Items We Take
The short version: if two people can carry it and it is not chemical, pressurised or biologically hazardous, it goes in the truck. The longer version is below, along with the handful of things that genuinely need a specialist.
Call (469) 347-3190- Mixed loads, no pre-sorting
- Donated and recycled where possible
- Household and commercial
- The exclusions are short and mostly chemical
Eight categories
What goes in the truck
Grouped the way people describe things rather than the way a waste transfer station does.
Furniture
The largest single category, and the one most often needing dismantling.
- Sofas, loveseats and sectionals
- Recliners and armchairs
- Dining tables and chairs
- Coffee and side tables
- Dressers, chests and wardrobes
- Bookcases and shelving units
- Desks and office chairs
- Cabinets, sideboards and hutches
- Entertainment centres and TV units
- Futons and daybeds
- Patio and outdoor furniture
- Nursery and children’s furniture
Bedroom
Mattresses are the single most-collected item across the whole territory.
- Mattresses, every size
- Box springs and divan bases
- Bed frames and headboards
- Bunk beds and loft beds
- Adjustable bed bases
- Crib and toddler mattresses
- Complete bedroom sets
- Mattress toppers and protectors
Appliances
Mostly steel, copper and aluminium — which is why these go to recycling rather than a tip.
- Refrigerators and freezers
- Washing machines and dryers
- Dishwashers
- Ranges, ovens and cooktops
- Microwaves and countertop ovens
- Water heaters
- Wine coolers and beverage fridges
- Air conditioning units and dehumidifiers
- Small kitchen appliances
Electronics
Routed to e-waste recycling. Remove or wipe drives before the pickup.
- Televisions, including CRT and projection sets
- Desktop computers and laptops
- Monitors and displays
- Printers, scanners and copiers
- Keyboards, mice and peripherals
- Routers, modems and networking kit
- Stereo equipment and speakers
- Games consoles
- Cables, chargers and adapters
Commercial & office
Repetitive, high-count loads where the lift is usually the bottleneck.
- Desks, bench systems and workstations
- Task, executive and meeting chairs
- Cubicle panels and partitions
- Filing cabinets and pedestals
- Retail shelving and gondolas
- Slatwall, grid and display cases
- Signage and light boxes
- Warehouse racking and pallets
- Restaurant seating and benching
- Break-room appliances and furniture
Renovation & construction
Heavy for its volume. Say what the material is so it is quoted correctly.
- Kitchen and bathroom cabinetry
- Worktops, including granite and quartz
- Tile, backer board and thinset
- Carpet, underlay and timber flooring
- Drywall, plaster and lath
- Timber, framing and offcuts
- Doors, trim and skirting
- Old sanitaryware and fixtures
- Ceiling tile and grid
- Packaging, crates and pallets
- Siding, fascia and roofing material
- Protective sheeting and site waste
Yard & outdoor
Collected from behind the gate — no need to stage it at the kerb.
- Brush, limbs and yard waste
- Fence panels, posts and gates
- Old decking and pergola timber
- Sheds and outbuildings
- Playsets, swing frames and trampolines
- Hot tubs and spas
- Grills and fire pits
- Planters, pots and raised beds
- Garden equipment and hoses
General household
The mixed-load category. No sorting needed before the crew arrives.
- Boxes, bags and general clutter
- Rugs, carpets and window dressings
- Bikes, scooters and sports gear
- Exercise equipment
- Toys and children’s equipment
- Books, paperwork and files
- Storage bins, crates and shelving
- Suitcases and travel trunks
- Seasonal and holiday decorations
- Scrap metal and old tools
What we cannot take
Eight things that need a different route
Not a disclaimer — these genuinely cannot go in a general waste truck, and every one has a proper destination.
- Wet paint, stains and solvents
- Household hazardous waste drop-off. Fully dried, solid tins are usually fine.
- Fuel, oil and automotive fluids
- Household hazardous waste, or an auto parts retailer for used oil.
- Pesticides and pool chemicals
- Household hazardous waste drop-off only.
- Asbestos and suspected ACM
- Licensed abatement contractor. Test before demolition on pre-1990 properties.
- Medical and biohazard waste
- A licensed medical waste contractor.
- Propane tanks and pressurised cylinders
- Exchange point or a specialist collection.
- Loose lithium batteries and battery banks
- Battery recycling drop-off — a genuine fire risk in a loaded truck.
- Registered vehicles and powered watercraft
- A proper disposal, salvage or sale route.
If the crew finds any of these on the day, they are set aside and you are told where they need to go — not quietly loaded into the truck.
Where a load actually goes afterwards
Very little of what leaves a Plano property is genuinely waste. A dryer that still runs, a sofa with nothing wrong with it, a box that was never unpacked — each of those is more use to somebody than to a hole in the ground, and metal and electronics have recycling routes of their own.
So a load gets pulled apart rather than tipped in one go. There is no diversion percentage anywhere on this site: the honest answer changes with every job, and a made-up figure would be worse than admitting that.
FAQ
Items — common questions
- What is the rule of thumb for what fits?
- If two people can carry it and it is not chemical, pressurised or biologically hazardous, it goes in the truck. Almost everything people are unsure about turns out to be fine.
- Do I need to sort it into categories first?
- No. Mixed loads are the normal case — furniture, boxes, an appliance and some debris in the same visit. Sorting it beforehand is the part most people never get around to.
- What happens to the things you take?
- Usable furniture, working appliances and unopened household goods are separated for donation or resale where there is somewhere to take them. Metal and electronics go to recycling routes. Disposal is for what genuinely has no other destination.
- What if you find something you cannot take?
- The crew sets it aside and tells you where it needs to go rather than quietly loading it. That is better for you and considerably better for the transfer station.
- Are dried paint tins really acceptable?
- Usually yes, if the paint is completely solid — liquid paint is the problem, not the tin. The crew will confirm on the day rather than guessing from a photograph.
Ready when you are
Still not sure whether it counts?
Photograph it and send it through the quote form. It is faster than reading a list, and you get a price back either way.
Or call (469) 347-3190
- No obligation to book
- Price before we load
- Residential & commercial
The Plano branch
Junk Koala Plano
4013-4017 14th St, Ste 205
Plano, TX 75074