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If you’re giving your home a makeover, landscaping the garden, or having a thorough spring clean, the resulting waste is likely going to be too much for your standard-issue trash bins. However, there’s more than likely a Chicago dumpster that has more than enough room to accommodate the trash. Although you might assume ordering a dumpster is as easy as picking up the phone and waiting for the receptacle to arrive, you need to consider size, whether you’ll need a permit, the environmental impact, and how to use it safely.
Additionally, you ought to think about whether a dumpster is the best choice when other options are available. Below, this article will cover everything you need to know to rent the right dumpster before finally examining whether a different service might be a better choice.
Choose the Right Size Chicago Dumpster
Dumpster sizes are typically either 10, 20, 30 or 40 cubic yards and the larger the dumpster, the higher the cost of the rental. A cubic yard is equal to 27 cubic feet. So, if you imagine a box 3 feet high by 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall, this is the amount of junk that will fit into a cubic yard. If possible, try to imagine the volume of your trash in this way to estimate which size is right for the task at hand.
It’s important to consider the dimensions as well as the maximum volume when renting a dumpster in Chicago because you may have little room in which to place it, and you need to know the laws surrounding its placement. Typical dimensions are as follows:
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10-yard dumpster: 3.5 feet high x 12 feet long x 8 feet wide
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20-yard dumpster: 4 feet high x 22 feet long x 8 feet wide
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30-yard dumpster: 6 feet high x 22 feet long x 8 feet wide
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40-yard dumpster: 8 feet high x 22 feet long x 8 feet wide
As you can see from above, the 20, 30, and 40-yard options take up the same amount of floor space, with the extra height making up for the increased volume capacity. If you don’t have a location 22 feet in length to position the larger dumpsters, you may require multiple 10-yard dumpsters delivered one after another.
Usually, only construction yards and large-scale demolition projects require 40-yard dumpsters, and though 30-yard receptacles are also rarely used for residential purposes, you may need one if you’re demolishing a garage, building an add-on to your home, or replacing all your property’s windows.
More likely, you’ll require a 10 or 20-yard dumpster, the former of which is ideal for a garage or basement debris cleanout, up to 250 square feet deck removal or a small bathroom or kitchen remodel. The 20-yard dumpster, on the other hand, is more suitable for the floor removal of a large house, a 300 to 400 square foot deck replacement or up to a 3,000 square foot shingle roof replacement. Reputable companies offering dumpster rental in Chicago will listen to your needs and offer advice.
Keep in mind that rental services can’t retrieve overfilled dumpsters by law, and you may need to stick to a weight limit to avoid penalties. You also need to purchase a dumpster permit if the receptacle takes up street space, which is usually $75 for three days or $125 for a maximum of 30, though those figures can double if you live in or near the CBD.
Consider the Environmental Impact
Even though your primary concern is getting rid of a large volume of waste as quickly as possible when hiring dumpsters in Chicago, you should take the time to find a company that takes recycling seriously. Landfills hurt the environment, and unfortunately, the USA is the biggest waste producer in the world.
Every year, Americans produce between 250 and 400 million tons of garbage, and a significant portion of that ends up in landfills. Decomposing waste in landfills results in more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and dangerous chemicals can also find their way into our waterways and be hazardous to sanitation workers’ health.
While the US is making improvements regarding how much we recycle, we still have a long way to go. Currently, we recycle around 54 percent of all recyclable paper products and just 10 percent of solid garbage. In fact, according to estimates by the Environmental Protection Agency, we only recycle 30 percent of waste out of a total 75 percent that we could potentially recycle.
As you can see, we need to do more to take care of the environment and minimize our dependency on landfills, and thankfully, most Chicago dumpster rental companies are doing their part. Nevertheless, you should ensure the service you choose separates waste and recyclables whenever possible. Reputable junk removal companies do it, so dumpster rental companies should too.
Take Precautions
Last but certainly not least, you should keep safety in mind when filling your dumpster, and that usually just means applying some common sense. For example, don’t position the receptacle close to low-hanging power lines or cause any traffic obstructions, and keep kids away from the dumpster. Some other safety tips include:
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Don’t try to lift objects that are too heavy
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If you have a 30 or 40-yard dumpster, you may need to enlist help to get large items over the high 6 or 8 feet sides.
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Don’t climb into the dumpster unless necessary
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Don’t throw hazardous household waste (HHW) into the receptacle. Examples of HHW include certain paints, acrylics, oils, batteries, and highly-flammable fluids.
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Don’t try to move the dumpster
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Don’t just throw waste into the receptacle – this could be dangerous for people close to the container. This practice also uses the space inefficiently.
As mentioned above, don’t try to overfill your dumpster because, by law, the rental company won’t be able to take it away. They’ll either leave the receptacle with you and charge a fine or level it before removing it, leaving you with junk not hauled away.
A common mistake people make with dumpster rentals is ordering a container that’s too small attempting to save money. However, this will usually just bump up the price. For example, you might have 15 cubic yards of stuff and think it’s better to crush it into a 10-yarder than pay extra for a 20-yarder. Unfortunately, you often must order another 10-yarder to accommodate leftover waste, and two 10-yard containers are almost always more expensive than one 20-yard container. However, if you have 15 cubic yards or less of junk, you may not even need a dumpster.
Do You Really Need a Dumpster?
Instead of renting a dumpster for a relatively small volume of waste, you could call a professional junk removal company like Junk King to retrieve and dispose of your garbage. You often pay more for a 20-yard dumpster for the week than you would for a junk removal service with a 15 cubic yard truck.
In addition to being more cost-effective in certain situations, a waste retrieval service will do all the heavy lifting and remove all your junk in the space of a day. Plus, the most reputable companies like Junk King take recycling seriously and salvage up to 60 percent of your junk. Of course, some renovation, cleaning and demolition projects demand a Chicago dumpster that remains on-site for the required duration, but it’s worth considering the alternative option before deciding.
Either way, Junk King can help. Call us today for a no-obligation discussion to see which solution makes the most sense for you.
