Even the most humble home projects will leave behind plenty of junk. Whether it’s yard trimmings, construction debris, or piles of trash from cleaning out your garage, the junk can often be too much for your regular weekly trash pickup. That leaves you with a couple of different options. You can pile all that leftover junk into your car or truck and haul it to dumps and recycling centers until it’s all gone, or you can take advantage of professional help.

If you want to bring in some outside help, you have a few options to choose between. For long-term projects, you can rent a dumpster, load it yourself, and have the rental company pick it up again when you’re done. You can also hire a full junk removal service that will come in after the job is finished, load up all the leftover debris and trash, and haul it away for you. Finally, you can try out Bagsters, a relatively recent offering from Waste Management. Ultimately, the choice will be based on the specifics of your situation, so we put together a short guide to help you make an informed decision.

What is a Junk Removal Service and What Does it Offer?

If you’re the type of person who’d rather work smarter instead of harder, then a full junk removal service is the right choice for you. This kind of service skips over the dumpster vs Bagster question by having the company do all the work for you. When you hire a full-service junk removal company like Junk King, all you have to do is set up an appointment, wait for the junk removal specialists to arrive, and point them in the direction of the trash you need them to remove. From there, the company will handle loading, hauling, sorting, and disposal.

The main advantages of this kind of service are the convenience and the flexibility. After finishing a big project, it’s nice to just relax and let someone else take care of the cleanup. It’s also nice to know you can have anything hauled away, even large items like furniture that might not fit in a dumpster or Bagster. Junk removal companies tend to have experience loading and hauling pretty much everything, so you’re never stuck wondering if they’ll be able to bring something with them when they leave.

The Difference Between Bagsters and a Junk Removal Service

A Bagster offers a self-service alternative to full junk removal. The Bagster itself is a woven cloth bag that can hold about 3 cubic yards worth of trash and is available at most big hardware stores. Once you’ve filled the bag, you can give WM a call and they’ll come to pick the bag up and handle the disposal for everything inside. Their major selling point in the junk removal vs Bagster discussion is the price. The bag itself only costs about $30 and the cost of the pickup service can range from $100 to $300, depending on where you live. If we’re talking Bagster vs Junk King specifically, the small loads that would fit in a Bagster would cost you between $200 and $250 in San Francisco, so there’s the potential for some small savings if you try the Bagster.

However, the biggest downside of Bagsters is the size. At only 3 cubic yards, Bagsters only have enough space to hold junk from a very small home project. For comparison, roll-off dumpsters available to rent don’t get any smaller than 10 cubic yards. Bagsters also have significantly more restrictions on what they take. You can’t put yard waste, electronics, and most recyclables in a Bagster, which means your options are pretty limited. Junk removal companies, on the other hand, will take just about anything short of hazardous waste. Junk King also uses sorting centers to make sure everything recyclable ends up in the right place so it can be reused.

What to Consider When Choosing Between A Bagster and A Junk Removal Service

If you’re trying to decide whether to get a Bagster or junk removal service, the first thing you should consider is the size of the project you’re working on. If it’s something small like a single-room cleanup then a Bagster might be able to save you a little money, but if you’re working on anything larger then you might run out of space pretty quickly.

There are also some jobs that just won’t work with a Bagster. Yard work, for example, will require a dumpster or junk removal service since WM won’t take in the branches, lawn trimmings, and other bits of yard waste. Furniture and electronic appliances also won’t fit in a Bagster, so you might have to take care of those things by yourself. A quick Google search for “how does a Bagster work” will help you find any other limitations that might be relevant before you go to Home Depot and pick one up.

Final Thoughts on the Best Way to Approach Your Trash Disposal Needs

Ultimately, the best way to remove trash from your house is going to be dependent on the particulars of your situation. Bagsters work well for plenty of people, as do junk removal services. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to do the research and figure out which removal service is best for your needs. Besides Bagsters and junk removal services, you can also look into self-service dumpster rental as an alternative. Dumpster rental offers some of the same advantages as a Bagster, but without the restrictions on space and what you can load inside it.

If you’re interested in learning more about junk removal services, or you want to set up an appointment, you can give Junk King San Francisco a call at (415) 335-7970. We’re happy to answer any questions you might have, give you a free estimate, or set up an appointment for your next home project.