When planning a big home remodel, the majority of people mostly focus on the changes that need to be made. Once they know what needs to be changed, it comes the time for planning the budget, getting their hands on the necessary equipment and materials, and finding the right workforce. It often happens that in trying to organize everything homeowners forget one crucial thing: to organize proper waste management. No matter how big or small your renovation project is, high chances are it will still produce waste. So, you need to know how to handle that waste properly and organize a good waste management plan ahead of time. Here are some tips.
Recycle, reuse, repurpose
Home renovation and remodeling projects can produce a lot of waste. For instance, if you are trying to merge your indoor and outdoor spaces, you can potentially end up with plenty of waste. But not all of it will be complete rubbish. Some things can easily be repurposed or reused for some later project. Most commonly, bricks, wood, and similar materials can easily be salvaged and used for some other project later on. So, instead of throwing them out, see if you can find a place to store them. Alternatively, if you personally don’t have any use for these items, see if maybe your friends or neighbors might want or need them.
Donate or sell what you can
Along similar lines, if you’re doing a big renovation project where you’ll be remodeling your kitchen, for instance, and replacing your furniture, the pieces you decide to get rid of don’t necessarily need to be thrown out. Instead, check with your local thrift stores and donation centers if any of them would take your old furniture. Additionally, you can even list your old furniture on Facebook Marketplace and similar platforms and see if you can potentially sell some of it.
Hire a waste removal company
Next, if you’re planning on doing a big remodeling project where you know you’ll end up with plenty of waste, you can always contact a waste management company. In some parts of the world, there are strict rules and regulations regarding proper waste management. For instance, in Australia, local governments are responsible for waste management in their local areas. These professionals will not only take your entire waste management efforts off your hands, but they’ll also help you save time by enabling you to focus your attention elsewhere.
Take the rubbish to your local landfill
If you are making some low-key home renovations, such as rejuvenating your family home, and you know you won’t have too much waste in the end, you can always choose to take it to a landfill yourself. You can do this either with your personal vehicle or by renting out a vehicle specifically for this purpose. If you decide to take care of this yourself, make sure you first sort out your rubbish and divide it into different categories. Since the majority of landfills have designated waste areas, make sure you contact your local landfill ahead of time and see what’s the best way to organize your rubbish.
Contact an architectural salvage center
In the end, you can also contact your local architectural salvage center and see if you can strike a deal with them. These centers will collect various things, such as toilets, sinks, kitchen cabinets, and hardware, among other things. Later on, they will refurbish and resell these items. Architectural salvage centers work by the “One man’s waste is another man’s treasure” motto, so chances are you’ll easily strike a deal with them. Sometimes, they’ll even offer to buy some of the things from you. Of course, you can’t really expect to earn much, but simply having someone to take your waste off your hands is usually more than enough.
So, the next time you start planning a remodeling project, make sure you keep these essential waste management tips in mind. That way you’ll ensure that you don’t forget about this crucial step that could potentially slow down your entire project otherwise.
