Why Cant I Put Certain Items In My Dumpster?

Posted by Charlies Rubbish on December 17th, 2020

Have a big project? Dumpster rentals are an ideal solution to large amounts of rubbish or debris - they are delivered to your driveway, then picked up and hauled away when you are done.

Dumpster rental sizes are measured in cubic yards which is how much debris and rubbish they can hold. Cubic yards is a measure of volume. A cube of space that is 3 ft. long by 3 ft. wide by 3 ft. high is equal to 1 cubic yard.

What Size Dumpster Should I Rent?

Estimating the volume of your rubbish can be challenging, but knowing the sizes can better help you choose the right roll off container for your big project. Here are a few standard sizes with examples of projects that each size roll off dumpster can hold.

10 Yard Dumpster    

  • Dimensions: 12 ft long by 8ft wide by 3.5 ft high 
  • Holds: 10 cubic yards, or 1 ton of debris
  • Common Uses for this size dumpster:
    • minor demolition - can hold a small amount of household and construction rubbish
    • bathroom remodel
    • spring cleaning
    • small landscape cleanup


15 Yard Dumpster

  • Dimensions: 16 ft long by 8ft wide by 4 ft high 
  • Holds: 15 cubic yards, or 2 ton of debris
  • Common Uses for this size dumpster:
    • minor construction
    • small renovations
    • garage or attic clean out
    • large yard cleanup


20 Yard Dumpster

  • Dimensions: 22 ft long by 8ft wide by 4 ft high 
  • Holds: 20 cubic yards, or 3 ton of debris
  • Common Uses for this size dumpster:
    • kitchen remodel
    • moving clean out
    • medium demolition
    • roof replacement


30 Yard Dumpster

  • Dimensions: 22 ft long by 8ft wide by 6 ft high 
  • Holds: 30 cubic yards, or 4 ton of debris
  • Common Uses for this size dumpster:
  • new construction project
  • major demolition



What Is The Best Way To Fill A Roll Off Dumpster?

When filling a roll off dumpster, it’s important to space the debris as evenly as possible. The best way to do this is to walk larger items into the dumpster; most bins feature large doors at the end that allow you to carry in items that are too large to toss over the side.

Don’t overfill the dumpster! Rubbish and debris in a dumpster must be level to the top of the bin or lower. It might be tempting to overfill, especially if you have more debris than expected, but legally the dumpster rental service cannot haul your dumpster on the road with rubbish piled over the top.


Why Can’t I Put Certain Items In My Dumpster?

Local waste regulations prohibit the disposal of certain items in roll off containers. This includes hazardous waste materials including tires, freon units such as household appliances, tvs, computers, mattresses, box springs and vehicle batteries.


If you are still not sure what size dumpster rental you need, call a local dumpster rental service like Charlie’s Rubbish Removal in Rhode Island and they will help you pick the right container size.

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Charlies Rubbish

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Charlies Rubbish
Joined: October 21st, 2020
Articles Posted: 2

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