Month: May 2016

Loudoun-Restore

123JUNK Partner Spotlight: Loudoun Habitat ReStore

Posted on | by chad

We hate to see perfectly good items end up in the landfill. That’s why we’ve partnered with wonderful organizations like Loudoun Habitat ReStore in Leesburg, Virginia. We thank them for their dedication to helping local families with both housing through Habitat for Humanity, and furnishings through the ReStore.

When 123JUNK gets a call to pick up indoor or outdoor furniture or household goods, we have a sorting process that culls out the items that can be loved by a new family. We deposit these items into a special bin near the county landfill, where Loudoun Habitat ReStore can pick them up and place them for resale in their store.

“We’re seeing that people are becoming more environmentally savvy and see the value of not throwing good items into a landfill,” said ReStore manager Therese Cashen. “They are focused on recycling, upcycling and repurposing. 123JUNK’s process allows us to get great donations that we can recycle into the community and enable us to fund affordable housing for Loudoun residents.”

Your Old Home Furnishings are Treasures to Another Family

“Whereas many of the ReStores sell building supplies, our store features about 14,000 square feet where we sell mostly home furnishings. We sell anything for the home, and when we have furniture it sells fast,” Cashen said. ”Our biggest challenge is getting enough donations,” Cashen said.

Habitat for Humanity Helps Families Get a Home

The mission of Habitat International is to eradicate substandard housing around the world by building simple, decent and affordable housing in partnership with people in need. “In Loudoun, we have people who work here and can’t afford to live here, so our job is to try to put folks into a livable home or condo,” Cashen explained. “Families and singles can apply to our program, and if chosen, have to put in 100 or more hours of ‘sweat equity’ working on the home or in the store.” The homeowners do acquire a reduced-amount mortgage and need to pay their own bills once they move in.

Call 123JUNK to Donate Your Unwanted Items

If you have perfectly good home or office furnishings you’d like to clear out, please call 123JUNK. We’ll be glad to haul away the items for you, make them available to our charitable partners, and give you a receipt so you can deduct your donation on next year’s taxes. Our big red trucks are waiting for your call.

Learn more about Loudoun ReStore here

fridge-pic

You Can’t Throw out a Refrigerator

Posted on | by chad

Did you know that you can’t just throw out a refrigerator or air conditioner, or anything with a refrigeration coil? They contain a biohazard – namely Freon – that needs to properly disposed of.

The Facts About Freon

The use of Freon has been strictly regulated ever since the signing of The 1987 Montreal Protocol, an international agreement regarding the destruction of our planet’s ozone layer, and mandates are set forth in the Clean Air Act of 1990. Under the Act, “no one may accept an item containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and/or HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) unless the Freon contained within is properly removed and the owner/hauler/appliance company can show proof of proper removal.” It is also unlawful for any person to knowingly release or vent CFCs or HCFCs into the air.

Therefore, 123JUNK must dispose of your refrigerant and refrigerator in accordance with procedures required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help prevent the release of Freon into our atmosphere.

Qualified and trained technicians are required to remove Freon from your old appliance, who must sign and provide a form after they do so. To comply with EPA regulations, this form must be handed to the dump employee before he or she is able to accept the refrigerator or air conditioner.

Why is Freon Harmful?

For the scientific explanation, Freon contains chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons that break down when they migrate to the upper atmosphere, releasing free chlorine atoms. This chlorine reacts with the ozone, creating molecular oxygen that can damage the Earth’s ozone layer. This is important because the ozone layer filters out harmful ultraviolet sunlight. Heard of global warming?

Let 123JUNK Dispose of That Fridge

You don’t need to worry about Freon, because that’s our job at 123JUNK. We are up to date on all regulations, and have the contacts and procedures already in place. All you need to do is pick up the phone and give us a call. Our professional, uniformed staff will remove and dispose of your refrigerator or air conditioner promptly and properly.

Related Links:

Refrigerator Recycling and Disposal

home-for-sale

123JUNK Can Help You Sell Your House

Posted on | by chad

When the spring flowers bloom, so does the spring real estate market. It’s as busy as a bee in a field of blossoms. People are out looking for homes to buy and others are sprucing up their houses to show them to their best advantage.

As any Realtor will tell you, you will sell your home faster and for a higher price by doing what they call “staging.” Staging neutralizes a home so that any potential buyers can picture themselves living in the home. Staging also opens up spaces, which in turn, gives the impression of larger rooms and roomier spaces.

Declutter

One of the first pieces of advice a Realtor gives is to “Declutter.” This means putting away personalized items such as photographs and memorabilia, storing extraneous items such as knickknacks and small kitchen appliances, and getting rid of excess, broken or unusable items.

That’s where 123JUNK can help. It’s a big job to clear out a home for a move, so while you’re packing up, use this time to sort out items you no longer use, need or want. Once you’ve created that pile, call us and we’ll come out to remove it.

Clean Up

Don’t forget the home’s exterior when staging. Clear out piles of winter’s debris such as broken limbs, twigs, and any outdoor furniture or toys that might have been damaged by winter storms. Let 123JUNK haul away your yard debris.

Clear Out

You’ll probably be surprised by the number of boxes sitting in your attic and basement—that you never open. Rather than pay for storage or moving fees for these obviously-unneeded items, get rid of them. 123JUNK has a “Donate-Recycle-Dispose” policy where we will sort your items and donate reusable items to our charity partners (you get the receipt), recycle re-usable materials such as metals, and dispose of the rest. If it’s “too good” to throw away, call us.

For removing the clutter, clearing up, and clearing out, call 123JUNK. You’ll sell your home faster and for more money by creating airy, open spaces that showcase your home to its best advantage.

mothers-day

The Perfect Gift for Mother’s Day: A Clean House

Posted on | by chad

Haven’t thought of the perfect gift yet for the Mom in your family? How about finally getting to those tasks she’s been wanting to have done around the house for Mother’s Day—like cleaning out the garage or tossing out that old worn-out furniture?

You’ll be Mom’s hero and you won’t even have to work hard to get the honor when you call 123JUNK. We’ll send over our uniformed professionals to help get the job done, along with our big red trucks to haul away anything you can clear out of the house. That includes junk in the basement or attic, outdated electronics or appliances, and even yard waste.

Make Mom Happy This Mother’s Day

A Mom’s supreme focus is on her family and her home. You can show how much you support her efforts by giving her that extra hand around the house. 123JUNK not only removes items, we also help with the heavy lifting at home. Does Mom want to move bulky furniture from room to room? Or take out the old refrigerator to make room for a shiny new one? Then ask about 123JUNK’s Labor Only services.

You’ve probably heard the adage “If Mom ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” It’s true. But with 123JUNK, Mom’s house will be spic and span and everyone will be happy.

Oh, and Don’t Forget to Wrap Something

It’s probably funny to think about trash for a Mother’s Day gift, but hey, we’re in the junk removal business so we think about nothing else. Seriously though, Mom will appreciate it. But just in case, you had better also get her a gift that comes in a fancy box with a bow. Or chocolates.