Month: July 2015

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Preparing for a Garage Sale: A Comprehensive Checklist

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. If you are looking
to get rid of your old stuff and make some money while doing it, you
should host a garage sale. Although they seem easy to plan, missing
just one or two steps could be the difference between a successful
sale and a complete bust.
Use this checklist when planning your upcoming garage sale to ensure
you take all the necessary steps for a prosperous endeavor.
Two
Weeks Prior
  • Set a date and time for your sale.
  • Decide what items you will be selling.
  • Check local laws and regulations for yard sales.
One
Week Prior
  • Arrange to borrow or rent folding tables, if necessary.
  • Clean and repair sale items.
  • Price all sale items and organize them into separate piles.
  • Buy needed supplies and make signage to place around your
    neighborhood.
  • Advertise your garage sale in local newspapers and online sites such
    as Craigslist.
One
Day Prior
  • Go to the bank and get change.
  • Gather bags, boxes, packaging material for fragile items, etc.
  • Decide where you will post signs.
  • Post about the sale on your social media accounts.
Sale
Day
  • Post signs around your neighborhood.
  • Set up your sales area (give yourself at least two hours to do
    this).
  • Add music and refreshments to make it more enjoyable for shoppers.
After
the Sale
  • Count money and deposit it into the bank, if necessary.
  • Put away unsold items, donate them to charity, put them on the curb
    with a “FREE” sign, or throw them away.
  • Take down signs.
Following these steps ensures that you will be ready for your garage
sale, but if you really want to make it as successful as
possible, check out these five tips.
When you are going through your old stuff, you will quickly find that
there are things that you want to get rid of which might not be
sellable. If you need a hand removing the extra junk from your home,
call the waste management professionals at 1-866-We-Junk-It. We offer
rental dumpsters, home clean outs, and demolition services for homes
and businesses across Long Island and New York City. Visit our
website for more information or call us at 1-866-935-8654.
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What You Need to Know About Illegal Dumping

Illegal
dumping has become a rising problem in our country, with many
perpetrators venturing off in the middle of the night to unlawfully
dispose of their unwanted waste. Due to the danger that illegal
dumping poses on the environment, many state and local governments
are cracking down and prosecuting offenders.
Read
below to learn more about what illegal dumping is, the consequences
you may face if caught, and how to avoid committing the crime all
together.

What is Illegal Dumping?

What
constitutes illegal dumping can vary from state to state, and even
town to town, but generally speaking, it is disposing of your waste
without a permit in an unauthorized area. Some examples of this
include:
  • Dumping
    waste on private or public property which is not licensed to receive
    waste.
  • Dumping
    waste where it can damage the environment, such as in sewers or
    waterways.
Illegal
dumping usually occurs because people feel that proper disposal is
“too inconvenient”, or they do not want to pay the fee associated
with it.
What
is the difference between illegal dumping and littering?
Again,
this can vary depending on state and local laws, but illegal dumping
is typically differentiated from littering based on the volume and
type of waste. Tossing an empty water bottle on the side of the road,
for example, is usually considered littering, whereas disposing of an
old refrigerator or several bags of trash could land you an offense
for illegal dumping.

What are the Consequences
of Illegal Dumping?

Depending
on the type of waste and how much of it you dispose of, illegal
dumping could be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. Possible
penalties include:
  • Remediation and
    restitution.     You
    may be required to clean up your waste and pay for any damage caused
    by it.
  • Community
    service.     You
    may be required to work unpaid for a designated amount of hours at a
    court-approved charity.
  • Probation.
    Probation
    terms could include regular meetings with a probation officer,
    attending counseling, and restrictions on when/where you can travel.
  • Fines. You
    may be required to pay a certain amount, sometimes thousands of
    dollars.
  • Incarceration.
    That’s
    right, you can even go to prison. If you are put on trial for a
    felony and found guilty, your jail time could be multiple years.
For
more information about illegal dumping penalties, check out this
article from Criminal Defense Lawyer.

How to Avoid Dumping
Illegally

The
easiest way to avoid illegal dumping is by hiring a licensed waste
remover to haul away all of your garbage. Luckily for Long Island and
New York City residents, 1-866-We-Junk-It is just a phone call away.
We offer a full suite of waste management services including dumpster
rentals and junk removal. Call us today for a free quote at
1-866-935-8654.
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Save Money By Doing These 3 Home Improvement Projects in the Summer

Are you
contemplating a home improvement project or renovation? If so, summer might be the perfect time to do it. Depending on
where you live, the summer months can provide an ideal climate for
certain renovations. Other benefits of remodeling in the summer
include:
  • Greater
    availability of less-expensive labor.
  • Contractors
    are more willing to work during warmer months.
  • Many
    other people won’t schedule during the summer due to vacation
    conflicts and their kids being home from school.
Looking
to get started? Here are three renovations which can save you money
if done in the summer:
  • Asphalt Paving.
    If
    you need a new driveway, don’t wait until fall. Asphalt paving is
    best to do in the hot summer months because asphalt requires high
    temperatures to prevent premature hardening. This gives your
    contractor more time to create a smooth, level surface before the
    asphalt cures and it increases your chances of the job getting done
    right the first time.
  • Kitchen
    Remodeling.     If
    you are getting your kitchen redone, chances are you and your family
    will be eating out every night during the remodel – all of that
    food can add up. Instead, you can take advantage of the warm weather
    and save money by cooking your dinners outside on the grill.
  • Landscaping.
    Landscaping
    is easiest in the summer when there is no snow and the ground isn’t
    frozen. It is also easier to find seasonal plants in your area
    during the summer months, which can save you a significant amount of
    money.
Ready
to start your next home improvement project? Hold on just a second!
Have you considered waste disposal? If not, give the pros at
866-We-Junk-It a call. We can provide you with a rental dumpster to
use at your convenience, or we will come and haul away all of your
junk for a reasonable rate. We serve all of Long Island and New York
City, so give us a call for a free quote today at 866-935-8654.
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8 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

In
recent years, there has been a growing concern over global pollution
and climate change. With the warm summer weather here, emissions are
sure to climb as people crank up their AC’s and travel long distances
for their week-long getaways.
If you
are looking for ideas to help the environment and save yourself some
money this summer, check out these eight ways to reduce your carbon
footprint.
1. Turn the thermostat up
2 degrees.
During
the hot summer months, you can reduce your household energy
consumption by turning your thermostat up 2° F. This small change
can result in a 5% savings on your monthly energy bill without
sacrificing the comfort of your family.
2. Be smart with your
light bulbs.
If you
are still using old, incandescent light bulbs in your home, upgrade
them to highly-efficient LED models. You should also turn off the
lights when you leave the room to save even more energy.
3. Bike, take the bus, or
carpool.
Whenever
possible, walk or ride your bike to completely eliminate any CO2
emissions. For longer trips, carpool or take public transportation to
drastically reduce your emissions by dividing it among several
people.
4. Insulate your home.
If your
home is poorly-insulated, your money could be going right out the
window – literally. A large portion of your air-conditioned air can
escape your home through your windows, doors, walls, and ceilings.
5. Take shorter showers.
Taking
a shower only uses 20% of the energy of a bath, and it uses less
water too. You can significantly reduce your water consumption by
making a conscious effort to get in and out of the shower as quickly
as possible.
6. Follow the speed
limit.
Speeding
and unnecessary acceleration can reduce your gas mileage by over 30%!
Maximize your fuel efficiency by obeying the speed limit and using
cruise control during long trips.
7. Unplug your devices.
Did you
know that your electronic devices can still drain energy when they
are turned off? Avoid this “phantom energy” usage by unplugging
all of your devices when they are not in use.
8. Reuse and recycle when
you can.
Every
household can reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by over 2,000
pounds each year simply by recycling household waste instead of
throwing it away. Every town has different rules about what can and
can’t be recycled, so it is best to consult your local government for
a comprehensive list.
For
more ways to reduce your carbon footprint, click here.
1-866-We-Junk-It
is an environmentally-conscious waste management company located on
Long Island, New York. We offer dumpster rentals, junk removal, and
demolition services to homeowners and businesses in Nassau County,
Suffolk County, and the five boroughs of New York City. After we haul
your garbage away, we donate any salvageable goods to local charities
and recycle all possible materials. Learn more about our company by
visiting our website or calling us at 866-935-8654.