When Cowboy Site Services hauls your junk, we donate or recycle whatever we can. Usable items go to area charities, metal, electronics and cardboard get pulled for recycling, and the rest is disposed of properly. The landfill is the last stop, not the first.
What happens after the trailer pulls away?
Most people never think about it, and that's fine. You wanted the stuff gone, and now it is.
But a lot of folks ask us anyway. They want to know if the old dresser got a second life or went straight into a hole in the ground.
The honest answer is that a load gets split three ways. Some of it gets donated, some gets recycled, and what's left gets disposed of the proper way.
What gets donated?
Anything still in good, usable shape is a candidate for donation. Think solid furniture, working household goods, and things that just need another home.
We take those to area charities when they'll accept them. If a couch or bed frame is in good shape, we try to get it donated instead of tossed.
Not everything qualifies. Stained mattresses, broken chairs and water-damaged boxes usually can't be reused, so they go another route.
Have a favorite nonprofit?
Some people want certain things to go to a cause they care about. That's worth planning for before we arrive.
Set those items in their own pile and tell us when you send photos. Then we can talk through what makes sense for them.
If you'd rather drop things off yourself, our guide to donating furniture in Collin County can help you plan. We'll take everything else.
What gets recycled?
Metal, electronics and cardboard get pulled out of the load for recycling. Those materials have somewhere better to go than the landfill.
Metal is the big one. Old grills, bed frames, bikes, shelving, swing sets and appliances are mostly steel, and steel recycles well.
Cardboard from a move or a garage cleanout gets pulled too. Flattened boxes take up trailer space, but they're easy to set aside.
What about old TVs and computers?
Dead TVs, monitors and computers get pulled for recycling as part of a load. Our TV and electronics disposal service covers the details.
There's a reason electronics get their own path. TCEQ's electronics recycling page says Texas law requires TV and computer manufacturers to offer recycling opportunities to consumers.
TCEQ also says recycling used electronics instead of landfilling them reduces the need to process raw materials. That's a good reason to keep them out of the trash.
Wipe your computers first
Before an old laptop or desktop leaves your house, clear your personal files off it. TCEQ's computer recycling guidance says consumers are responsible for any information left on a computer that's collected, recycled or reused.
That's on you, not the recycler, and not us. A factory reset or removing the drive takes a few minutes and saves a lot of worry.
Why can't an old fridge just go in the trash?
Some items are kept out of regular landfills by state rule. TCEQ's special waste list names refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners as prohibited from disposal in any municipal solid waste facility.
TCEQ says items containing CFCs must be handled under federal rules instead. That's one more reason appliances don't get treated like ordinary trash.
Appliances are mostly metal, so they get pulled for recycling with the rest of the scrap. Our appliance removal service covers fridges, washers, dryers and water heaters.
What do we leave behind, and why?
We can't take wet paint and chemicals, motor oil, asbestos, ammunition or tires. Those need special handling that a junk trailer isn't set up for.
The state draws similar lines. TCEQ bars whole used or scrap tires from any municipal solid waste facility. Do-it-yourself used motor oil and used oil filters are on that list too.
Our household hazardous waste guide shows where those items can go in Collin County. For the full can't-take list, see what junk removal won't take.
What goes to disposal?
Whatever can't be donated or recycled gets disposed of properly. That usually means broken furniture, worn-out mattresses, mixed household junk and remodel scraps.
Disposal isn't a failure. Some things have simply reached the end of the road, and the right move is to get them to the right place.
What matters is that it doesn't end up in a field or a ditch. A legitimate hauler takes it where it's supposed to go.
How can you help more of it get reused?
A few small steps before we arrive make a difference. None of them are required, but they help.
- Keep good furniture out of the rain and out of a damp garage.
- Leave sets together, like a table with its chairs or a bed with its rails.
- Set aside anything you think is donation-worthy and point it out.
- Pull cardboard boxes flat if you have time.
- Wipe personal data off computers, phones and tablets.
Does sorting cost extra?
No. We price by how much room the load takes on the trailer, and there's no labor add-on for sorting.
The plan stays the same. Send photos for a quote, pick a time, and we haul it off and sweep up.