🌲 WHAT WE TAKE IN VERMONT
Navigating Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law (Act 148)
Vermont has one of the nation’s most comprehensive solid waste policies, the Universal Recycling Law (Act 148), which bans numerous items from landfills.
As a full-service junk removal company operating in Vermont, we specialize in helping you comply with these strict disposal bans by ensuring the material is properly recycled, composted, or disposed of at certified facilities.
♻️ MANDATORY RECYCLABLES & BANNED ITEMS WE HANDLE
The items below are banned from landfills in Vermont and must be kept out of the trash.2 We sort, load, and deliver these to the correct recycling facilities, often for free under the state’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs.
| Banned/Regulated Item | What We Take | Vermont Compliance & Disposal Process |
| Electronics (E-Waste) | TVs, Computers, Monitors, Printers, Keyboards, VCRs/DVDs, and all other electronic devices with a cord/battery. | All are banned from landfills. “Covered” electronics (computers, monitors, TVs, etc.) are recycled for free under the VT E-Cycles program. “Non-covered” items are also banned and we ensure they are processed at a certified e-waste facility. |
| Large Appliances (White Goods) | Refrigerators, Freezers, Washers, Dryers, Dishwashers, Stoves, Water Heaters, and AC Units. | Banned from landfills. We ensure all refrigerants (Freon) and mercury switches are properly removed and that the appliance is taken to a scrap metal recycler. |
| All Household Batteries | Both Rechargeable (Lithium, NiCad, etc.) and Primary (AA, AAA, D, 9V, etc.). | Banned from landfills (effective July 1, 2024). We ensure they are collected and sent for recycling via programs like Call2Recycle. |
| Recyclable Containers & Paper | Plastic #1 & #2 containers, glass bottles/jars, aluminum/steel cans, paper, cardboard. | Mandatorily banned from the trash. We keep these separated and deliver them to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF). |
| Food Scraps & Organics | All food waste, coffee grounds, eggshells, clean wood, leaves, and yard debris. | Banned from the trash. We haul these to a certified composting or anaerobic digestion facility. |
| Paint & Stains | All oil-based and latex paints, stains, and varnishes. | Banned from landfills. We take advantage of the PaintCare Program drop-offs for proper management. |
| Mercury-Added Products | Fluorescent lights (CFLs, tubes), thermometers, and thermostats. | Banned from landfills. We ensure they go to specific hazardous waste or EPR collection sites to prevent mercury release. |
| Tires | Used tires (without rims). | Banned from landfills. We haul to licensed processors for recycling or shredding. |
🛋️ STANDARD JUNK HAULING & CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS
We handle the rest, ensuring it is screened for banned materials and responsibly disposed of or reused:
- Furniture: Couches, sofas, tables, chairs, dressers, mattresses, and box springs.
- Construction & Demolition (C&D) Debris: Wood, drywall, siding, roofing, and general debris from remodels. We separate materials like clean wood, plywood, OSB, and scrap metal to meet the state’s diversion requirements.
- General Household Junk: Boxes, scrap metal, old toys, tools, and non-banned household trash.
🛑 WHAT WE CANNOT TAKE
For safety and legal compliance, we cannot handle these extreme hazardous materials:
- Explosives/Fireworks/Gasoline3
- Syringes or Medical Waste (Sharps)4
- Highly Flammable or Volatile Substances
- Friable Asbestos: Any asbestos-containing material that is easily crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder.5 This must be handled by a Vermont-licensed abatement contractor. We may be able to haul certain packaged, non-friable (e.g., vinyl tile) asbestos, but this requires special instruction, pre-approval, and strict packaging protocols.