A Brief History Of Junk Removal

In the future all packaging will be instantly recyclable and all consumer goods will be 100 percent recyclable. And junk removal services will be history.

Okay, so that's a bit of science fiction perhaps.  For now, junk removal service is still needed and it has an interesting history.

From Piles and Pyres to Holes and Dumps - The Trashy History of Junk Removal

In many remote, rural areas of America, waste management and junk removal is reminiscent of ancient practices: burning trash pits and primitive sewage systems. For the rest of us here in the US, these things have advanced a bit. 

But that hasn't always been the case.

As Wikipedia notes,

Waste has always been generated by humans. In areas with low population density waste generation may have been negligible. In higher population areas even largely biodegradable waste had to be dealt with. Sometimes this was released back into the ground water with environmental impact like Nor Loch. The Maya of Central America had a fixed monthly ritual, in which the people of the village would gather together and burn their garbage in large dumps.

According to one source, the concept of landfills predates much of modern history, and the first one we know of was developed in 3000 B.C. in Knossos, Crete, when people dug deep holes to hide refuse, which they would then cover with dirt. 

This was, more or less, the practice in most places for millennia, except in those cases where there were no holes,

Waste management and sanitation were not widely prized for hundreds of years, perpetuating certain standards of living and in many cases, helping to create notorious historical moments, such as the dreaded Bubonic Plague. Paris in the 15th century struggled to maintain city defense as garbage piles rose to monstrous heights directly outside of city walls. In many other European cities, it was common for residents to dispose of rotting food and other trash by tossing it out the window - it was widely believed that wild dogs would consume the refuse.

However, it must be noted that until the relatively modern era of industrialization, which spawned the age of consumerism, most waste was composed of food scraps and sewage.

There was little else to throw away and the idea of "junk removal" was a pretty foreign concept since almost nothing could be viewed as junk.

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The Rise of Consumer Goods and the Need for Junk Removal

It wasn't until most people began to have access to consumer goods such as mass-produced furniture, clothing, and other functional items that the idea of "junk" really took hold. Why keep something broken around if you can just buy another one?

Eventually, the dramatic increase in the volume of household waste and garbage ushered in the development of various municipal waste removal schemes. And this necessitated methods for hauling it all.

America built its first incinerator on Governors Island, New York in 1885. New York City also developed the first comprehensive system for garbage management in the US.

The first garbage removal trucks were simply open wagons serving as dump trucks and pulled by a team of horses. Motorized versions were built in the early 1900s. And, in Britain,  the first closed body trucks with a dumping lever mechanism were introduced in the 1920s. 

Now that we've set the stage, let's take a look at a brief history of junk removal:

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Today, there are over 11,000 junk removal firms are currently active in the United States that provide direct employment opportunities for over 200,000 people.

And in that list, Junk King is one of the fastest growing junk removal companies in America and has been recognized as the #1 Rated junk removal service in the country.

Junk King is Your Local and Best Choice for Junk Removal Services

That's because Junk King always provides efficient, safe and eco-friendly junk removal that is designed to make the entire process easy for you.

And that means you can rest assured that our experienced junk removal team has all the resources needed to remove and haul away large junk items, bulky materials, and just about any other trash items you have - quickly, easily, and efficiently. 

Your local Junk King team also makes sure that your reusable items end up in the right place. This might be a local non-profit group for those items that are still in usable condition, or a recycling facility so that your junk and other bulk trash items are disposed of in an eco-friendly way.

That's because "being green" and environmentally responsible is at the core of our company mission. And we carry out that mission every day by recycling, donating, or repurposing everything we possibly can - up to 60 percent or more, to be exact.

In other words, we work hard to ensure that as little trash and junk as possible ends up in a landfill.

So, when it comes to bulk trash removal, we take the eco-friendly route by making sure that all the metals, plastics, glass, and other materials are broken down and recycled properly.

And, best of all, we do all the heavy lifting!

You simply point and we haul your trash items into our junk removal trucks, with no hidden fees.

Our professional and insured junk removal and disposal team will call 15 to 30 minutes before we arrive at your home. And, once we’re there, we’ll give you a free estimate based on how much room your bulk trash will take up in our truck, along with any other junk items you want to get rid of.

So, are you ready to get rid of all your junk? It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Just make an appointment by booking online above or by calling 1.888.888.JUNK (5865).