Month: June 2018

Did you know that June 17 is Global Garbage Man Day? Truly, there is a holiday for everything.

Global Garbage Man Day was begun to thank the tireless men and women in our nation and the world who work daily to keep our neighborhoods and streets safe and clean. The logo honors those who are vital members of the waste management industry, who work together to build a better environment for us all.

A Global Garbage Man Day slogan, “Keeping You and the Environment Safe,” captures the mission of our waste disposal representatives, and why we should celebrate their jobs. Without them, our world would truly be a stinky mess.

The control of garbage is one of the world’s most important improvements. In the United States alone, more than 250 million tons of garbage are processed every year and that takes a huge team of people to manage. (You can read more about the history of garbage on our previous post.)

According to the National Day Calendar, Global Garbage Man Day “goes far beyond garbage collection. In each community, waste management professionals provide a variety of services and programs designed to protect and reduce the impact we have on our environment. It celebrates the great strides the industry and the experts are taking to make a better world for all of us.”

The Dangers of Garbage Collecting

Collecting garbage is actually a dangerous job, with 2x the fatality rates of police officers, and 7x the fatality rate of firefighters. Why is that? Because garbage workers are exposed to many more potentially harmful elements, like medical waste, dog attacks, pests, and hazardous materials like battery acid that are carelessly tossed into garbage dumpsters. Community members can also create hazards when they are frustrated, angry or oblivious, deliberately harming waste management professionals.

This is a True Enterprise

Believe it or not, someone has taken this holiday to the next level, creating promotional items branded with the Global Garbage Man Day logo, including trucker-style hats, custom mousepads, travel/commuter mugs, T-shirts, stickers, a downloadable coloring book, neckties, baby clothing, thank you notes and more. If so inclined, you can order items through the Global Garbage Man Day Store.

Speaking of thank you notes. When is the last time you thanked your waste management team? If you’re like most, probably never. If you get the chance, pop your head out and say “thanks” on Global Garbage Man Day. Better yet, give them some cookies or a thank you card to show your appreciation.

Include 123JUNK in Your Celebration

At 123JUNK, we’re proud to be in the trash business. It is even some of our staff’s deepest wishes to make this a career. That’s why we took the time to build actual career paths within our organization.

At our weekly staff meetings, we thank our staff for a job well done, and review any problems, comments or suggestions our team members have for improving our services. This way we can only get better for our clients. And as we grow, this becomes more and more important.

If you have junk in your home or office you’ve been waiting to haul off, and you’re located in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington, D.C., let 123JUNK do the work for you. You’ll be greeted by friendly professionals from your first phone call to the actual pickup at your door. We’re doing our bit to protect the environment. Now do yours. Contact us today to schedule your pickup.

 

Since opening our office in Gaithersburg, Maryland, 123JUNK has been building relationships with various charitable partner organizations. This month we’d like to feature the Montgomery County Humane Society which just celebrated its 60^th anniversary in May 2018. (Help them celebrate at their September 22, 2018 gala event at the Lakewood County Club, Rockville, MD. Tickets available online.)

The Montgomery County Humane Society (MCHS) is a private, no-kill rescue organization whose mission it is to end animal homelessness through education, outreach and adoption, while saving animal lives and supporting the bond between pets and their families.

The MCHS rescues dogs and cats from public shelters and tests to determine serious medical conditions such as heartworm disease. When they identify a disease that needs treatment, they provide that care, as well as basic vaccines and other preventive treatments. All rescued animals are spayed and neutered as well.

“We pull animals from overcrowded shelters, mainly in rural areas where they don’t have the resources to care for or treat them, especially with medical care, then we bring them back our community for adoption. This both helps the rural shelters and provides highly-adoptable animals for our own community,” said Ms. Cris Bombaugh, MCHS president and CEO. More than 650 cats and dogs were rescued and adopted out in 2017.

MCHS Outreach and Education Programs

“We support animal homelessness through adoptions, but also through education and outreach,” Bombaugh continued. “We want to help people become more aware of a pet’s emotional life, how we can help them be happy pets, and how they can help us, too. A healthy human/animal bond is good for everyone and makes our community more humane, as a whole.”

Reaching into the community, the MCHS provides programs about animal welfare, what it means to care for a pet, and how to keep pets happy, healthy and out of shelters. A lot of that education happens right there at the Humane Society. “When people come in to adopt an animal, it’s an ideal educational opportunity. Some have never had a cat or dog, and we can help families choose the pet that is the optimum fit for their family. Sometimes folks come in with a conception of what they want, but it turns out that what would work best is either a different animal, species or age,” Bombaugh explained.

When people are afraid of animals, the shelter staff gently introduces them to the ambassador dog or the two guinea pigs. Children learn how to touch and pet animals and not be afraid of them. Programs also include wildlife, and how to be humane to all animals.

Although it generally does not accept animals directly from the public, the MCHS provides many services, including fielding approximately 60,000 calls about animal welfare per year, like, “I found a nest of baby bunnies in my yard,” or “I’ve lost my pet…what do I do?”

Visit the Wagging Tails Thrift and Gifts Store

The Montgomery County Humane Society is 100% privately funded; it does not receive funding from any government agency. Although much of its revenues come from private donations, the MCHS raises money through its programs, adoptions and the Wagging Tails Thrift and Gifts store. Located at 1310 East Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, the 12,000-square-foot thrift store offers clothing, jewelry, household goods, furniture, appliances, books and records, art, holiday items, and much more. Donations are welcome!

How 123JUNK Helps

123JUNK hand-picks its partner organizations, choosing those whose mission of doing good for their community aligns with ours. We are proud to provide the Montgomery County Humane Society with items like furniture and household goods that can be repurposed to people who want and need them. For sale in their thrift store, these items help create the much-needed funding to support the goal of reducing animal homelessness.

If you’d like to schedule either a donation or a junk haul-away pick-up in Maryland, please contact 123JUNK.

If you live in a community that has a homeowner’s association (HOA), you know that part of their regulations deal with the appearance of homes and yards. There are rules for keeping up appearances, and rules for how to deal with contractors—even junk removal companies.

If you choose to live in a regulated community, you are going to have to put in the time or money to maintain the lawn, take out the trash, and keep the kids’ yard toys picked up. Neglect these chores and you could be hit with a notice or a fine from your HOA.

HOA’s frown upon leaving bags of trash near the curb. And they won’t tolerate broken-down playsets or dirt-collecting hot tubs in your backyard. You may even get a gentle reminder that your home needs tidying up.

It’s not just the outside of your home that needs to be maintained. There is plenty enough to do inside with normal household cleaning and decluttering. And with an average of 2.5 kids and perhaps a dog or cat, keeping the home clean is a daily task on top of working full-time jobs.

So on the weekends, you don’t need to be spending your time removing trash, cleaning out the garage, bagging leaves or hauling junk to the dump or recycling center. No, you want to spend quality time with the family on a picnic, an outing or a peaceful afternoon by the pool.

Luckily, there’s 123JUNK.

Our expert teams can deconstruct and cart off yard structures like sheds, swingsets, hot tubs and pools. We can rake and bag leaves and remove yard debris. And we can haul away that excess junk that’s jammed in your garage, like the broken lawnmower you’ve been storing in hopes that someday you’ll get around to fixing it.

If you live in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington, DC, all you have to do is give 123JUNK a call. We work quickly so you won’t have to worry about our trucks remaining on site for extended periods of time. We’ll load everything and take it away, sorting through each pick-up to distribute it to the proper destination: a charity partner, the recycling center, or the area landfill.

Your HOA will also love the fact that our trucks are shiny and clean. We wash them weekly and clean them inside and out at the end of each day. When 123JUNK’s bright red trucks are on the block, you know we take as much pride in our business as you do in your home.

And once your home is tidied up, your family will get even more pleasure from enjoying backyard activities like bocce or cooking out. The relaxing setting creates the ideal environment for family bonding or offers a peaceful sanctuary at the end of the busy day or week.

Homeowner Associations Use 123JUNK Too

123JUNK is a favorite vendor for homeowner’s associations too. They often use us to clear common grounds or when they need to have junk hauled away from someone’s home or yard. Knowing we are a reliable, respectful and professional junk removal company, HOAs even recommend us to homeowners looking for our services.

Call 123JUNK

Whether it’s a big job or a small one, when you need yard services, junk removal, or simply want to donate furniture or household items, call 123JUNK and talk to one of our live representatives.