Sustainable Junk Removal & Community Impact
Updated March 2023
Eco-friendly junk removal can have lasting, positive effects on communities of all sizes. But improper junk removal can have the opposite effect, impacting communities for generations.
The Junkluggers partner with local charitable organizations and donation centers to reduce community waste.
How you treat your community today will determine what kind of environment it will be in the future. Create a foundation for sustainable community junk removal practices and contribute to that shared goal whenever you can. Your kids and future neighbors will thank you. The three pillars of sustainability are:
- The environment
- The economy
- Social responsibility
You could also think of this as "the planet", "the purpose", and "the people". As sustainable junk removal experts, we consider ourselves an integral piece of "the people" working towards a greener future. Our environmentalism principles are written in our mission statement, our company values, and all across our website. Any damage or progress we make starts within our individual communities, but it won't stop there. And it's up to us to decide what kind of change we want that to be.
We're firm believers in sustainable junk removal. And we won't stop pushing our message until everyone has heard it because sustainable junk removal has the power to change the world. Here's how it positively impacts communities around the globe.
IT HELPS LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
The first flyer for The Junkluggers was simple but effective. It said a college student would help you haul away your junk to local charities and recycling centers instead of immediately disposing of it. Junk removal wasn't something many people were familiar with. But if someone else could help customers save the planet, then they were on board.
Giving back is something we’ve stood by ever since those early days of only Josh and his mom’s Dodge Durango SUV. We even have a network of charity partners that we work with to donate items like mattresses, TVs, and furniture. Any sustainable action should always take a person's well-being into consideration. Everyone can achieve this with fair wages, a better work-life balance, and stronger communities. Nothing empowers people more than a tight-knit community.
IT REDUCES POLLUTION.
We’re actively polluting the world with our habits. Whether it's commuting to work, using non-biodegradable products, or throwing things out that could be recycled or repurposed, everything we do creates more pollution. We can only solve this by taking real action. The easiest place to start is how we dispose of junk and what we consider to be trash in the first place.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that all landfills will eventually leak into the environment.
Most of our junk ends up in landfills because it is the easy way out. But landfills are a huge contributor to air and water pollution. Consider that US landfills released an estimated 109.3 million metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere in 2020.
By using sustainable junk removal, we can reduce the amount of pollution humans create. This isn’t limited to junk disposal methods, either; When you recycle, facilities break down materials to repurpose them into new products. This keeps materials out of landfills and also prevents further pollution caused by new material creation.
IT LIMITS OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
We rely on hazardous tools to minimize our junk: landfills and incinerators.
Not only do landfills contaminate surrounding soil and water, but they also wreak havoc on local and more distant habitats. Many animals search for food in landfills or consume water polluted with leachate, a combination of moisture and waste runoff that comes from landfills. This can lead to the spread of diseases and even a change in animal behavior. Animals are important, living pieces of our communities and are consistently victims of our waste disposal methods.
Researchers estimate that over one million animals die worldwide each year after becoming trapped in or eating litter.
Incinerators are no better. When they burn junk, it releases toxins like lead and mercury into the air, destroying the ozone layer. It also creates ash and sludge byproducts, both of which are hazardous to the environment.
We must remind ourselves that one of the three pillars of sustainability is “planet.” Sustainable companies determine if what they’re doing is hurting or harming the environment. This extra mindfulness that can be the difference between harming and saving the planet.
Sustainable junk removal means keeping your junk from having an impact on the environment. You’re taking the time to care about where it ends up. If we're not considering this at all times, we may be doing more harm than good.
IT PROTECTS OUR COMMUNAL HEALTH.
On average, high-volume landfills reduce nearby property values by 12.9%.
Do you even know where your closest landfill is? The physical distance between communities and landfills is often quite a bit, but that doesn’t mean people are safe from the negative effects of a landfill. The health hazards and the aesthetics of a landfill lend a bad reputation to a community. And who honestly wants to live in a town that’s next to a landfill?
With sustainable junk removal, items get recycled or repurposed in a thoughtful way. An eco-conscious company like ours will carefully sort through truckloads of junk to donate, recycle, or repurpose items. The rest is then taken to a local waste management facility for proper disposal.
IT’S A WAY TO PAY IT FORWARD.
We've exercised empathy since starting The Junkluggers. Relating to someone else and feeling their emotions is a powerful experience. We practice it each time we pick up junk. We remind ourselves that customers have sentimental items, and we want them to know we care.
On average, each person in America generates 4.9 pounds of trash per day.
There will always be an emotional component to junk removal because you’re taking away memories in the process. Empathy is also a key driver of amazing customer service. Being professional, timely, and upfront is important to us at The Junkluggers, but empathy is what makes our efforts so lasting.
Widespread sustainable junk removal isn’t going to happen overnight. It will take time to implement across all junk removal companies. We’re doing our part to donate, repurpose, and recycle what we can for now. We won’t compromise on being green. We’ll be unyielding to show the world how effective sustainability can be.