Renting a dumpster looks simple until you learn that not everything can go inside one. Before booking a dumpster rental in Greeley, CO, it helps to know what materials you can toss into it.
State regulations and landfill rules determine what you can legally throw away. This guide breaks down the rules.
What Can Go Into a Dumpster Rental
You can throw quite a bit of your everyday household junk into a rental dumpster. That includes everything from regular garbage to old furniture and even broken appliances. Most dumpster rentals will accept the following:
- Wooden furniture
- Small kitchen appliances
- Yard waste and clean soil
- Construction debris like concrete, drywall, and brick
- Outdoor materials like shingles and siding
- Non-hazardous household waste
So, what can you put in a rental dumpster? Nearly anything non-hazardous and non-toxic. Just keep weight limits in mind since heavier materials add up fast.
Where It Gets Specific
Furniture and appliances follow slightly different rules depending on what they are. Pure wooden furniture and small kitchen appliances are generally straightforward, with no special requirements.
The complication comes with larger appliances. Older refrigerators and air conditioners may contain refrigerants like Freon, which a professional must drain before disposal. Empty aerosol cans follow a similar rule. Any remaining product, however little, constitutes a disposal hazard.
Hot water tanks are also off-limits because trapped gases pose an explosion risk at landfills. Even newer refrigerants like Puron carry the same risks, so no fridge or AC unit should go in a dumpster untreated.
What’s Prohibited
Prohibited materials span a wide range, and the easiest first step is to check any waste for hazard symbols. Items that cannot go in a dumpster include:
- Wet paint, lacquers, and adhesives
- Oils, fuels, and household cleaning products
- Non-alkaline batteries, including lithium and car batteries
- Medical waste and asbestos-contaminated debris
- Tires, which are banned from landfills entirely
Asbestos requires professional removal before any debris goes in the dumpster. Skipping this step puts you at risk of fines and improper disposal.
Alkaline batteries are the exception. Recent manufacturing rules have removed mercury from their composition, making them safe for regular dumpster disposal alongside other household waste.
A Few Items That Depend on Local Rules
Some waste falls into a grey area, and this is where dumpster rental guidelines vary most. Mattresses often contain metal springs that require recycling rather than landfill disposal. Upholstered furniture is banned in some areas but accepted in others.
Food waste is worth paying attention to as well. It produces methane as it breaks down in landfills, and many states restrict large quantities. Checking your local rules beforehand is always worth the extra step.
Ready To Start Hauling?
Now that you know what you can put in a rental dumpster, the next step is finding the right fit for your project. At Hauling Ops, we offer roll-off dumpster rentals in a range of sizes for both residential and commercial jobs. Call (720) 999-0418 or contact us to get started today.
