This last Saturday I had to dispose of big, red refrigerator for one of the theater companies that I'm involved with (turns out that water and electrical appliances don't mix). So I borrowed a big truck from work and went to the dump.
Upon arriving there, we saw a sign detailing what they will and will not take.
Some of the No's include:
Asbestos, Ashes or other Dusty materials - sawdust, etc (unless completely cooled and double-bagged, boxed or wetted),Computer Monitors, Contaminated Soil, Explosives, Ammunition, Weapons, and my personal favorite, Dead Animals Over 15 pounds. So if you're looking for Benji's final resting place, make sure he was a small pet.
(For a complete list of what is and isn't accepted, check out their web site)
For the items they do accept they charge by the ton. For large appliances it's a flat rate of $16.50 and the doors must be removed. We did not know this. As we pulled on to the scale (they weigh your vehicle on the way in and again on the way out) the man in the booth told use that we could drop off the fridge next to the others, remove the doors there and dump them inside.
After about 45 minutes of swearing, the doors finally came off. We then dumped the fridge, threw the doors in the back and pulled around the back of the main building. There was a line of about fifteen cars, but it kept moving and we were at the front of the line in less then ten minutes. At the front of the line, just outside the entrance, a sign instructed us to wait for an attendant and to TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES! The SARS-masked attendant was brisk but friendly and directed us to slot #7.
Along the left side were six or seven dumpsters, each for a different type of recyclable. I pulled the truck in and backed up to the chain gate in my assigned slot. On the other side of the gate was a narrow and deep pit where I was to dump the doors. Off to my right, there was a man who's sole purpose was to spray a fire hose into the pit and I noticed a misted substance that was being dispensed from the tall ceiling. It didn't knock me unconscious and it seemed to dissipate pretty high up, so I assumed that it served a similar purpose to the fire hose. I unloaded the doors and took particular joy in throwing them in to the pit WWE style complete with a mighty "YARRRR!!".
Let's face it, nobody wants to spend a Saturday going to the dump, but this was about as good of an experience as one can expect. read more