One of the realities of life is junk. Sometimes we make it and sometimes it's the stuff we have and no longer want or need. So, we need to get rid of it. 

For generations, Americans have been getting rid of junk, trash, and debris from their homes. In the old days - before the advent of municipal landfills - it was usually a DIY job. Not any more.

Dawn of the Dump: A Thumbnail History of Landfills in America

Most Americans today are familiar with the concept of "going to the dump." In fact, for some of us, this is still a common practice and a long-held junk removal practice. For others, a landfill is only something we've seen in movies or in magazine articles. 

But we know they've been around for a long time.

Actually, according to one Wikipedia entry,

"The Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill, opened in Fresno, California in 1937, is considered to have been the first modern, sanitary landfill in the United States, innovating the techniques of trenching, compacting, and the daily covering of waste with soil."

But throwing trash and junk into holes in the ground has a long-standing history. In America, prior to the 20th century, even swamps were filled in with debris and garbage and, later, these areas were built on as nearby towns and cities expanded.

An article at Green Risks notes,

"[By] the late 1800’s cities created garbage collection and disposal systems using horse-drawn carts to collect garbage and dispose of it in open dumps, incinerators, or at sea. According to records at the U.S. EPA, in New York City in 1916 the garbage collection took in 4.6 pounds of garbage per person per day."

This was more or less the common practice for junk removal and garbage disposal throughout the country up until the middle of the last century when municipalities and government agencies began to regulate waste management practices.

For example, the Green Risks article goes on to say that,

"In 1959 the American Society of Civil Engineers first published guidelines for a “sanitary landfill” that suggested compacting waste and covering it with a layer of soil each day to reduce odors and control rodents. Even at this point landfills were designed by excavating a hole or trench, filling the excavation with trash, and covering the trash with soil."

After that, government oversight began to pick up steam with several regulatory, legislative, and bureaucratic developments:

• The Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 (SWDA) created the office of solid waste.
• In 1976, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) expanded the federal government’s role in managing waste disposal.
• In 1979, EPA developed the first set of criteria for sanitary landfills that included standards for locating new landfills and operational standards for existing landfills to reduce disease vectors and increase protection of surface and groundwater.
• RCRA was amended in 1984 to require EPA to assess and revise the sanitary landfill requirements.
• In 1991, EPA established new federal standards for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills.

The Precarious State of Landfills Now

Fast forward 30 years and we find ourselves in a nation that currently has 2,000 active landfills in the country, with the average American throwing out 4.4 pounds of trash a day, according to the EPA. 

The actual number of landfills fluctuate over time, but in 1986, for example, there were 7,683 landfills in the United States. Yet, by 2009, there were just 1,908 landfills operating. That's a 75 percent decline in disposal facilities in less than 25 years.

According to the EPA, much of the decrease in landfills is because of multiple landfills having consolidate into single, more efficient facilities. And, because new technology enables each acre of landfill to hold 30 percent more waste, the available landfill space per person has increased by almost 30 percent.

Maybe.

A 2015 Yale study has suggested that Americans are throwing out twice as much trash than the EPA estimates.

So, landfills or no landfills, we still gotta get rid of our junk. 

Junk Removal Three Different Ways

Today, almost anywhere you live, there are essentially three ways to dispose of your junk.

DIY Junk Removal

The first method - the one that most people tend to default to - is what we kindly refer to as the DIY junk removal method. Essentially, this simply means that you load your junk into the back of a pickup truck, drive it all to your nearest landfill or waste transfer station, and unload it yourself. 

Simple, but not so easy. 

This method means that you do all the heavy lifting - three times. Once to get it out to the curb, once to get it into a truck, and once to get out of the truck. Not so easy.

Also, this option requires the use of a pickup truck. If you don't own one or can't borrow one, then you have to rent one. Also not so easy. And we won't go on about covering your load, waiting in line at the dump, paying the fees, and figuring out what isn't allowed and what is, and so on. 

Full-Service Junk Removal

This is what Junk King specializes in and what we live for. 

Full-service junk removal is simply an on-demand service to have just about any kind of trash removed from your home. And most everything and anything can be removed and disposed of by Junk King (except hazardous waste.)

How does this all work?

You simply make an appointment online or with a quick phone call. Our professional and friendly junk removal experts will show up on time and, before you know it,  you’re free of your junk! And we do all the heavy lifting - you just point and we do the rest.

We pride ourselves on friendly customer service and a job well-done. And our eco-friendly mission means we always make sure as much of your junk as possible gets recycled or donated. In fact, Junk King is the only national company to operate our business with local sorting facilities to recycle up to 60 percent of every job!

Self Service Dumpster Rental

Your third option is the best of both worlds.

There are times and situations when it is far more convenient to be able to move and load your junk over a period of a few days. This can be materials such as construction or landscaping debris and waste that you generate throughout the course of your project.

And our MINI Dumpsters rentals are conveniently sized, easy to load, and won't hurt your driveway.

Junk King's self service dumpster rental comes with fair and flexible pricing to accommodate all types of DIY junk removal projects. When you rent a MINI Dumpster from Junk King, you can expect friendly service and convenient drop-off and pick-up that is on-time and fast.

And with Junk King's dumpster rental services you only pay for the dumpster space you use.

The good news is that with Junk King you can rest assured that most, if not all, of your junk will never see the inside of a landfill. 

Junk King: Your Local Resource for Junk Removal Services

Junk King provides efficient, safe and eco-friendly junk removal services to make the whole process easy for you. Our experienced junk and trash removal team has the resources to haul off those large bags, boxes, and other junk items quickly, easily, and efficiently. 

And, best of all, we do all the heavy lifting! You simply point and we haul your trash items into our junk removal trucks, with no hidden fees.

Or, if you prefer, we can set you up with one of our convenient rental dumpsters so you can load your junk on your schedule and at your pace. Three days later we'll come back, pick up the MINI Dumpster, and you're good to go!

Our professional and insured junk removal and disposal team will call 15 to 30 minutes before we arrive at your home. And, once we’re there, we’ll give you a free quote based on how much room your junk will take up in our truck or rental dumpster.

So, ready to get rid of that junk? It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.

You can make an appointment by booking online above or by calling 1.888.888.JUNK (5865).