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Tag Archives: recycling

Crucial Aspects of Green Waste Disposal

The current buzzword in almost all circles is the ‘green economy’. This is an economy where employment growth and income are driven by investments aimed at reducing pollution and carbon emissions, increasing energy efficiency and preventing ecosystem or biodiversity loss. Stakeholders focus on transport, waste management, forestry, agriculture, energy and freshwater supply sectors to actualize their objectives in the green economy.

You’re mistaken if you think you have no part to play in the green economy. You can play a significant role in it through your choices on waste management. Everyone generates waste, but few people think of disposing of it in the right way. In fact, the UN estimates that humans worldwide generate approximately 11.9 tons of solid waste. Indiscriminate waste disposal is one of the main contributors to pollution, energy inefficiency and increased carbon emissions.

Male and female with a green recycle bin between them

Waste management encompasses the collection, transportation, processing and monitoring of waste materials. Observing eco-sustainability in all aspects of waste management is crucial to contribute to the green economy. Unfortunately, it might be challenging to point out what sustainable or green waste disposal entails, its benefits and the methods used. The article below will delve into these aspects to boost your awareness of this crucial topic.

What is sustainable waste management?

Green waste management entails the collection, transportation and disposal of different waste categories, including e-waste, household, radioactive, demolition and commercial waste, so that they do not harm future generations, the environment or human health. Basically, it encompasses all activities from waste production to its final treatment. Green waste disposal aims to reduce the number of natural resources used to treat waste, minimize waste and repurpose as much waste as possible.

The Steps of Creating an Efficient Green Waste Management Plan

Even the smallest organization or household can play a role in sustainable waste management by creating and following an efficient plan. Here are the steps to follow when making this plan.

  1. Consider the management of sustainable materials

Considering waste management as a last resort to proper waste management means looking at generated waste and the methods of reusing or recycling it. This might seem prudent, but managing the materials that create waste is the best choice. In so doing, deliberate and informed decisions on how materials will flow at different stages of production will be made to reduce the waste produced.

  1. Plan all stages

Waste management planning is not a one-off event but rather a process involving different stages that come together for a specific goal. Plan and follow the ideal waste management practices at each stage of production. With strategic planning, waste is reduced at all stages of production.

  1. Collaborate when possible

It is impossible to have all the solutions for waste management under one roof. This makes it vital to collaborate with organizations and individuals that share the sustainable waste management goal to handle some aspects. The public-private partnership seen in most places, for instance, promotes partnerships between local governments and businesses. The partnership stimulates improved collaboration between citizens and public and private stakeholders.

  1. Aim to avoid landfills

In a waste management plan, stray as far away as possible from landfills. This means recycling and reusing as much as possible. The management plan should also aim for a precise amount of material used for production to generate minimum waste.

Methods of Sustainable Waste Management

Green waste disposal starts at the point of waste generation. To reduce your waste, consider reusing the trash you can repurpose and donating the waste that can be useful to someone else. The following are the sustainable methods used currently to manage solid waste.

  1. Recycling

This is the main method most people think of when they hear of green waste disposal. Recycling converts waste into something reusable by singling out the trash and repurposing the rest. Thankfully the world has slowly caught up with recycling. In 1960, only about 6% of municipal waste was recycled, compared to 35% in 2017. These statistics might seem promising, but more needs to be done when you realize that about 75% of waste is recyclable.

At Junk King Marin, we successfully recycle about 60% of the waste we collect. As such, when working with us, you play an important role in eco-conservation. Our recycling process starts with sorting waste into commercial and household. Next, the waste is sent to a recycling unit for processing into reusable materials. The commonly recycled materials are plastics, paper, aluminium and glass.

A few companies and municipalities offer rebates for recycled items to encourage people to recycle. This means you can make some cash through recycling. Recycling is also one of the main ways of reducing the carbon footprint since it reduces the raw materials and the energy consumed when manufacturing new products. These steps translate into lower costs of consumer goods.

  1. Incineration

This technique uses fire to transform waste. Though it pollutes the air, incineration generates heat that can be used in other processes. In Singapore, for example, 8200 tons of trash are incinerated daily. This reduces the waste volume by 90% and produces over 2500 MWh daily to supply energy to 900 homes.

This does not mean you should light a bonfire in your home and dump everything that can be burnt to minimize waste. The noxious smoke produced will only choke the entire neighborhood and cause more harm than good. Localities have regulations on waste incineration to minimize its negative impact, so check these before burning anything. In most cases, the waste is burnt in a controlled central location.

  1. Compositing

This is a cheap and easy option for making nutrient-rich fertilizer for your lawn, kitchen garden or farm. It also helps you cheaply and eco-sustainably get rid of yard waste, leaves, kitchen waste and other biodegradable waste often produced by households. You can compost your biodegradable waste by tightly sealing it in a composting bag or bin that will minimize odors from it and reduce fruit flies. The bag is then dumped in a compost pile, where it slowly disintegrates to make fertilizer.

  1. Anaerobic digestion

This process resembles compositing but does not use any oxygen, unlike the latter. It allows the treatment of sludge and organic waste through fermentation. The waste is sealed off in a container, and the bacteria in it live off the organic matter, thus breaking it down slowly. Though slower in breaking down waste than compositing, anaerobic waste digestion generates farm fertilizer and methane. Methane is the main component of biogas that can be used to produce energy for different applications. Sweden is among the countries that have been generating power from its organic waste. The country even imports organic waste to maximize its energy production.

Now that you understand what green waste disposal entails, you can take steps to contribute to the same. One step should be hiring a sustainable waste management company to handle your waste. In this regard, your best choice is Junk King Marin. We handle almost all types of waste except hazardous waste that needs special handling and disposal. Moreover, our prices are among the most competitive, so you will not go broke working with us. Contact us today for sustainable waste management to protect our planet for future generations.

Fall in Love with Recycling

A few years back, say a decade or two ago, nobody was concerned with the accumulation of waste in landfills. There was ample land to create new dumps, and the problem was not as significant as it is today. However, poor waste disposal would later become a disaster, and a solution had to be found. That is how recycling came to be.

Salvaging involves converting waste into new and useful products. About 75% of all waste can be recycled, but we are only reusing 30% of our waste. This is a sure sign that we have to intensify our salvaging efforts.

But why is it so important?

Benefits of Recycling

  • Environmental Conservation

RecyclingAmericans generated 254 million tons of trash back in 2013. Most of this waste found its way to the 2,000 landfills in the country. Some of it finds its way to our oceans and lakes where it chokes marine life, while the rest decomposes in the landfills producing methane gas which is known for its greenhouse effect.

However, by stepping up your reutilizing efforts, you reduce the waste in our oceans and reduce carbon emissions which cause global warming.

Moreover, reutilizing will improve groundwater quality. How?

Well, landfills do not treat the waste which is rarely environmentally friendly. These contaminants will pollute groundwater when it rains, or there is a runoff making it harmful for consumption.

  • Increases Property Value

One indisputable way to beef up your property value is to reclaim waste. Landfills reduce the resale value as no one enjoys living near a smelly area. It reduces the amount of waste ending up in landfills and consequently reduces the number of disposal areas needed.

  • Saves Energy

Tossing an aluminum can in the trash takes less than a second. Reusing a can takes the same amount of time and has more benefits. Reusing one aluminum can save enough power to run your TV for up to 3 hours. Moreover, companies that use recycled aluminum use 95% less energy than those that use raw materials.

  • Recycling Creates Employment

Plants and industries are required for effective reutilization. If we were to ramp up our efforts of recycling, we would create ten times more jobs than landfill management.

According to a 2016 EPA report, reusing created 1.57 jobs for every 1,000 tons of waste recycled. The total jobs created by recycling were 757,000 and generated more than $36 billion in wages.

So, recycling is good business.

  • Ensures a Sustainable Future

There is only so much the environment can offer with its limited natural resources. Recycling ensures that we minimize the immediate effect on the environment and giving it time to recover while creating sustainable habits for the future.

In fact, salvaging one ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 2 barrels of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space and 7,000 gallons of water.

Recycling is ABC easy and is a practice you should embrace. Given the benefits contrasted with the disadvantages of poor waste management, it is a no brainer that we should ramp up our efforts. Nonetheless, reusing is not easy while doing it as an individual and that is why you should engage our services to save yourself the trouble.   

Junk vs Garbage: What’s The Difference?

When you think of the words junk and garbage, the same image may pop into your head. However, they aren't the same thing. You need to compare junk vs garbage so that you know the differences and how you should deal with each.

Junk vs garbage: size difference

Garbage is a collection of small, random objects that you want to get rid of. Thanks to the limitations provided to us by garbage bags, the total size of a pile of garbage usually doesn't get out of control.

A big difference in junk vs garbage is size. Junk is usually big and heavy. This makes it difficult to move around.

Junk vs garbage: sanitation concerns

Garbage is gross. Comprised mostly of old food and things that you would never eat — or touch — at all, your garbage poses a serious sanitation concern. As such, you need to regularly get rid of it. Otherwise, it will start to stink up your house.

Junk doesn't normally pose a sanitation concern.

Certain recyclable materials could also pose a sanitation concern. For example, food containers are unclean and wet cardboard attracts mold.

Junk vs garbage: safety concerns

Because garbage is so gross, it attracts gross things. This includes germs, rats, roaches and all sorts of other vermin. This is a major safety concern.

The type of safety concern created is a big difference in junk vs garbage. Junk presents a different type of safety concern that can be just as dangerous as those created by garbage. Instead of attracting rodents, insects and other pests, junk invites sudden instances of bodily harm. For example, if you have a piece of junk furniture in your home, then it will inevitably be in the way. Because it is not a part of you home's intended design, people will forget that it is there, and trip over it or run into it. This will lead to sprains, soft tissue tears, broken bones, concussions and other types of injuries.

Junk vs garbage: getting rid of it  

Getting rid of garbage is pretty simple. All you need to do is fill up a bag, put it into an outdoor garbage can and slide it out to the designated location for pickup. Because it is managed by the local government, this process is reliable and easy. If you don't want to wait on your local garbage man to get rid of your garbage, then you can take the initiative to take it to any landfill that you want to.

Getting rid of junk isn't so easy. If you try to place junk on the curb, not only will the garbage man ignore it, but you may receive a fine from your local government for putting junk where it isn't supposed to be. Also, not all landfills accept junk, and those that do often only accept specific types of junk. In order to ensure that you can get rid of your junk with no problems, you need to call a professional junk removal service. In addition to trashing unusable items, they can repurpose them for use elsewhere. They will stop by at your convenience and haul all of your junk away to the proper location, no matter how big, cumbersome or awkward it is.

Some of your unwanted things also present the opportunity for environmental responsibility. In the cases of both junk and garbage, you may be able to recycle it instead of throwing it away.

 Junk vs garbage: which do you have?

Knowing the differences between junk vs garbage will help you deal with the things you want to get rid of effectively.

Junk Hauling Helps Marin County Recycle More

Junk Hauling Helps Marin County Recycle More Junk King MarinMany items are recyclable besides soda cans and cardboard, yet most people think small and focus on the items you can recycle with regular trash. Don’t forget about the “junk” sitting around your home and office — there are so many ways to recycle Marin County residents can use to have a bigger impact on environmental efforts.

  • Home Improvement Project Waste: Renovating your kitchen or building an addition? Replacing the roof, siding, or gutters? Instead of sending all that heavy mass to a dump, let Junk King haul it, sort it, and recycle it. We can handle scrap materials like copper, brass, heavy aluminum, cast iron, and other difficult things to recycle Marin County residents might not be able to recycle on their own.
  • Electronics and Appliances: Many devices are difficult to recycle properly because they are made of metal, plastic and glass — we make sure that each item is stripped apart and sent for proper recycling. It’s a responsible recycle Marin County can trust to help prevent toxic chemicals and metals from poisoning the soil and water supply.
  • Lumber, Furniture, Textiles, Etc.: New technologies are helping people turn broken furniture, worn out clothes, and scrap wood into brand new items! Merchandise made from repurposed materials reduces deforestation, agricultural water consumption, and other industrial waste.

Donate — Another Great Option to Recycle Marin Waste

Donations feel great — and it’s perhaps the best way to recycle Marin County folks should keep in mind. Junk King sends every usable item we can to places where your unwanted stuff can make a life-changing difference.

Clothing, toys, and knick-knacks might be taking up space in your home, but have great value to people in need. You might drop off a bag of clothes at a local charity, but some organizations simply cannot accept unlimited amounts of donations. Junk King coordinates efforts with local non-profits so your good intentions can translate into real help where it’s needed — without you worrying about scheduling a bunch of pick-ups or running around town for drop-offs.

Furniture, baby supplies, and other household items are always in high-demand at charitable organizations. Avoid the stress of loading up your car with bulky items.

Office and school supplies can also be cleared out of your storage and sent to kids and job seekers. When you pay it forward and recycle Marin and Sonoma communities can benefit.

Efficient Recycling is Greener

For recycling efforts to have a real impact, you need to make sure the recycling process itself does not consume too much energy. You can recycle Marin County materials best by using local resources and efficient junk removal services.

For one thing, Junk King runs some of our fleet on biodiesel trucks. We run our entire business with a focus on green practices.

For another thing, eco-friendly junk removal service helps you avoid the waste of car fuel that you would burn driving around town to different recycling and donation centers.

Think of it as carpooling for your recyclables — pitch in and let Junk King collect everybody’s stuff and send it to the right recyclers! It’s a green solution to recycle Marin County waste as close to home as possible.

Junk-King: The Green Alternative in Recycling Companies

Junk-King: The Green Alternative in Recycling Companies Junk-King Marin CountyMarin County is known for quite a few different things such as beautiful landscapes, diverse cultural heritages, agricultural expanses and a coastline that begs to be seen by all. Also known for being one of the cleanest and greenest places to live, recycling has become a staple of the community as well. While a number of recycling companies can get the job done and head straight to the nearest landfill, Junk-King uses a different approach when removing unwanted items from your home or business. In a concentrated effort to dramatically reduce the county’s carbon footprint and support charitable organizations simultaneously, Junk-King has taken the lead in recycling companies while ensuring that a greater percentage of your discarded materials are being used in a productive manner.

Green Recycling Companies

Very few recycling companies in the area use the environmentally sound approach to waste removal, which is merely one of the reasons why Junk-King stands above the rest. Whether looking to get rid of furniture, household appliances, old computer hardware, TVs, mattresses, refrigerators, or anything else that needs to be hauled away in a hurry, the technicians at Junk-King will use their expertise to separate all things reusable and either donate or recycle them. With literally tons of waste material being hauled away on a daily basis and buried, Junk-King is one of those recycling companies that will take the extra time to sort through and save reusable items and distribute them accordingly. Helping those who are less fortunate while incrementally saving the environment are highly commendable attributes, yet their complete line of services extend well beyond the scope of business as usual.

No Stone Left Unturned

Junk-King provides a variety of other services that most recycling companies tend to ignore altogether; for example, their hot-tub disposal crew specializes in safely removing plaster and/or fiberglass, as well as carefully dismantling filtration systems and the adjoining pipes. Whether owning a raised foundation or in-ground setup, they’ll follow your instructions to the letter. If you’re planning on replacing your hot- tub or whirlpool, they’ll leave the necessary parts in place for the next contractor.

Marin County residents may also be aware of the fact that items stored in their attics and basements can accumulate and become a nuisance. If you’re in need of a complete clean-out, let the experts at Junk-King give you a free estimate and allow you some much-needed extra space. Once again, not too many recycling companies will offer this type of service at all.

The same principle applies to yard waste removal. And no, Junk-King does not provide gardening services, yet they will be able to remove most anything from your yard, which includes construction debris or most anything else taking up space unnecessarily.

Recycling Companies and Real Estate?

Every so often, the unfortunate event of foreclosing on a home requires a thorough clean-out. Junk-King is one of the few recycling companies to work with a number of real estate agencies, as their salvage crews are proficient at removing all items big and small in a timely fashion. They also work in the same respect with construction companies by removing excess materials for newly built homes/businesses.

If you’re in need of any of the above services, Junk-King is one of the first recycling companies to provide a one-stop-shopping scenario when it comes to disposing all items unwanted.

For further information regarding their full line of services, call for a free estimate: 1-888-888 JUNK (5865). Proud to serve Marin County and its outlying areas, Junk-King is ready when you are.

Why Is it Important to Recycle Computers?

Recycle_Computers_Junk_King_MarinThere are two kinds of bad garbage: the kind that doesn’t biodegrade, and the hazardous kind that pollutes our environment now. Computers and other electronic waste fall into both categories which is why it is important to recycle computers.

Hazardous materials. It’s important to recycle computers because they usually contain hazardous chemicals and metals that can poison our soil, water, and air. When sent to landfills, computers become dangerous garbage that leaks out hazardous chemicals.

Computers typically contain hazardous materials including mercury, lead, cadmium, lithium, and others. Older computer monitors with cathode ray tubes (like in old televisions) contain lead also.

Nonrenewable materials. The other components of computers include plastics and other engineered materials as well as various metals and precious elements. When we recycle computers, we prevent these materials from sitting permanently in landfills.

Recycle Computers to Follow California Law

The state of California has specific laws governing how to dispose of e-waste like computers. California considers any “covered electronic devices” to be e-waste.

Recycle computers to make sure you follow the laws! If you’re unsure how to recycle electronics, call on junk hauling experts to take care of it for you. This is about taking care of the environment and the people of California as well as protecting the planet.

Find a Loving Home for Usable Items

Keeping up with the latest technologies doesn’t have to mean that your old computers become garbage. You can recycle computers by giving them new life—just find a school, charity, or maybe a neighbor who needs it more than you do!

Your old computer may seem obsolete to you, but children and schools can often find use for any functioning computer. Reusing is even more green than the recycling process, and you can feel good (and maybe even score a tax deduction) by helping someone else.

Don’t Leave a Trail of Personal Info

Privacy is another great reason to recycle computers. Even when everything has been deleted from your computer the normal way, like dragging files to the “trash,” your data can still potentially be recovered by criminals.

Don’t let computers sit around your house forever. Eventually you may forget to take care of the problem. Wipe the hard drive permanently before you recycle computers. Then you’ll rest easy knowing that your personal data and financial information cannot be recovered by the wrong hands.

Finding a location to recycle computers can be difficult. Make it easy by hiring junk hauling services to take care of your electronic waste and any other unwanted debris—Junk King always finds a safe, green disposal method for everything we haul.

Junk King Marin
851 Irwin St. #214
San Rafael, CA 94901
Hours: M-Sa: 8A-4P

Providing junk removal services to the Marin area, including:

Amer Cyn
Angwin
Corte Madera
Fairfax
Kentfield
Larkspur
Mill Valley
Monte Rio
Napa
Novato
Petaluma
Rohnert Park
San Anselmo
San Quentin
San Rafael
Santa Rosa
Sausalito
Vallejo
and these nearby zip codes:
94503, 94508, 94558, 94559, 94581, 94589, 94590, 94591, 94592, 94901, 94903, 94904, 94912, 94913, 94914, 94915, 94925, 94926, 94927, 94928, 94930, 94939, 94941, 94942, 94945, 94947, 94948, 94949, 94952, 94953, 94954, 94955, 94960, 94964, 94965, 94966, 94974, 94975, 94976, 94977, 94978, 94979, 94998, 94999, 95401, 95402, 95403, 95404, 95405, 95406, 95407, 95409, 95462, 95486