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Rubbish Removal Tips: What Is the Waste Pyramid Why It Matters

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Andrew

There are several eco-friendly methods of rubbish removal, some of which can be found online at junkreduction.com. So you may be asking, which method is the best? To answer this question, we are going to invoke a mental image of a “waste pyramid.” It is similar to a food pyramid in appearance and concept. Just like a food pyramid, you have the stuff you should do more of at the very bottom. At the top of the pyramid, you have the stuff you should do very little of, if any in fact! And this goes for any waste removal – whether you have a bunch of garden waste from your summer gardening, or perhaps you’re having a clear-out of the house – you might even have lost a loved one and look into hiring a Deceased estate rubbish removals company to help you clear their house. All this rubbish needs to be disposed of accordingly.


Do you have the pyramid image in your brain? Good! Let’s continue…

First, let’s describe in more detail the familiar food pyramid.

At the bottom of a food pyramid, you have the really healthy foods that you need to eat a lot of, namely vegetables and fruits. As you move up one level, you find whole grains and healthy “pseudograins” like quinoa. These are good for you but you should still eat more vegetables. The next level up you get into healthy meat and dairy products. While you can eat these foods, you shouldn’t eat as much as the bottom-level vegetables and grains. Near the top of the food pyramid, you’ll find healthy oils like olive oil. At the very top, where there’s very little room on the food pyramid, you’ll find truly unhealthy foods like trans fats, sugar, and pure junk food. This category is given very little space because you should not be eating much of this.

Do you have a clearer image of a food pyramid? Even better! Let’s continue…

Now, let’s relate the concept of the food pyramid to the WASTE PYRAMID.

What are the best, mediocre, and bad methods of rubbish removal?

At the very bottom of the waste pyramid, you have all forms of “REDUCING” your rubbish removal! The more you reduce your rubbish, the less you’ll ever need to find a way to remove it. In other words, the most eco-friendly method of rubbish removal is eliminating the need for it!

So, for example, if you start a compost pile in your garden, you can divert your food scraps, cardboard, paper products, yard waste, and many other materials like hair and toenails, from the landfill! Alternatively for your cardboard, you could make some extra cash and sell on Verdetrader.com. Here’s another example of REDUCE. If you commit to buying less food in food packages, such as buying from the bulk section or buying loose vegetables and bringing your own reusable container, you won’t even need to find a way to recycle those food containers or divert them in another way from the landfill!

The next level on the waste pyramid is “RE-USE!” Notice right away that “RE-USE” in further toward the bottom of the waste pyramid than “RECYCLE,” the next level up on the waste pyramid. This is because re-using an item usually has less environmental impact than recycling an item. For example, if you re-use your old clothing, or let someone else re-use your old clothing, the only thing you or someone else will need to do is maybe wash the garment and or mend it. This is nicer to the environment than breaking the clothing down into fibers through a chemical process requiring lots of water and then using these fibers to make new clothes.

The top of the waste pyramid is “DISPOSE” or “SEND TO A LANDFILL.” This is the absolute worst thing you can do with your rubbish removal. It is equivalent to eating trans fat covered with bleached white sugar! This is because sending your rubbish to a landfill creates a myriad of environmental catastrophes! The right way to go about this is to follow the relevant regulations in accordance with the disposal of different items. When it comes to getting rid of furniture, for example, specific disposal rules may apply –perhaps they are not to be thrown into a landfill but recycled. Junk removal companies may adhere to such regulations and have the necessary tools to go about the task. Therefore, the most plausible action could be to opt for a dumpster rental where you can safely place all the furniture pieces, and then coordinate with the same company to have them hauled away from the premises. This would ensure the proper disposal of your items, preventing them from ending up in a landfill

Anyway, let’s review the waste pyramid using clothing as an example at every level. At the bottom of the waste, pyramid is “REDUCE.” In this example, the best method of eco-friendly rubbish removal is not to create as much need in the first place. So, you’d need to buy fewer clothes, take good care of your clothes so they’ll last longer, and maybe pay a little more for higher quality clothes that will last a long time.

Next, you have the category of “RE-USE.” You could donate old clothing to charity shops or buy old clothes from charity shops. This would not be as good as simply not buying any clothes at all but re-using is better than recycling. You should note here that if you call Clearabee to pick up your old clothes, they will prioritize taking them to a place that will reuse them rather than recycle them, based on the concept of the waste pyramid.

The next level up is “RECYCLE.” Here, the example would be if the clothes are in terrible shape and can’t be salvaged to be re-used or worn again, they can be recycled. Clearabee’s second choice for the clothing they pick up is recycling and it should be yours too.

If you toss your old clothes in the rubbish removal bin and have the council bin men pick it up, the chance that it will end up in landfills is very high so you’ll be at the top of the waste pyramid in the “SEND TO A LANDFILL” category. This should be your absolute last resort when dealing with rubbish removal! Clothing in landfills rots without oxygen, producing copious amounts of methane gas and other greenhouse gases! This is very devastating to the environment and can be avoided by you buying a few clothes, keeping them long, and then if you must get rid of them, call Clearabee for a booking or donate them directly to a charity shop.

Tip of the Day

If It Doesn’t Smell, Don’t Wash It

According to Real Simple, if every American made an effort to launder less — cutting out just one load of laundry a week per household — we’d save enough water to fill seven million swimming pools each year.

So if it looks clean, and it smells clean, call it clean and wear it again. Consider hanging worn clothes out on your clothesline to freshen them up between wearings

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