What You Can Put in a Trash Container Rental in East Palo Alto, CA

Furniture

Luckily, any type of wood furniture is always acceptable to throw away in a dumpster; however, upholstered furniture is different. States and cities vary in their rules and depending on where you live, you can’t throw away your upholstered couch or even your mattress. This is because some landfills will not accept these items, so dumpster rental companies won’t allow you to throw them in their dumpsters. 

That is not always the case, however. Some dumpster services may allow these items, but you will have to pay an additional fee to throw them away.

Electronics

It’s not always clear what items you can and can’t throw away, and some items are gray areas. Electronics are one of those. In some states, you can throw electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and cell phones, into a dumpster; on the other hand, some states will not allow it. You should research the laws in your city and find a way to recycle them as e-waste rather than putting them in a dumpster. As well, if you are cleaning someplace where you need to throw away a lot of electronics, your dumpster rental in East Palo Alto, CA, may not allow for them. 

For example, you may struggle if you have to clean out your office building. Chances are, you must throw out a lot of computers, monitors, and other electronic devices. Even if your dumpster company allows you to throw out electronics, they may not let you throw out that many computers. Before renting a dumpster from 1-877-DUMP-PRO in East Palo Alto, CA, check the laws for where you live and the rules of the dumpster companies in your area.

Renovation Debris

If you are planning on doing a home renovation, you may need to rent a dumpster. You’ll have to tear away so much wood, brick, and anything else from your house, and if you can’t throw them in a large dumpster, you’ll have to make trip after trip to the dump. 

Lucky for you, renovation debris is allowed in most dumpsters. You can throw away everything from siding, drywall, brick, roofing shingles, and more in a dumpster. The only case where you cannot throw these items away is if they contain asbestos. If your home has asbestos in it, you should never do that renovation by yourself. Hire a professional to remove and dispose of the material properly.

Yard Waste removal

Many dumpsters allow yard waste disposal in dumpsters: you can throw out everything from trees, leaves, logs, and other types of wood. Since these items are natural and can decompose on their own, there is no issue throwing them in a dumpster. However, some companies may have a limit on how much you can throw away—you can throw out a pile of logs, but maybe not a whole evergreen tree. So, keep in mind how much you need to dispose of and do your research before choosing a dumpster rental company in San Mateo County.

Paint

Now that we have discussed what is generally accepted for disposal in dumpsters, we will discuss what you cannot throw away. One of the highest items on this list is paint. Most paints, lacquers, and paint thinners contain lead and mercury, which is toxic to the environment. The only type of paint you can throw away is latex-based paint; however, you can only throw it away once you dry it. To dry your latex paint, pour it into a box of kitty litter or shredded paper and let it sit. Once it’s dry, you can throw it into a dumpster safely. Once the paint on the inside of the can is dry as well, you can dispose of the cans.

Batteries

While many states allow you to dispose of Alkaline batteries, it’s always best to recycle them, as they can release toxins into the environment. However, you cannot throw away any other type of battery. Car batteries, lithium batteries, computer batteries, and more contain hazardous waste that can harm the environment if it escapes from the battery. To keep the environment safe, you cannot throw these into a dumpster.

Tires

This may not seem as obvious as batteries and paint, but you cannot throw whole tires into a dumpster. Most landfills will not allow whole tires because of their hollow centers. As garbage piles on top of a tire, methane gas from the other trash will become trapped in the center. This trapping of methane gas is why dumpsters in East Palo Alto, CA, will reject tires.

Hazardous Waste

Finally, you cannot throw any type of hazardous materials into a dumpster. This can include asbestos, pesticides, motor oil, and many household cleaners. You may wonder if you can’t throw them into a dumpster, how do you get rid of them? Most areas will have a hazardous waste drop-off center where you can dispose of your hazardous materials properly. This keeps the environment safe from these toxic chemicals.