Dumpster rentals are a great tool for clearing out large amounts of waste and trash, but there are often limits on what you can actually put inside your rented dumpster. What kind of things can you put in a dumpster, and what rules should you keep an eye out for?
Why Does It Matter?
The amount you pay for a dumpster rental usually depends on three things: the size of the dumpster, the distance/situation involved in picking it up, and the materials that you’re putting into it. Not all materials are suitable for throwing away normally, and others have certain legal restrictions you need to follow.
Household Junk
In general, anything that you could dispose of as normal trash will be allowed in a dumpster. This could be anything from furniture and spare materials to general household waste; since these are already things that can be dealt with in most disposal sites. The safer it is, the better.
Remember that dumpsters are large enough to hold furniture and other things that won’t fit in regular trash bins. These are also perfect for putting in a dumpster, along with anything else that’s too big to throw away through normal means.
Construction/Renovation Debris
Any debris from renovations, construction, or demolition is usually fine to put in a dumpster. This can be anything from old roofing shingles to broken bricks and paving slabs: it doesn’t matter how damaged the materials are, so don’t worry about having some shattered roof tiles.
This goes for most materials, too. Wood, metal, all types of stone, brick, plastic, and basically anything else that you might expect to find during construction can all be put into the dumpster. Just be sure to empty anything that might contain dangerous liquids, like old water/chemical containers.
Outdoor Waste
Things like bushes, logs, grass, and dirt can all be placed in a dumpster without a problem. The only exception might be contaminated soil, but it depends on the chemicals used. Generally, if you cut down or tear up something from a garden or yard, it can be thrown into a dumpster for disposal.
Keep in mind that some outdoor waste will count as a new material, so you might have to pay more if you’re mixing multiple items from an outdoor space. This is because things like good and grass are completely different, even though they can be covered under the same category, so you might not get any ‘one material type’ discounts.
Other Materials
Most dumpster rentals will give you rules on what you can and can’t place inside the dumpster. While some (like hazardous chemicals) are generally always forbidden, others depend on the company or the extract type of rental that you’ve arranged.
For example, if a dumpster rental company says that you can’t put garden waste into a rental for brick debris, then you should follow their rules. Not every service does this, though: use this link and you’ll get an example of how this can be set up for dumpster renters.