metro Transfer Station (Englewood)
2400 West Union Avenue, Englewood, CO 80110
Open Monday – Friday 6 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 6 AM to 2 PM
Closed on Sunday
Waste Management Drop off: Disposal Site Landfill (Aurora)
3500 South Gun Club Road, Aurora, CO 80018
Open Monday – Friday 6 AM to 7:30 PM, Saturday 7 AM to 5 PM
Closed on Sunday
All Recycling: Brighton Scrap Yard
987 US Hwy 85 Brighton, CO 80603
Open Monday – Friday 8 AM to 4 PM
Closed on Sunday
All Recycling: Englewood Scrap Yard
1775 West Wesley Ave Englewood, CO 80110
Open Monday – Friday 8 AM to 4 PM
Closed on Sunday
All Recycling: Denver Transfer Station
5350 North Washington St Denver, CO 80216
Open Monday – Friday 8 AM to 4 PM
Closed on Sunday
Cherry Creek Recycling Drop Off: Free Recycling Solution
(Drop off open to Denver residents ONLY)
7400 Cherry Creek S Dr, Denver, CO 80231
Open Tuesday – Friday 10 AM to 4:30 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 3 PM
Closed on Sunday
Free recycling solution
GFL Environmental (Cherry Creek)
7750 Cherry Creek Dr S, Denver, CO 80231
Open Monday – Friday 5 AM to 5 PM
Closed on Sunday
(Recycle Computers, TVs, Household electronics, small appliances)
953 Decatur St., Ste C, Denver, CO 80204
Open Monday – Friday 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 1 PM
Closed on Sunday
These are hours assuming you are two professional movers for loading and unloading the pickup truck and dumpster. The Junk Trunk hours are 0 because we provide the labor while you lay back and relax!
Disclaimer: A standard pickup truck is 1/8th of the size of the Junk Trunk trucks.
Rent a Dumpster
If you have too much junk to fit in a pickup truck, you might want to consider renting a roll-off dumpster (“roll-off” refers to how these dumpsters roll off and onto the truck that transports them). Dumpsters will often be rented for larger projects. This method is ideal for:
- Remodeling/renovating
- Replacing a roof
- Landscaping/yard debris removal
- Large scale garage cleanout/basement cleanout/attic cleanout
- Disaster or storm cleanups
- Moving in a hurry
If you are performing one of these projects or something similar, renting a dumpster might be a good option for you. However, there are considerations you should know before you decide to rent a dumpster. First, make sure you have space on your property to fit the dumpster. If you do not have space on your property/in your driveway and plan to put the dumpster on the street, check to see if your city requires a permit to do so. You should also consider that it is common for pedestrians to throw their trash into dumpsters parked on the street, and your dumpster may be partially filled with your neighbors junk. Second, decide how big of a dumpster you are going to need. Dumpsters are measured in cubic yards, and there are many different sizes available, ranging from 6 cubic yards to 40 cubic yards. 30 or 40 yard dumpsters are usually used for construction or commercial projects, while smaller dumpsters are typically sufficient for residential projects.
According to 5280 Waste, a “10 yard dumpster is just under 12 feet long, 6 feet wide and just over 5 feet high, this dumpster holds up to 5 tons.” A “12-yard dumpster (is) longer (16’) and wider (8’) than our 10-yarders, but are shorter at 3’6,” while the 20-yard dumpsters are 23’ x 8’ x 4’6 and can hold 10 tons of waste, debris, or junk. According to Waste Management, a 15-yard dumpster holds 10 tons, equivalent to 6 pickup loads, while a 20-yard dumpster holds 10 tons but the equivalent of 8 pickup loads, and a 30-yard dumpster also holds 10 tons but the equivalent of 14 pickup loads.
Third, you need to think about how long you need it for, as dumpsters are often rented on a weekly basis, and needing it for more or less time than you originally planned could end up as a costly mistake. Fourth, dumpster rentals can be hard to find, as they are often booked out weeks in advance. Finally, know what type of debris you plan to put in the dumpster and how that will impact the price of the rental. Most dumpster rental companies specify certain materials that they do not accept, including any kind of hazardous materials.
Dumpster rental prices range based on the type of debris you put in them, the size of the dumpster, and the length of the rental. Additional charges can apply if you include any additional features, such a top or a lock. Most companies include drop off and pick up in the base price. According to Zters, here are the approximate weekly rates for their dumpsters in the Denver area:
- 10 yard: $447 to $470
- 20 yard: $460 to $490
- 30 yard: $486 to $599
- 40 yard: $539 to $579
If this is an option you are considering, here is a list of places you can rent a dumpster in the Denver area:
Blue Bear: 12, 20, 30, and 40 yard roll-off dumpsters available
Waste Management: 15, 20, and 30 yard roll-off dumpsters available
5280 Waste: 10, 12, 20, 30, and 40 yard roll-off dumpsters available
Sam’s Hauling: 6, 9, 12, 16 yard dumpsters available
Disclaimer: The price of a dumpster rental does not include the additional time and cost of labor required to load the dumpster
Bagster: Dumpster in a bag
A Bagster is a Waste Management product that can be a substitute for a dumpster. Bagsters can typically be used in place of a dumpster for the same types of projects, just on a smaller scale. When full, Bagsters are about 2 ½ feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long. They have a 3 cubic yard capacity, and are strong enough to hold up to 3,300 pounds (1.5 tons) of debris/waste. Bagsters are ideal if:
- You have too small of a load to rent a dumpster
- You don’t know how long your project is going to take
- You don’t have enough space on your property to fit a dumpster
Unlike a dumpster, you are not renting the Bagster. You actually buy the bag, so you can keep it for as much or little time as you need. The way it works is simple: you buy the bag, you fill it up, and then you pay to have someone pick it up. A bag costs $30 on Amazon, and Waste Management will pick up the first full bag for $165, and each additional bag for $140. However, the Junk Trunk will pick it up for $140 AND we let you keep the bag, so you don’t have to go buy another.
If you are considering this method, you have a couple options for buying the bag. You can purchase a Bagster online on the Waste Management website, Amazon, Home Depot, or Lowes. You can also purchase one in-store at several different Home Depot and True Value locations around Denver.
Make sure you know what type of material you are putting in your Bagster, as there are limits to what can and can’t go in there. You CANNOT throw away electronics, paint, tires, appliances, batteries, or food waste. Whether you can or can’t throw away yard waste in a Bagster depends on your region, however in the Denver area you CAN include yard waste in the Bagster. Make sure to also consider how much debris/waste you plan to dispose of, and buy 1 or multiple Bagsters accordingly.
Junk Removal Companies
The last option we are going to talk about is hiring a junk removal company. Junk removal companies are usually the easiest and sometimes the cheapest option available to dispose of your junk. The Junk Trunk is a full service junk removal company. That means that everything is included in the price, such as, picking up items from wherever they’re located in and outside the property, loading the items into the truck, sweeping up the area when we’re done, and any associated disposal or recycling fees. Hiring a Junk Removal Company is ideal if:
- You don’t want to spend your free time cleaning up your junk
- You are unable to physically lift and remove your junk
- You need multiple people but friends are not willing to help
- You don’t have a means of transporting your junk
- You don’t want to hassle with dumping prices
- You’d rather be doing anything else with your time
The Junk Trunk is a company dedicated to providing excellent customer service to all of our clients. We provide fast, efficient junk removal services and are able to do same day junk removal jobs. We pride ourselves on being a green organization, and work hard to keep your junk out of the landfill by sorting through your junk to recycle and donate whatever we can.
Everyone has different needs, which is why we have provided several different options for you depending on your project scope and size. However, no matter what project you are working on, we can promise that you won’t regret hiring The Junk Trunk.
