Tag Archive for 'eco-friendly'

Recycle Old Furniture

Published on June 10, 2010 in Green Junk Removal, Old Furniture Pick Up, Pick Up Old Furniture, Recycle Furniture and Recycling. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .


There comes a time in every household when old pieces of furniture need to be disposed of.  Maybe it’s when the kids go off to college and you decide to buy some more upscale furniture.  Perhaps the new puppy went to work on those couches and coffee tables and replacements are in order.  Either way, replacing furniture means getting rid of the old stuff.  The question is: can getting rid of old furniture be done in an eco-friendly way?

Making the decision to recycle your old furniture is a big one, because it can end up impacting the environment around us.  Here are a few reasons why recycling old furniture is eco-friendly:

  • Recycling old furniture prevents the need for new material to be created and harvested from forests – your old furniture will end up getting scrapped and reused instead.
  • Recycling old furniture prevents all of the parts of your couches, chairs, tables and beds from ending up in a landfill.  If materials like cotton, wood and foam end up in a landfill they can decompose and release harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases into our atmosphere.
  • Recycling old furniture will end up saving precious energy – the amount of power necessary to recycle your old furniture is less than what it takes to build something from scratch.

So how do actually go about recycling your furniture?  Here are a few ways:

  • Break the furniture apart yourself and reuse parts for other projects around the house.  The wood from a table could be re-purposed for a building a new cupboard, and the upholstery from a couch could be used for designing new drapes.
  • Break the furniture apart yourself and drop it off at the proper recycling centers.  There are recycling centers around the country that accept various materials to be reused.  Just make sure you find the right center for the right materials.
  • Call in some furniture removal specialists who offer a recycling program.  Junk King, the best in old furniture removal and pick up, also makes sure that old furniture end up where it can be reused responsibly.

If you are interested in getting rid of your old furniture the green way, call Junk King at 1-800-995-JUNK or book a free on site appointment online.

Earth Day: How to Help

Published on April 22, 2010 in Earth Day, Green Junk Removal, Recycle Furniture and Recycling. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .


Earth day began in 1970 as a grassroots campaign to encourage people to respect the natural environment around us.  Since then, the annual holiday has gained a great deal of momentum. Today, a wide variety individuals and companies are making their own effort to give back to the earth.  There are a number of Earth Day causes and events that you can participate in to give back, however, it’s the little things that really matter.

Here are a few small things you can start doing on Earth Day to give back:

  • Eat and Buy Food Consciously: Buying organic and locally produced foods supports local growers and farms. This practice also helps prevent the unnecessary use of pesticides and energy for transporting foods over long distances.   Eating organic and locally grown foods also helps lessen your contribution to animal cruelty that takes place in centralized ‘factory farms.’  Not to mention, it’s often healthier and tastier.
  • Turn Off Your Electronics that aren’t in Use: A vast amount of energy is needlessly expended when electronic appliances are left on or plugged in.  Some primary types of electronics that contribute to wasted energy are TVs, phone chargers, computers and more.  Taking a moment every day to make sure a device is completely turned off and unplugged can really make a difference.
  • Save Water: Try taking a shorter shower or turning the water off while you are brushing your teeth or doing the dishes.  These small acts can accrue and help save precious water – which is fast becoming our planet’s most valuable (and scarce) commodity.
  • Use Reusable Grocery Bags: Help save a ton of paper and plastic by bringing along a few reusable grocery bags on your next shopping trip.  It’s really as simple as keeping a few spare bags in your car and carrying them into the store with you.
  • Get in the Habit of Recycling: Since 1970, recycling has come a long way, but it still has quite a way to go.  Everyone needs to help out and make sure they recycle whenever possible – it’s as easy as creating a separate waste container in your home or business or looking for the blue bin elsewhere.  For larger recycling jobs, it’s as simple as giving Junk King a call – we recycle up to 60% of the junk we pick up from your home or business and pride ourselves on being a green junk removal company.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Bay Area Green Junk Removal

Published on March 26, 2010 in Bay Area, Green Junk Removal and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Making the commitment to be eco-friendly throughout your life can depend on the ‘green outlook’ of everyone around you. Junk King was formed in the Bay Area, so it’s second nature for us to try to help the environment around us by preventing junk from ending up in landfills.

Those who live in the Bay Area know that the culture and law facilitates an eco-friendly way of life.  For example, buying a fuel efficient vehicle allows Bay Area drivers to skip expensive bridge tolls. For those who want to forgoe driving altogether,  the Bay Area public transit system (Muni, Bart, CalTran) is extremely efficient and far reaching.

The city of San Francisco also recently launched a very agresssive recycling program to completely stop the use of landfills by 2020. This new legislation mandates that every residence and business utilize three color-coded bins for trash, recycling and compost. People who don’t comply with the city ordinance can face fines of up to $500.

Beyond the legal side of things, people in the Bay Area simply look for greener ways to live life. You don’t see people littering as much as other places, and the nearby state and national parks are fiercly protected by citizens and the local government.

Junk King has the goal to spread this ‘Bay Area Green Outlook’ to the rest of the country through our green junk removal program.  As new Junk King franchises open across the country, we hope to promote green living in each specific destination.

Recycling Computer Equipment

Published on March 23, 2010 in Green Junk Removal, Junk Removal Franchise, Recycling and junk hauling. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

It is undeniable that humans have contributed to a growing environmental crisis. Our civilization has placed an exteme burden on the planet’s natural resources and many eco-systems.  Even though it will be an uphill climb, we need to start taking action to reverse these effects before it’s too late.

There are a myriad of ways that people can contribute to the green movement: from recycling newspapers to driving modern electric cars. I’d like to focus on one specific way that people can contribute – recycling computer equipment.  Throwing away used computer hardware, laptops, LED monitors, hard drives, RAM, webcams, batteries or any similar equipment can have a devastating effect if the junk ends up in our landfills.

From nysscpa.org: Most of the environmental concerns with computers lie with the monitor, specifically its cathode ray tube (CRT). Each color monitor contains, on average, four to five pounds of lead, considered hazardous waste when disposed of, according to EPA standards. Computers also contain other hazardous materials, including mercury, cadmium (a known carcinogen), and hexavalent chromium (shown to cause high blood pressure, iron-poor blood, liver disease, and nerve and brain damage in animals).

Because of the rate of technological progression and the need to ‘upgrade’ to the latest computer equipment, people very often end up with ‘junk’ hardware sitting around the house.   Whether its that humongous computer monitor sitting in a dusty corner or a box of used keyboards and wires, it can be difficult for some of us to make the effort to properly dispose of these technological relics.  It is extremely important that when this computer junk is thrown out, it is recycled in a responsible manner so that it stays out of our country’s landfills.

For those who don’t have the time or manpower to properly dispose of their computer equipment, Junk-King offers an affordable, efficient, and eco-friendly junk removal service.

The Difficulty in Recycling

Published on February 26, 2010 in Green Junk Removal, Recycling and junk recycling. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Do you sometimes find it difficult to recycle?  When you face the choice of just throwing something out or recycling it, it’s almost always easier to throw things away in a conventional manner.  We’ve all been in that situation: holding an empty can or bottle without a recycling bin in sight.  We most often end up settling for a trash can.

We all know how recycling can help the environment, and especially in today’s world how recycling our waste is seen as an obligation to our neighbors and society at large.  So how do we find the proper balance between time and good-will and get in the habit of regularly recycling?  I’d like to take a moment to provide five ways in various situations that we can get in the groove of recycling more often.

  1. Make a List: It never hurts to make a list to keep track of your everyday activities.  There are often several points during your normal day where you may have an opportunity to recycle, but simply don’t.  Sit down and make a list that maps out your day and when you might normally throw out trash (on the way out the door, after lunch, etc.).  Next time you encounter that time of day you’re far more likely to recycle.
  2. Create a Habit: We all know it’s pretty hard to kick a bad habit; the same often goes for good habits like recycling.  Most of us have been habituated to throw our waste away in a trash can, just because we’ve repeatedly done that throughout our lives.  If you make recycling a game or goal, it can become easier to keep than you think.
  3. Create a Company Culture: If you are in charge of a company, or simply want to make difference where you work, creating a company recycling culture can be a great way to get a large group of people into the habit of recycling.  Think of an innovative way to make people look for those blue recycling bins: maybe everyone could initial their cans and bottles and win a ‘point’ for each recycled item, with the end goal of winning some sort of prize.
  4. Use an Eco-friendly Junk Removal Service: It’s often an even bigger hassle to recycle large or heavy items like scrap metal, old brick foundations, or computer equipment.  Junk-King provides an eco-friendly junk removal service that recycles up to 60% of the total hauled waste.  For those items that you can’t recycle yourself, be sure to consider Junk-King’s affordable services.
  5. Set an Example: You’d be surprised at how people might look up to you if you start recycling on a regular basis.  Whether it’s at the office, at home, or out and about, you can pass on the recycling ‘vibe’ by smoothly and swiftly depositing your trash in that blue bin.

Harmful Landfills

Published on February 24, 2010 in Green Junk Removal and Landfills. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

A recent study was conducted by the University of Washington which concludes that the average American produces up to 7 pounds of garbage a day. If you do the math, it means each of us churns out 2,555 pounds of garbage every year. Multiply that by 300,000,000 million Americans and that’s a lot of garbage. Unfortunately for us, most of this garbage is going to end up in one of the thousands of landfills that are stretched across the county. Why do landfills hurt the environment and our way of life? Let’s count the ways:

Bad for the Air We Breathe

As the garbage in landfills begins to break down and degrade, it releases various gases into the atmosphere. Typically, these are chemical compounds that rise into the atmosphere and hitch a ride on the jet stream. These emissions then become “seeds” for rain clouds and end up clogging the atmosphere. This means that just because you don’t live anywhere near a landfill doesn’t mean you can’t be exposed to the harmful effects.

In addition, when these chemical emissions are collected in the upper atmosphere they can contribute to the deterioration of the ozone layer. As we all know, this is one of the main concerns of global climate change. When the ozone is depleted, we lose our protection against the sun’s ultraviolet rays which increases the ocean’s temperature. This has a cascading effect that is felt in severe storms and rising sea levels. Once garbage is dumped in a landfill, it’s there for a long, long time.

Bad for the Water We Drink

Not all the problems of a landfill can be found in the air we breathe. As that garbage decomposes, there are just as many harmful chemical compounds that seep into the soil and find their way into water ways. These underground water ways feed into larger aqua tributaries which in turn become our sources for water.

Yes, landfills are supposed to be in safe areas but think about rotting fruit. If you leave a piece of fruit out on your lawn, it will break down and disintegrate. Now instead of fruit think of discarded computer monitors, batteries, oils, and paints… the list of harmful elements in a landfill is truly endless.

Bad for Our Quality of Life

For the unlucky folks who happen to live near a landfill, there are a whole host of unwanted “guests” who show up to feast on the garbage. This means bugs, birds, rats, possums and all many of creepy crawlers who would make their home in the landfill. And don’t think they’re going to stay there for long. As their unfettered population grows, these critters will leech out into the surrounding areas leading to a virtual overrun of vermin.

When you add in other dangers like burning fires and floating debris, you can clearly see why landfills hurt the environment and are bad all around.  Junk-King is trying to slow the growth of our country’s landfills by recycling up to 60% of the waste that we salvage.  If you’re thinking about getting rid of the unwanted clutter in your home or business and aren’t sure if it will end up in landfill, feel free to contact Junk-King for a free onsite junk removal estimate.

Green Junk Removal

Published on January 22, 2010 in Green Junk Removal, junk recycling and junk removal. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Every day, millions of tons of waste and junk ends up in landfills around the country. Although some of this junk eventually decomposes, much of it does not and can have adverse effects on our environment and public health.

One problem is leachate, or water that becomes contaminated by picking up toxic chemicals from landfills, ending up in our ground and surface water sources.  Another pressing issue is landfill gas, which is caused by the breakdown of waste and can contribute to global warming, local health concerns and deadly explosions.  In recent years, computer equipment that ends up landfills poses another hazard by releasing toxic chemicals like lead, mercury, or cadmium into the groundwater, soil and atmosphere.

Most of this junk and waste originates from households and businesses that want to get rid of unwanted clutter.  These people simply want to rid themselves of their junk and get on with their lives; they obviously have no agenda when it comes to harming the environment.

That’s where Junk King comes in.  Our Junk Removal service provides a solution for both cutting down on landfill waste as well as helping out homeowners and business clear out their clutter.  Unlike many other junk removal services, Junk King recycles 40-60% of the waste we pick up.

To this day, Junk King has saved approximately 2,282,500 tons of waste from ending up in local landfills around the country. Whether it’s scrap metal, plastic, computer equipment or several other types of waste, Junk King can get rid of materials efficiently, reliably and most importantly, in an eco-friendly manner.

As we’ve learned over the past decade, any little change over a large scale can help contribute to our fight against global warming.  Sometimes it’s both difficult and time consuming to take the steps to properly recycle your junk:  maybe the equipment is too heavy to haul away yourself or maybe you just don’t have the time during a busy workday to properly dispose of it.  No matter how small or large the item is, Junk King only charges by the space it takes up in our junk removal truck.   With this methodology, you’ll only pay for the amount of junk you remove and not the time it takes to get rid of it.  Taking the steps today to properly dispose of waste can make a big difference for the environment in the long run.

Feel free to contact us for a free on-site junk removal estimate via our online form or by calling 1-800-995-JUNK (5865).