Junk Removal

What Goes in Which Bin in Edmonton: A Guide to Proper Waste Sorting

Properly sorting your waste is essential to keeping Edmonton clean, reducing landfill contributions, and supporting the city’s zero-waste goals. Edmonton’s waste management system includes three primary containers: the Black Bin (Garbage), the Green Bin (Organic Waste), and Blue Bags (Recycling). Understanding what goes where ensures that waste is handled efficiently and responsibly.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of what belongs in each bin or bag.

Black Bin: Garbage

The black bin is for items that cannot be composted or recycled. While the goal is to minimize waste sent to the black bin, it’s necessary for non-recyclable and non-compostable materials.

What Goes in the Black Bin:

Non-Recyclable Plastics: Plastic utensils, straws, Styrofoam, and chip bags.
Soiled Items: Dirty diapers, pet waste, and used tissues or paper towels.
Broken Glass or Ceramics: Place sharp objects like broken glass in a secure container before disposing to prevent injuries.
Vacuum Bags and Dust: These materials cannot be composted or recycled.
Textiles: Old clothing or linens that are too damaged to donate.

What Doesn’t Go in the Black Bin:

Hazardous materials (e.g., batteries, paint, chemicals) – take these to an Eco Station.
Electronics – recycle at designated drop-off locations or Eco Stations.

Green Bin: Organic Waste

The green bin is for compostable materials, including food scraps, yard waste, and other biodegradable items. The contents of green bins are turned into compost, which helps reduce landfill waste and supports environmental sustainability.

What Goes in the Green Bin:

Food Scraps: Fruit and vegetable peels, meat, bones, dairy, and eggshells.
Yard Waste: Grass clippings, leaves, small branches, and plant trimmings.
Compostable Paper: Pizza boxes (without plastic liners), paper napkins, and paper food containers.
Coffee Grounds and Filters: Used coffee grounds and tea bags (if compostable).

What Doesn’t Go in the Green Bin:

Plastics, including compostable plastic bags (use only city-approved liners).
Rocks, large branches, or treated wood.
Glass, metal, or other non-organic materials.

Blue Bags: Recycling

Blue bags are for clean and recyclable materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, and glass. Sorting your recycling properly ensures that materials are processed efficiently at Edmonton’s recycling facilities.

What Goes in Blue Bags:

Paper and Cardboard: Newspapers, magazines, cereal boxes, and flattened cardboard.
Plastic Containers: Rigid plastics labeled with recycling symbols #1 to #7 (e.g., bottles, jugs, and tubs).
Metal Containers: Aluminum and tin cans, clean aluminum foil, and empty aerosol cans.
Glass: Clean jars and bottles (remove lids).

What Doesn’t Go in Blue Bags:

Plastic bags and wrap (take these to a recycling depot instead).
Soiled paper or cardboard (e.g., greasy pizza boxes).
Hazardous materials (e.g., paint cans, propane tanks).

Additional Tips for Proper Sorting

Rinse Containers: Remove food residue from recyclables before placing them in blue bags.
Flatten Cardboard: Save space by flattening boxes and cartons.
Use Approved Liners for Green Bins: Edmonton requires certified compostable liners for organic waste.

What to Do with Hazardous or Specialty Items

Some items, like electronics, large appliances, and hazardous waste, don’t belong in any of these bins. Instead, take them to an Eco Station for proper disposal or recycling. Items like batteries, paint, and old electronics are handled safely to protect the environment.

Keep Edmonton Clean and Green

Sorting your waste properly helps reduce landfill contributions, conserves resources, and keeps Edmonton’s recycling and composting programs running smoothly. By understanding what goes in the black bin, green bin, and blue bags, you’re doing your part to support a sustainable future.

If you have bulky or unusual items that don’t fit into these categories, You Junk It… I Dump It offers eco-friendly junk removal services to ensure responsible disposal. Contact us today for a hassle-free solution to your waste removal needs!

Recycling

How to Properly Sort Your Recycling in Edmonton

Recycling is one of the easiest ways to reduce waste and protect the environment, but it’s only effective when done correctly. In Edmonton, the city has a specific recycling program that ensures materials are processed efficiently and responsibly. Sorting your recycling properly not only helps the environment but also supports Edmonton’s zero-waste goals.

Here’s a guide to help you sort your recycling like a pro!

1. Understand Edmonton’s Blue Bag Program

Edmonton uses a blue bag system for household recyclables. All recyclable items should be placed in blue bags and set out on your regular collection day. The city’s recycling facilities sort and process these materials, so following the guidelines is essential to keep the system running smoothly.

2. Know What Goes in the Blue Bag

Here’s a quick breakdown of items you can recycle in Edmonton’s blue bag program:

Paper and Cardboard: Newspapers, magazines, flyers, envelopes, flattened boxes, and clean paper bags.
Plastic Containers: Bottles, jugs, tubs, and rigid packaging labeled with recycling symbols #1 to #7.
Metal Containers: Aluminum cans, tin cans, and foil (clean and balled).
Glass Containers: Clean jars and bottles with lids removed.

3. Avoid Common Recycling Mistake

Not everything belongs in the blue bag. Placing the wrong items in your recycling can contaminate the entire batch, potentially sending it to the landfill. Avoid these common mistakes:

No Food-Soiled Items: Pizza boxes with grease, used paper towels, or dirty containers should not be recycled. Rinse all containers before placing them in the blue bag.
No Plastic Bags or Wraps: These can get tangled in sorting equipment. Instead, take them to a local recycling depot that accepts soft plastics.
No Hazardous Materials: Batteries, electronics, paint cans, and other hazardous items require special disposal at an Edmonton Eco Station.
No Non-Recyclable Plastics: Items like Styrofoam, plastic utensils, and straws are not accepted in the blue bag program.

4. Separate Yard Waste and Organic Materials

Organic waste and yard debris don’t belong in the blue bag. Edmonton provides a separate green cart for compostable materials like food scraps, grass clippings, and leaves. Properly separating your organic waste reduces landfill contributions and supports the city’s composting initiatives.

5. Use Eco Stations for Specialty Items

Some items require special handling and shouldn’t be placed in your blue bag. Edmonton’s Eco Stations accept a variety of materials, including:

Electronics (e.g., TVs, laptops, phones)
Household hazardous waste (e.g., paint, cleaning chemicals)
Large appliances
Scrap metal

Drop off these items to ensure they are disposed of responsibly.

6. Flatten and Compact Your Recycling

Flatten cardboard boxes and crush cans or plastic containers to save space in your blue bag. This makes collection and processing more efficient and ensures you can fit more items in each bag.

7. Label Your Blue Bag Properly

Clearly label your blue bags if they contain unique items, like glass containers, to help Edmonton’s recycling team sort them more efficiently. While this isn’t mandatory, it’s a helpful step to streamline the process.

8. Stay Informed on Recycling Updates

Recycling guidelines can change, so staying informed is important. Visit the City of Edmonton’s recycling page regularly to check for updates on accepted materials, drop-off locations, and special programs.

Make Recycling Easy and Effective

Recycling properly is a small but impactful way to contribute to Edmonton’s sustainability goals. By sorting your recyclables correctly, you’re helping reduce landfill waste, conserve natural resources, and support a cleaner, greener community.

If you have larger items or excess recycling that you’re unsure how to handle, You Junk It… I Dump It offers eco-friendly junk removal services in Edmonton. We’ll help ensure that your items are recycled or disposed of responsibly. Contact us today to schedule a pickup and simplify your recycling efforts!

a woman sitting in a grassy area with a recycle sign

Recycling Junk Removal

The Environmental Benefits of Choosing Professional Junk Removal

Decluttering your home or business can feel overwhelming, especially when you consider the environmental impact of disposing of unwanted items. That’s where professional junk removal services come in. Beyond convenience, choosing a professional service in Edmonton can significantly benefit the environment by promoting sustainability and reducing waste.

Here’s how hiring a junk removal company helps protect Edmonton’s natural beauty and aligns with the city’s eco-friendly goals.

1. Maximizing Recycling Efforts

Professional junk removal services have the expertise and resources to sort items and ensure they’re recycled properly. Instead of everything going to the landfill, recyclable materials like metal, plastic, wood, and electronics are diverted to appropriate facilities. This reduces Edmonton’s landfill burden and conserves valuable resources.

Example: E-waste like old computers and televisions contains valuable metals that can be recycled but also hazardous materials that require careful disposal. A junk removal company ensures these items are handled responsibly.

2. Promoting Reuse Through Donations

Many items considered “junk” can still be used by others. Professional junk removal services often collaborate with local charities and organizations to donate usable furniture, appliances, clothing, and other items. This helps reduce waste while supporting Edmonton communities.

Example: Gently used furniture from a cleanout could go to a local charity like Habitat for Humanity, providing essential resources for those in need.

3. Reducing Carbon Emissions

When you handle junk removal yourself, multiple trips to the landfill or recycling centers can significantly increase your carbon footprint. Junk removal companies streamline the process by collecting and sorting everything in one trip, reducing overall emissions.

Example: A single trip with a professional truck can replace several carloads of waste, cutting down on fuel consumption and pollution.

4. Responsible Disposal of Hazardous Material

Certain items, such as paint, batteries, or old appliances, contain hazardous materials that can harm the environment if not disposed of properly. Professional junk removal services know how to handle these items and ensure they’re taken to certified disposal facilities.

Example: A professional team ensures old refrigerators, which contain harmful refrigerants, are processed correctly to avoid environmental contamination.

5. Supporting Edmonton’s Zero Waste Goals

Edmonton is committed to reducing landfill waste and achieving its zero-waste goals through initiatives like recycling and composting. Junk removal services play a crucial role by adhering to these principles, ensuring items are recycled, reused, or composted whenever possible.

Example: Organic waste, like yard debris or old wood, can be composted instead of dumped, turning potential waste into valuable resources for landscaping or farming.

6. Encouraging Sustainable Practices

Hiring a junk removal company encourages sustainable habits by showing how waste can be managed responsibly. It’s a simple yet impactful way to contribute to Edmonton’s environmental goals while keeping your space clean and organized.

Example: A professional service not only removes your junk but often educates clients on how to reduce and manage waste more effectively.

Why Choose Local Junk Removal in Edmonton?

Local companies understand Edmonton’s unique waste management systems and environmental goals. They’re equipped to work within city guidelines and often partner with local recycling and donation centers to maximize their impact.

Partner with an Eco-Friendly Junk Removal Service

At You Junk It… I Dump It, we’re proud to be part of Edmonton’s push for sustainability. Our team ensures that your junk is handled responsibly, with a focus on recycling, donating, and proper disposal. By choosing our professional services, you’re not just decluttering your space—you’re making a positive impact on the environment.

Contact us today to schedule your eco-friendly junk removal service and take the first step toward a cleaner, greener Edmonton!

Recycling

10 Creative Ways to Upcycle ‘Junk’ Items

Before you toss that old chair or empty jar in the trash, consider this: with a little creativity, what seems like junk can become something useful and beautiful. Upcycling not only saves items from the landfill but also adds unique, personalized touches to your home. Here are 10 creative ways to give new life to items you might otherwise discard.

1. Turn Old Furniture into Garden Décor

Got an old chair or dresser? Instead of tossing it, repurpose it for your garden. A chair can become a quirky flower planter, and dresser drawers can serve as rustic garden beds. With a coat of weather-resistant paint, your “junk” can become a charming outdoor feature.

2. Use Mason Jars for Storage

Empty mason jars or other glass containers make perfect storage solutions. Use them to organize kitchen staples like spices, pantry items, or utensils. For a decorative touch, paint the jars or add labels to fit your style.

3. Transform Wooden Pallets into Furniture

Wooden pallets are versatile upcycling gems. With some sanding and staining, they can be turned into coffee tables, bookshelves, or even a rustic bed frame. Pallets are perfect for adding a trendy, industrial vibe to your space.

4. Make a Jewelry Holder from an Old Frame

Repurpose an old picture frame into a jewelry holder. Remove the glass and replace it with wire mesh or hooks to hang necklaces and earrings. Paint the frame in a fun color to match your décor.

5. Turn Tin Cans into Planters

Don’t throw out those empty tin cans! They make excellent planters for herbs or small flowers. Decorate the cans with paint, burlap, or ribbon for a charming, eco-friendly addition to your windowsill or garden.

6. Convert Old Ladders into Shelving

An old wooden ladder can be repurposed into a unique shelving unit. Lean it against a wall and use the rungs to display books, plants, or decorative items. It’s a great way to add a rustic touch to any room.

7. Create a Chalkboard from an Old Mirror or Windo

Have an old mirror or window lying around? Turn it into a chalkboard. Apply chalkboard paint to the surface, and you’ve got a functional and stylish memo board for your kitchen, office, or kids’ room.

8. Build a Pet Bed from a Suitcase

An old suitcase can become a cozy pet bed with just a few adjustments. Remove the top half, add a cushion or blanket, and your furry friend will have a stylish, upcycled place to rest.

9. Use Wine Corks for a Bulletin Board

If you’ve collected a stash of wine corks, put them to good use by making a bulletin board. Glue the corks onto a wooden board or an old frame, creating a functional and eye-catching spot to pin notes and photos.

10. Repurpose T-Shirts into Tote Bags

Turn old T-shirts into reusable tote bags by cutting and sewing them. This simple project is not only eco-friendly but also a fun way to give sentimental shirts a new purpose.

Start Upcycling Today

Upcycling isn’t just about being environmentally friendly—it’s also a way to flex your creative muscles and personalize your space. The next time you’re about to throw something away, think about how it could be transformed into something beautiful or practical.

And if you have items that truly can’t be upcycled, let You Junk It… I Dump It help you responsibly dispose of them. We’re committed to eco-friendly junk removal in Edmonton, ensuring your items are recycled or donated whenever possible. Contact us today for a clutter-free, sustainable solution!

Junk Removal Dumpster

Junk Removal vs. DIY Dump Runs: Which Option Is Better?

When it’s time to clear out unwanted items, you’re faced with a choice: handle the disposal yourself or hire a professional junk removal service. At first glance, a DIY dump run might seem cheaper, but there’s more to consider than just the upfront cost. Let’s break down the pros and cons of each option to help you decide which is best for your needs in Edmonton.

DIY Dump Runs: The Pros and Cons

Pros of DIY Dump Runs

Cost Control: You only pay for the landfill fees and fuel, which might seem cheaper if you have minimal junk.
Flexible Schedule: You can decide when to do the cleanup without coordinating with a service provider.
Hands-On Approach: If you enjoy the satisfaction of doing the work yourself, a DIY dump run might appeal to you.

Cons of DIY Dump Runs

Time-Consuming: Sorting, loading, driving to the dump, unloading, and cleaning up can take hours—or even days.
Hidden Costs: Fuel, wear and tear on your vehicle, and possible extra trips add up quickly.
Limited Equipment: Without a truck or trailer, transporting large or bulky items like furniture or appliances can be challenging and unsafe.
No Recycling or Donation Support: DIYers often miss opportunities to recycle or donate items, which means more waste ends up in the landfill.

Professional Junk Removal: The Pros and Cons

Pros of Professional Junk Removal

Saves Time: Professionals handle everything from lifting and loading to transporting and disposing of items, freeing up your schedule.
Cost-Efficient for Larger Jobs: When dealing with large amounts of junk, the flat-rate pricing of a junk removal service often works out cheaper than multiple DIY trips.
Convenience: No need to rent equipment, borrow a truck, or recruit friends for help.
Eco-Friendly Practices: Services like You Junk It… I Dump It ensure recyclable and donation-worthy items are sorted properly, reducing waste in Edmonton’s landfills.
Safety: Avoid the risk of injury from lifting heavy items or dealing with sharp materials.

Cons of Professional Junk Removal

Upfront Cost: The initial price may seem higher than doing it yourself, especially for small loads.
Scheduling: You need to coordinate with the service provider’s availability, which may require planning ahead.

Which Option Saves You More Time?

DIY Dump Runs: If you only have a few small items and live close to Edmonton’s landfill or Eco Stations, a DIY trip might not take much time. However, larger cleanouts often require multiple trips, turning your weekend into a junk-hauling marathon.
Junk Removal: With a professional service, everything is done in one visit, often within an hour. For time-sensitive projects, like preparing for a move or clearing out a rental, junk removal is the clear winner.

Which Option Saves You More Money?

DIY Dump Runs: The cost might seem lower if you only have a small load, but expenses like gas, vehicle wear and tear, and potential fees for specialty items (e.g., electronics or mattresses) can add up.
Junk Removal: While the upfront price may be higher, professional services provide better value for large jobs, especially when you factor in the time you save. Plus, some services include recycling and donation efforts at no extra charge, saving you additional trips.

When to Choose Junk Removal in Edmonton

You Have Bulky or Heavy Items: Furniture, appliances, and construction debris are much easier to handle with professional help.
Time is Limited: Whether you’re moving, renovating, or hosting an event, professionals can complete the job quickly and efficiently.
Eco-Friendly Disposal Matters: Edmonton-based services like You Junk It… I Dump It prioritize sustainable practices, ensuring recyclable and reusable items don’t end up in the landfill.

The Verdict: Time and Money Well Spent

For small loads or occasional cleanouts, a DIY dump run may work fine. But for larger projects, tight timelines, or eco-conscious disposal, hiring a professional junk removal service is the better investment. You’ll save time, avoid unnecessary hassle, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing the job is done right.

If you’re ready to clear the clutter without the stress, contact You Junk It… I Dump It today. We’re Edmonton’s trusted junk removal experts, offering fast, reliable, and eco-friendly service. Let us save you time, money, and effort on your next cleanup project!

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