Environmentally Friendly Junk Removal In Orange County

What is one of the biggest contributors to landfill and municipal waste? Paper. According to The World Counts website, which provides an overview of critical global challenges, 25% of landfill waste and 33% of municipal waste is made up of paper products. As OC Junk Hauling is a dedicated supporter of green alternatives, we would like to offer some suggestions on how you can go paperless at home.

Junk Mail

Junk mail. You get it and passively throw it away. Why? Like a boomerang, next month it will come again. For example, would you like to eliminate those pre-approved credit card solicitation applications? Don’t want them or the paper they are printed on anymore? The Federal Trade Commission says  “If you decide that you don’t want to receive pre-screened offers of credit and insurance, you have two choices: You can opt out of receiving them for five years or opt out of receiving them permanently.

• To opt out for five years, call toll-free 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit optoutprescreen.com. The phone number and website are operated by the major consumer reporting companies.
• To opt out permanently, you may begin the permanent Opt-Out process online at optoutprescreen.com. To complete your request, you must return the signed Permanent Opt-Out Election form, which will be provided after you initiate your online request.

For full details on all the steps and what personal info you need to supply, go to the FTC page.

Electronic versions

Request electronic delivery of your regular paper mail in what areas you can. Medical bills or bank statements can be adjusted at origin site to be sent as emails rather than paper. Think about it. Do you send them a check or pay by credit card online? So, why do you need a paper bill anymore?

In fact, why do you need magazines, catalogs, and newsletters sent to you? Most sales-oriented operations have an on-line presence displaying full inventory (not just what they decided to “run this issue”).

In fact, Pinterest has just expanded a feature called Shop the Look, where shoppers can choose to get more information about products that are tagged in a Pinned image, instead of just deciding to buy or not buy.

Eliminating the need for 1 ton of paper saves around 682.5 gallons of oil, 26,500 liters of water and 17 trees. Ok. You don’t have a ton of paper at home. It takes 1.5 cups of water to make 1 sheet of paper.  Think of how much water you could save by reducing paper waste.

OC Junk Hauling is a family-owned and locally operated, licensed junk hauling business, serving the communities within Orange County for over a decade. We are extremely eco-friendly and take great pride in creating a clean and environmentally friendly California. If you have unwanted items, including paper products, call us for a no obligation, free estimate at 949-424-9265.

Removal of Old Stuff Made Possible By OC Junk Hauling

High school is many things to your daughter; new friends, new subjects, and new experiences await her. It can also be a stressful time as she deals with growing up. Why not make her room a “growing up” (if not yet “grown up”) refuge? A gentle furniture change here and there can make all the difference. And OC Junk Hauling will be a phone call away to remove unwanted but still useful items for recycling.

For example, that old kid’s lamp with the dancing piggies is not very encouraging when she has a biology or algebra exam to study for. A modern, sleek lamp whose function is to evenly display light rather than be decorative goes a long way to say, “You can ace this exam!”

Most definitely remove the large, pink 3-drawer dresser she’s had since she was five years old. Pretty in pink was a great movie title, but your daughter may live in shades of gray now as she explores new options in life. A smaller drawer for jewelry, perhaps? Maybe a mid-sized separate one for socks and stockings rather than just having those items shoved in corners of the other big drawers? Allow her to decide where everything is stored. Jeans go on the left drawer while shorts go on the right side. Little things can mean a lot. In fact, ask ideas on color of the dresser. While price, shape, and availability will dictate final selection, by seeking her input you’re allowing her to be part of the decision-making on her room’s décor.

You Are Not A Kid Anymore Symbol

And for the pièce de résistance, the ultimate “you are not a kid anymore” symbol— get her a full-sized desk with a matching chair (don’t just shove any house-hidden chair on her). The little kid’s desk where she has been banging her knees for the last couple of years must go. Take her to the store to select supplementary items such as bulletin board or desk lamp. Help make her feel comfortable in that room where she will take refuge from the bad and good days of high school.

You, of course, can go all the way and replace the bed, rip out carpet, and change wall paint. But doing all that at once might be too unsettling. Remember, she is going through a lot in school. Homelife should be a center of calm. The lamp, dresser, and desk ideas are just little steps.

These are also items that OC Junk Hauling can easily remove and recycle to agencies such as Goodwill Industries, Human Options, Laura’s House, and Illumination Foundation where they will go to a family and a little girl who could still enjoy their value. When items are good enough to be reused, we ensure they are delivered to one of the many charity organizations that we work with.  While charities will not go into your home or backyard to remove the donation items, we will.

OC Junk Hauling is a family-owned and operated business serving Orange County. We offer 24 service, with a no-obligation free estimate. Call us at 949-424-9265.

Junk Pickup All Over Orange County

 

Halloween is coming. Yay!  Lots of events for the entire family to attend in Orange County (see below). But first let’s all go to the attic, basement, garage or closets and dig out the old spiders, black cats, and other spooky decorations we’ve used on the house— year after year, after year! Or… maybe consider upgrading to new shapes and sounds and colors?

Tradition is great, but torn black cats and an orange pumpkin with dents in it most certainly reduce the fun effect. No decoration is going to last a lifetime (… unless it is haunted …).

Make Junk Disappear

Just before Halloween is the perfect time to dig around your property (house and yard) to clean up on decorations that are getting old & moldy in boxes. These mostly paper-based items can exist for only so long without getting dirty, broken, scratched, faded, or water damaged in damp basements and garages.

In fact, if you come across similarly wilting Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday decorations, throw them all into the junk pile.

Then call OC Junk Hauling and we will “magically” appear to make your unwanted items disappear! Not to scare you, but we offer same-day appointments and can work around most schedules! In fact, we schedule our appointments with a 2-hour time frame. Our driver will call 30 minutes before the team arrives to let you know that they are on their way.

Halloween Events in OC

Orange County may not be as spooky as the Witch City of Salem Ma or as haunted as Sleepy Hollow NY,  but Halloween here is also a great time with lots of events for adults and kids to attend.

If your neighborhood is not “Halloweeny” enough and you are looking for fun & safe places for the entire family to go trick-or-treating in Orange County, check out these websites. (Events are always subject to change , so call before driving out.)

• 2018 Orange County Halloween Celebrations Haunted Houses, Halloween Parties, Trick-or-Treating, Day of the Dead Events & Fall Festivals!

 

• Halloween for Kids and Families in Orange County

OC Junk Hauling is family-owned & operated We are a fully insured, full-service junk removal and hauling company serving families and business throughout Orange County for over a decade. We provide 24/7 service to meet your junk hauling needs. Give us a call at 949-424-9265 for a free estimate.

We accept cash, personal checks, company checks, and all major credit cards. Sorry, no magic beans or eye of newt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just in Case January Does Not Make Clutter Disappear

Clutter here. Clutter there. Clutter everywhere. And you have tried for years setting New Year’s resolutions to start the year by cleaning up the house. You even have our OC Junk Hauling phone number on speed dial. But you never call because you never get motivated enough to start cleaning. Maybe it’s not you, but the time of year.

January is the traditional start of the year. But perhaps you might be inclined and in tune with a different month.

Take a Lesson from School Year

For 8 years of elementary grades, 4 years of high school and possibly an additional 2 or 4 years of college, SEPTEMBER has functioned as the catalyst to the beginning of the new year in your life.

What if you have been so ingrained to “get it in gear” for school in September that you have a bias against beginning something new in January (which normally started off being winter vacation time)?

Let’s test it out. This is September. Come up with a plan to clean up just one or two problem areas in your house.

Books, Magazines and more

What better item to reflect on during this “school year” concept than books. In September you would have been purchasing new books for new classes. But, if you were on a tight budget, you would have been thankful that an upper-class student was selling price-reduced classroom required assignment books. Remember that feeling of relief? Use that to motivate you to go into the study or closet or living room— wherever you keep old newspapers magazines, and books that you have read once — but never did again.

Then call OC Junk Hauling to get the reading material off your hands.

Shirts, skirts and even shoes

New threads dude. Looking good lady.

September was always a time to buy new clothing and to put away apparel that was too old or too out of style. Go into your closet now and just try EVERYTHING on. You will find a few items that are a bit tight around your waist. Multiple washings of a shirt or skirt coupled with multiple slices of pizza and you will find more than one item that is no longer worth keeping.

Finding new homes for gently-used clothing is a skill we have developed using several local agencies that assist people in need.

The OC Guarantees

If this “September system” works for you with one of these examples, you may find it hard to stop. You will turn into a declutter machine as you clear your way through the house.

We guarantee to offer same day junk removal, a free no obligation estimate, a specific 2-hour arrival time window, and a “heads up we are on the way” phone call, one half hour before arrival.

Big or small haul, we are a phone call away 24/7 at 949-424-9265.

 

While “All the leaves are brown…And the sky is grey” and the rest of America is California dreamin’, we in Orange County are living that dream. It is filled with the water, the sun, the sand and especially acres of beautiful trails & creeks. But, volunteers and vigilance are needed to keep them beautiful.

At OC Junk Hauling, we know how important it is to preserve natural resources, which is why we strive to recycle over 85% of our pickups.
Our environmentally friendly practices focus on salvaging unwanted items and materials that can be reused by someone else. To that end, we make a concerted effort to sort through all collected unwanted items for what can be donated, recycled or upcycled.

We are extremely eco-friendly and take great pride in creating a clean and environmentally friendly California.

Therefore, we are particularly interested in sharing with you the news about the upcoming annual Aliso Viejo Trails and Creek Clean-up event set for 8-11 a.m. on Saturday, September 15! Approximately 3.5 miles of trails within Aliso and Wood Canyon Park are the target area for volunteers to clean up trash and debris that has built up since last year’s clean up.

Moy Yahya, Environmental Programs Manager for the City of Aliso Viejo tells us this project first began in 2006.

Yahya shared with us, “City of Aliso Viejo encourages residents and businesses to participate in this event and to do their part in keeping local trails and the creeks clean so we all can enjoy better and beautiful and accessible trails and natural habitat areas.”

This would also be an excellent opportunity for teens looking to earn additional volunteer hours.

Volunteers should come prepared with appropriate attire and closed-toed shoes or hiking boots. Gardening or work gloves would be advisable as you most likely will be pushing thicket, brush and bushes to get to the target debris.

It also wouldn’t hurt to bring sunscreen and a hat.

Free refreshments will be provided to the volunteers.

Volunteers will meet at the Aliso Viejo Ranch, 100 Park Avenue. On-site registration will be held the day of the clean up. A required liability waiver also will need to be completed by each volunteer or guardian.

For additional info and to sign up, contact Moy Yahya at  myahya@cityofalisoviejo.com or call 949-425-2538.

By volunteering to clean up our environment, you can make a difference in your community. At OC Junk Hauling, we do it every day with our policy of recycling and upcycling unwanted items to keep them from landfills. This is your chance to donate three hours to keep what makes California, the OC and Alisa Viejo the kind of place that people elsewhere continue dreamin’ about.

(OC Junk Hauling is a family-owned and locally operated, licensed junk hauling business, serving the communities of Orange County for over a decade. For a no obligation, free estimate of your removal job, please call 949-424-9265.)

You’ve heard the saying about “one person’s trash is another’s treasure.” At OC Junk Hauling we operate under that assumption when we take your unwanted items and recycle or upcycle to be donated, so they aren’t dumped at a landfill. There’s already too much old stuff at landfills. Tons of items piled up over the years. In fact, you never know what you could find — like the recent discovery of ancient whale bones at the San Juan Capistrano landfill!!!

A pre-historic whale fossil was found at the Prima Deshecha Landfill, June 29, in a rock formation. Crews were there to excavate a new 57-acre area to put trash. Paleontologists say this particular whale finding may be a clue to an entire new whale species that would have lived  4 million to 7 million years ago.

So, what exactly did the scientists find at the San Juan Capistrano landfill? Before transporting the fossils to study facilities, it was reported that paleontologists had identified a snout, ribs, limb bones, portions of the backbone, and shoulder bones.

Cool! In our very own Orange County landfill.

According to the official California government site CalRecycle, “Landfills, as well as many other large excavation projects, can provide a significant avenue for paleontological research throughout California. The nature of these projects allows for large-scale removal of earth materials, which would otherwise be unavailable to the paleontological research community.”

Just in case you were wondering how somebody was able to spot the whale fossils from regular rock, that’s why the California Environmental Quality Act exists. It requires paleontologists to always be on site, joining work crews who are operating scrapers and digging up any new ground at landfills.

For example, the area where the whale bones were found is called the Capistrano Formation, which was once a deep ocean basin where sediment collected and turned into rock.

What makes this additionally interesting is that it’s not the first. California landfills, especially in the OC, are a paleontologist’s dream. Among the most recent was a fossil find at Palo Alto a few years ago.

And one final community-oriented point. Whether a landfill is located close to urban communities or rural areas, when operators recover and retain some fossils on site, there is a fantastic opportunity to provide a rare educational experience for local school students.

Hopefully, bringing in this news story helps you to see that taking your stuff down to the  landfill has its impact on history. What other archeological finds might be in the OC landfills, buried under items that don’t need to be there. If you have unwanted items, give OC Junk Hauling a call. Let us determine which can be recycled or upcycled and be used by someone else, rather than just being dumped. Call us at 949-424-9265.

Choose A Responsible Junk Hauling Company in Orange County

 

Junk is junk. And one junk hauler is the same as another, right? Noooooooo. Are they insured in case anything goes wrong? Will they clean up the mess on the ground after they pick up boxes? You need a check list, and whether you hire OC Junk Hauling or not, these are among the major things that should dictate your selection.

 

Ratings check up

Do your homework. Check them out even before contacting. Plenty of customer review sites like Yelp, Google, Angie’s List, etc. Anyone with a rating over 4 stars should be on your short list for consideration. We regularly reprint reviews or links to comments on our website and Facebook pages.

 

Personal referrals.

Rating sites can be extremely useful, but in the days of Fiverr, people can also get paid to write “awesome” reviews. Your friends, on the other hand, are going to give you the straight scoop.

 

Better Business Bureau (BBB).

After you’ve narrowed down your choices to 2 or 3 options, go the extra mile and see if the BBB has any file on them. The BBB accepts and investigates complaints so that you don’t have to.

 

Customer Service

We have a friend who says, “Customer Service is what takes place before, during and after the transaction of business.” What is your gut feeling when they answer the phone? Does their website look up-to-date & informative? Is there an active community-oriented blog (truth in advertising, and modesty aside, like ours?). Can you let them & the public know afterwards of your satisfaction or dissatisfaction? A company that cares about customers will make an extra effort to give customers ample ways to make comments.

 

Items taken

What do they take? Simple question, but you don’t want any surprises at pick up time forcing you to find one hauler for standard items and another for billiard tables and spas.

 

Quick removal.

Speedy service with a smile. It’s more than an old slogan. Good service can be measured in the time span from initial contact to removal. It’s not rocket science. You want stuff picked up. We have a truck.. “Can’t do it ‘til next week” means either they are very busy (best to opt for another company) or badly managed (run to the next company on your list).

 

Recycling policy

You wouldn’t like it if your neighbor dumped unwanted items on your front lawn, would you? Well then, give some consideration as to where YOUR items will be hauled by the potential company. Items don’t go up in a puff of smoke. Ask — and don’t be afraid of a nasty response of “what do you care” which would be a big clue that your unwanted items could end up dumped on the side of the road (see below Insurance). Will your items be dropped at a landfill, recycled, donated or even be upcycled?

 

Cleanliness

Picking up boxes, bushes and other junk is one thing. Cleaning up ensuing fallen debris is something extra. To get an indication of how much “care” they put in their efforts, try to get a peek at the condition of their trucks. If it is a beat up pick up instead of a professional vehicle, that could be a gauge on how well they take care of their other equipment and how professionally they operate. If you don’t care enough to take care of your truck… well, you get the point.

 

Insurance protection

Not what you think. Yes, you want the haulers insured in case they hit your garage or break a window. But the greater concern is if you have hired a non-licensed fly by night company that then illegally dumps your stuff on the side of a road. Notice the word “illegally?” That means a crime has been committed. If they can’t be found but your name can be on the items, guess who the police will be visiting with a summons? Who do you think the judge will stick with the bill if the “company” can’t be found?

 

Buy Local!!!

Sure, full disclosure, this may be a personal preference, but going with a local business over a national chain keeps the income in your area where it does some real good.  Whether junk hauling or eating out, going local is the way to go. OC Junk Hauling is a locally owned and family operated business serving Orange County for over a decade. Call +1 (949) 424-9265

What to Do with the Stuff “Stuffed” into the Corners of Your House

“A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.” That memorable quote from comedian George Carlin is an interesting one when you think about moving time. What will you do with all that stuff? Give it away? Trade it? Sell it?

OC Junk Hauling

Providing the OC area with professional, fast and eco-friendly junk removal services.

Bothered by insects and bugs that creep, fly or just pry their way into your clean Orange County home during the sweltering days of August? First thing you need to do is call OC Junk Hauling to take away any fallen branches, yard waste, boxes, etc. that could be spawning or resting grounds from which bugs launch their assaults on your home. Then locate a florist!

That’s correct. If you don’t want your home to reek of pesticides, fungicides and pest strips, go all natural. Use flowers.

Pyrethrum

There is a  compound found within many insect-repelling flowers. It is called pyrethrum. Warning, it is also toxic to pets, so keep them away or out of reach of your flowers. As with any outside source you introduce to your environment, please read all labels and instructions

Pyrethrum Nature’s Insecticide – Home and Garden

Pyrethrum products are available in a variety of product types for use in or around the home and garden.

But, today we’re not taking about sprays. Just the plants from which the repellant oils and sprays are derived.

• Chrysanthemums – repel a variety of insects, including roaches, fleas and ants.
• Geraniums – repel mosquitoes, among other insects.
• Marigolds  – repel mosquitoes and aphids.
• Petunias  – repel beetles, aphids and squash bugs.

 

The beauty of using flowers to be bug free is that they add color and “warmth” to your home. More so than three cans of bug spray on the kitchen or bathroom counter. And they are portable. Move them from the dining room to picnic table when dining outside.

Naturally if you’re suffering from an infestation, you’ll need to seek out a professional exterminator, but if it’s just a situation that the OC summer heat has driven unwanted creeping, wriggling, flying “guests” inside, consider a bouquet of Chrysanthemums, Geraniums, Marigolds or Petunias.

 

And don’t forget to call OC Junk Hauling. Why?

• Family Owned and Operated
• Fully Insured
• Competitive Prices
• Uniformed Professionals
• Eco-Responsible
• Same Day Service
• Open 7 Days a Week

 

We are a bouquet of services. Call us at 949-424-9265.

 

Junk Hauling In Orange County

We hope you have been enjoying our monthly blogs where we share our experience to help in improving your home. For example, did you know that you could:

• turn your garage into an office,
• or that you could “build” an extra bedroom for Thanksgiving stay over guests
• or how to teach your kids to be environmentally conscious with an understanding of recycling and upcycling

 

OC Junk Hauling is a family-owned, local business. Our environmentally friendly practices focus on salvaging unwanted items and materials that can be reused by someone else. Dumping at a landfill is a last resort.

But, when something must go, it must go. Safety tips we have shared run from:

• ripping up rugs
• to lifting boxes
• to proper dumping of appliance.

 

This time, instead of a story, we thought we would just go over what we take.

• Appliances: Air Conditioners, Clothes Dryers, De-humidifiers, Dishwashers, Freezers, Humidifiers, Microwaves, Refrigerators, Stoves, Washing Machines, Water Heaters, Trash Compactors
• Construction materials: stucco, drywall materials, lumber materials, roofing materials, concrete, rock, brick, block, tile, remodeling debris, wood fencing, firewood, etc.
• Electronics: TV’s, VCR’s, computers, printers, monitors, copy machines, stereos, etc.
• Furniture: Beds, mattresses, sofas, sofa beds, tables, chairs, dressers, bookcases, file cabinets, armoires, etc.
• Garbage: Trash, rubbish, paper, cardboard, cardboard boxes
• Garden debris: Dirt, sod, tree trimmings, landscaping debris, etc.
• Remodeling Refuse: Any kind of remodeling leftovers or demolition

 

Seems like we take everything! But there is one group of items we won’t take. We cannot accept any Household Hazardous Waste materials

• Adhesives, Antifreeze, Batteries, Broken thermometers, Cosmetics, Drain Openers, Fuel injection and carburetor cleaners, Fungicides and wood preservatives, Grease and rust solvents, Household polishes and cleaners, Insecticides, herbicides, and rat poisons, Latex and oil-based paints, Lighter fluids, Nail polish and removers, Oven cleaners, Paint thinners and strippers, Used oil and oil filters, Wood and metal cleaners

 

When you are ready to clean up the clutter, please call OC Junk Hauling at (949 )424-9265. One of our friendly staff will book your appointment for a free visit. While at your home, we will evaluate items to be removed and provide a no obligation estimate. That is it! You sit back and relax as we do all the work, quickly and efficiently. What could be easier?

 

All Aboard For The Summer 2018 Season

Summer in Orange County, CA and pretty much one of the few vehicles that puts on more mileage than our OC Junk Hauling trucks, is the Dana Point Trolley! For residents, neighboring visitors and tourists to Dana Point, we would like to advise that the trolley route has been expanded for 2018 due to “tremendous support, growing ridership and valuable feedback received from the community” according to the city website.

Service this season began on June 8, 2018 and operates through to Labor Day (Monday, September 3, 2018).

Trolley Stop Locations (approx. every 15 minutes)

1. Ritz Carlton Dr./Resort (Connection to Laguna Beach)
2. Selva Road/PCH South
3. Del Prado/Ruby Lantern
4. Del Prado/Violet Lantern
5. Dana Point Harbor Drive-Southbound (Connection point with Harbor Shuttle)
6. Dana Point Harbor Drive/Puerto Place
7. Park Lantern/Laguna Cliffs Marriott
8. PCH Pedestrian Bridge-Southbound/Doheny State Beach access
9. Coast Highway-Southbound/Beach access
10. Capistrano Beach Park/Palisades Dr.
11. Camino de Estrella/Camino Capistrano
12. Camino Capistrano/Doheny Place (Pines Park)
13. Olamendi’s-Coast Highway-Northbound/Beach access
14. Doheny Village/Doheny Park Road
15. PCH Pedestrian Bridge-Northbound
16. Dana Point Community Center
17. Stonehill/Del Obispo (Albertsons Shopping Center) (Connection point to San Juan Capistrano)
18. Dana Hills High School/Golden Lantern
19. Golden Lantern/Selva Road
20. La Plaza Park/PCH-Northbound
21. PCH/Ruby Lantern
22. Selva Rd./PCH-Northbound
23. Niguel Rd/Stonehill Dr.-Sea Terrace Park access
24. Niguel Rd./Camino del Avion (Monarch Beach Promenade Shopping Center)
25. Monarch Beach Resort/Niguel Rd.
26. Sea Terrace Park/PCH-Northbound

For more info on the Dana Point Trolley, go to the city website.

OC Junk Hauling salutes the city of Dana Point on the continued success of this handicap accessible and free service to the community*

Just as the trolley has been dependably transporting people across the city, OC Junk Hauling has been serving the entire Orange County community for over 10 years. As a family owned and operated business, we work hard to provide you with the best in services, prices and responsible transporting of unwanted items.
Call us at 949-424-9265. We work seven days a week at the time that’s convenient for you, whether you own a home or a business.

*The Dana Point Trolleys and the Harbor Shuttle are handicap accessible and are free of charge. Riders will be able to access real-time Dana Point Trolley and Harbor Shuttle locations and wait times on their smartphones with the custom app (Android and iPhone Search: Dana Point Trolley) or with the use of the trolley tracker at www.dptrolley.com.