Most of what comes out of a house during a cleanout or remodel can go straight into a roll-off dumpster. A few things can't, either because the landfill won't accept them, because they're hazardous, or because they're so heavy they wreck the weight allowance. Here's the practical list we go over with customers across the Downriver area.
Generally accepted
If it's ordinary household, renovation, or yard debris, it's almost certainly fine:
- Furniture: couches, chairs, tables, dressers, mattresses, and box springs
- Household junk: boxes, clothing, toys, books, rugs, and general clutter
- Renovation debris: drywall, lumber, trim, cabinets, countertops, doors, and windows
- Flooring: carpet, padding, hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tile
- Roofing: asphalt shingles, underlayment, and flashing (watch the weight)
- Siding, gutters, decking, and fencing
- Yard waste: branches, brush, leaves, and old landscaping timbers
- Most appliances without refrigerant, such as stoves, washers, dryers, and dishwashers
Not accepted
These can't go in the dumpster. Some are safety issues, some are landfill rules, and two of them are about weight:
- Concrete, brick, block, asphalt, and dirt. We do not accept these in any size because they overload the container almost immediately.
- Hazardous waste: chemicals, solvents, pesticides, and pool chemicals
- Liquids of any kind, including paint, stain, oil, gasoline, and antifreeze
- Asbestos and any material suspected to contain it (common in older Downriver homes: some floor tile, pipe insulation, and siding)
- Tires
- Batteries, including car batteries and lithium packs
- Propane tanks and other pressurized cylinders
- Refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners, unless arranged with us ahead of time
- Electronics where local rules prohibit landfill disposal (TVs, monitors, computers)
What to do with the stuff we can't take
Most of it has an easy alternative. Wayne County runs household hazardous waste collection events several times a year for paint, chemicals, and batteries; check the county's environmental services page for the next date. Many auto parts stores take used motor oil and car batteries for free. Tire shops usually take old tires for a small fee. For appliances with refrigerant, call us first; we can often arrange a plan, and the local utility sometimes runs appliance recycling pickups.
For concrete and dirt, look for a local aggregate or landscape supply yard that accepts clean fill, or a hauler that specializes in heavy material. It's not that these items are hard to dispose of; they're just a bad fit for a container with a weight allowance.
Loading tips that keep you under the weight limit
Break down furniture and boxes so you're not paying to haul air. Put heavy, flat items on the bottom and light bulky items on top. Keep everything below the top rim; we can't legally transport an overfilled container and may have to ask you to remove material before pickup. And when in doubt about any item, call us before it goes in. A thirty-second question beats an unexpected fee.
Related questions
Yes. Mattresses and box springs are fine in our roll-off dumpsters. They're bulky, so count on each one taking up about a cubic yard.
Yes, asphalt shingles are one of the most common things we haul. They're heavy, though. For roofing jobs we recommend the 20 Yard Dumpster, which includes 4 tons.
Not wet paint. Liquid paint, stain, and solvents are prohibited. Fully dried latex paint cans (lid off, paint hardened) are generally fine, and Wayne County's household hazardous waste days take the rest.
Weight. A single cubic yard of concrete weighs close to two tons, which is the entire allowance on a 10 Yard Dumpster. It's cheaper for you to dispose of those materials through a heavy-debris hauler or a fill yard.