While you can load up your dumpster rental with all kinds of junk and debris, there are limits as to what you can throw away. Before arranging for a residential or construction dumpster to be delivered to your home or job site, be sure to familiarize yourself with the items you cannot put in your rental dumpster. Certain items cannot be thrown into a dumpster due to safety hazards or local regulations. It is imperative to understand what cannot be put in a dumpster rental. Be sure to avoid these commonly prohibited materials when using a dumpster for disposal.
1. Electronics and TV sets:
TVs should not go into a dumpster. Consumer electronics are prohibited in many landfills and dumpsters due to the hazardous materials they contain. Electronics that contain batteries and metals can cause severe environmental damage. Most communities have specific guidelines for appropriately removing e-waste, which is why electronics should not be put in construction dumpsters. They may also contain hazardous flame retardants. For this reason, most states have laws that prohibit the disposal of electronic products in dumpsters or landfills.
2. Oil and gas:
Gasoline, motor oil, lawnmower fluids, lubricants, chemicals, and other petroleum-based products must be discarded at designated facilities in your area. They do not belong in a dumpster. Propane tanks, fuels, gasoline, oils, and other flammable materials are serious safety hazards when tossed into a dumpster. These substances are highly combustible, and disposing of them incorrectly is illegal in most areas.
3. Pesticides and fertilizer:
Never dispose of either industrial or household chemicals in a dumpster rental. Things like pesticides, fertilizers, and solvents are dangerous and can cause injury. While pesticides can be sprayed on lawns and other fauna in small quantities, they can create havoc on the local wildlife in your area when left to accumulate in landfills in large quantities. The issue is the concentration of pesticides. When used in small doses, pesticides are typically harmless, but can pose significant environmental threats in large amounts.
4. Tires:
Tires can damage the landfill structure and the equipment used by waste management workers. The methane gas can build up within the tire’s inner walls, causing it to “float” to the top of the landfill, disrupting the rest of the structure in the process. For these reasons, you should never dispose of tires in a dumpster.
5. Spray cans and batteries:
Do not put full or partially full cans in the trash dumpster as they may explode in a trash truck. You cannot throw any spray cans in the dumpster if they still have product in them. No matter the type of product, even non-hazardous materials can explode when they are in an aerosol can.
All types of batteries, from large ones in vehicles down to tiny button-type ones, should not go into a dumpster. Car batteries, dry-cell batteries, and lithium batteries cannot be put in a dumpster rental as they can leak chemicals that are harmful to the environment.
6. Paints and any inflammable items:
Leftover paints do not belong in a dumpster rental. The large amounts of oil and chemicals in paints can cause damage to the environment. Lead- or oil-based paints are prohibited for discarding in dumpsters because they can contain lead or mercury. Paint thinners, solvents, and flammable materials require special treatment as well.
7. Radioactive hazardous materials:
Hazardous waste can harm the environment and people if not disposed of correctly. Anything considered hazardous waste should never be thrown into a dumpster rental. Most federal, state, and local laws carefully control how hazardous waste should be handled. The EPA has classified four types of hazardous waste:
– Characteristic wastes:
This is debris that exhibits the nature of listed waste materials, such as toxicity and corrosivity.
– Listed wastes:
Manufacturing and industrial by-products that are found to be hazardous are listed wastes. They are divided into four groups: F-list, P-list, K-list, and U-list.
– Mixed wastes:
Materials that are radioactive and hazardous fall into the mixed waste category.
– Universal wastes:
Consumer products such as batteries can become hazardous if they are not disposed of correctly.
8. Asbestos:
Asbestos is a flame retardant found in older homes and various industrial products. It is considered a carcinogen in most states, which has resulted in landfill bans. If your home has asbestos, many things that would otherwise be allowed in a dumpster (like construction debris or roof tiling) cannot be placed in a dumpster since they are considered contaminated.
9. Fluorescent tubes:
Certain chemicals such as Freon cannot be disposed of using a dumpster. Fluorescent tubes also fall in this category. Fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, so they cannot go in a dumpster rental. Most areas prohibit the disposal of these items.
Waste management and advanced disposal of unwanted items may seem like an impossible task. However, at Junk Boss, we make it easy with our OKC dumpster rentals and junk removal services. For more information and to get a free quote, contact us today.