If you’re like me, you probably remember going to the landfill with your dad when you were a kid. Back then, it seemed simple. We’d load up the pickup truck, drive to the landfill, pay a small fee—or sometimes nothing at all—and be back home before lunch. I remember even looking through other people’s piles for some treasure or other. In some communities, it’s still possible to drive to the landfill at no cost. But for most of St. Louis, those days are gone.
Today’s landfills are very different than they were a generation ago. Disposal costs have increased, environmental regulations have become stricter, and many landfills now operate as large commercial facilities designed primarily to serve professional waste haulers.
So, if you’re cleaning out a garage, moving, remodeling a room, downsizing, cleaning out an estate, or finally tackling that basement that’s been collecting “stuff” for years, you may be wondering:
Should I haul everything to the landfill myself, or should I rent a dumpster?
The honest answer is…it depends.
Before you spend your weekend loading and unloading debris, let’s look at all of your options.
First, Consider Donating Usable Items
Before you rent a dumpster—or load up your truck for the landfill—take a second look at what you’re throwing away.
Many people cleaning out a home discover they have furniture, appliances, clothing, home décor, tools, or household goods that still have plenty of life left in them. Instead of throwing those items away, consider donating them to a local charity or thrift store. Organizations like Goodwill, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, local churches, and other nonprofit organizations often accept gently used furniture, household items, lighting fixtures, cabinets, doors, and building materials. Some even offer pickup services for larger donations.
Donating usable items:
- Keeps perfectly good items out of the landfill.
- Helps families in your community.
- May qualify for a tax deduction (consult your tax advisor).
- Reduces the amount of material you need to dispose of.
If someone else can use it, donating it is almost always the best first option.
Next, Check Your City’s Bulk Pickup Program
Before heading to the landfill, check with your city or residential trash provider. Many municipalities include bulk item pickups as part of their residential trash service. For example, the City of Belleville allows residents to schedule the pickup of bulk items through its residential waste collection program for a modest fee. If you’re simply getting rid of an old couch, mattress, dining table, recliner, or a few large household items, your city’s bulk pickup program may be the easiest and least expensive solution. However, these programs are generally intended for a few large household items each year. They’re usually not designed for an entire garage cleanout, basement cleanout, estate cleanout, moving project, renovation, or any project that generates a large amount of waste.
When Taking It to the Landfill Makes Sense
There are certainly times when hauling your own debris is the smart choice. If you already own a truck or trailer, have plenty of free time, and only have a single pickup load, taking it to the landfill may save you some money. For smaller projects, it’s a perfectly reasonable option.
The decision becomes much different when your project requires multiple trips.
Residential Landfill Prices May Surprise You
Many homeowners assume taking debris directly to the landfill is dramatically cheaper than renting a dumpster. In many cases, that simply isn’t true anymore. Many landfills charge residential gate rates that are high enough to discourage small residential loads and encourage waste to come through commercial haulers. By the time you add disposal fees, fuel, and the cost of multiple trips, it may actually cost you more—or at least the savings compared to renting a dumpster are often much smaller than people expect.
If your project requires several loads, you may discover you’re spending nearly as much, or even more, than you would have on a dumpster while doing all the work yourself.
Your Time Has Value
One of the biggest costs people overlook is their own time.
A landfill trip isn’t just driving there and back.
You have to:
- Load your vehicle.
- Secure the load.
- Drive to the landfill.
- Wait in line.
- Unload everything by hand.
- Drive home.
- Repeat the process if everything doesn’t fit.
What sounds like a quick errand can easily consume several hours—or even an entire Saturday.
With a dumpster, you simply walk outside and toss items in as you work. When you’re finished, one phone call is all it takes for it to disappear.
Do You Have the Right Vehicle?
Home projects create more waste than most people expect. Whether you’re cleaning out a garage, emptying an estate, replacing old furniture, remodeling a bathroom, or cleaning up after a storm, the volume adds up quickly. Even if your vehicle can safely carry the weight, you’ll probably be hauling home more than an empty truck.
Hauling junk and going to the landfill often leaves behind:
- Dirt
- Dust
- Splinters
- Nails and screws
- Mud
- Scratches in the truck bed
- Unpleasant odors
Many homeowners spend almost as much time cleaning their vehicle afterward as they spent hauling the debris. A dumpster keeps all of that mess outside where it belongs.
A Landfill Is an Active Industrial Site
If you’ve never visited a landfill before, you may be surprised by what it’s like today.
You’ll be surrounded by—and sharing the roads with:
- Large dump trucks
- Commercial waste haulers
- Bulldozers
- Front-end loaders
- Compactors
- Other heavy equipment
Many landfills also require visitors to wear a hard hat while in active disposal areas.
Professional drivers visit these facilities every day. For homeowners making their first trip, it can be an intimidating experience.
Nails, Dust, Mud, and Flat Tires
Landfills process thousands of tons of waste every day. Although landfill operators work hard to keep their roadways clear, nails, screws, and other sharp debris inevitably find their way onto driving surfaces. That means every trip carries some risk of picking up a flat tire. A tire repair—or worse, replacing a tire—can quickly erase much of the money you thought you were saving. Then there are the conditions. During dry weather, landfills can be extremely dusty. To help control the dust, operators frequently spray the dirt roads with water. That means your vehicle will likely leave covered in dust or splattered with mud. Either way, don’t expect your vehicle to leave looking clean. And then there’s the smell. It’s simply part of operating a landfill. Methane gas—the natural byproduct of waste decomposition—creates the odor most people associate with landfills. Between the dust, mud, debris, and odors, many people find themselves wanting to stop at the car wash on the way home.
Convenience Is Hard to Beat
One of the biggest advantages of renting a dumpster isn’t just avoiding landfill trips. It’s having one convenient place for everything throughout your project. Instead of creating piles in your driveway or making repeated trips across town, everything goes directly into the dumpster as you work. Your project stays cleaner. Your property stays more organized. And when you’re finished, the dumpster simply disappears. No loading your truck over and over. No worrying about whether everything will fit. No making one more trip before the landfill closes.
No spending your entire weekend hauling junk instead of finishing your project.
So…Which Option Is Right for You?
Here’s a simple guide.
Donate your items if:
- They’re clean, safe, and still usable.
- A local charity or thrift store accepts them.
- You’d rather see them reused than thrown away.
Use your city’s bulk pickup if:
- You only have a few large household items.
- Your city offers the service.
- The items qualify under the program.
Take it to the landfill if:
- You only have one small load.
- You already own a truck or trailer.
- You don’t mind spending the time making the trip.
Rent a dumpster if:
- You’re cleaning out a garage, basement, attic, or shed.
- You’re helping a loved one downsize or handling an estate.
- You’re moving and have years of accumulated clutter.
- You’re remodeling part of your home.
- You’re replacing a deck, fence, or roof.
- You’re landscaping or cleaning up after a storm.
- Your project will generate more than one pickup load of waste.
Can you haul it yourself?
Absolutely.
Should you?
That’s a different question.
When you factor in your time, fuel, wear and tear on your vehicle, the possibility of flat tires, the mess, the fact that the landfills are actively trying to deter residential customers and multiple trips, renting a dumpster is often one of the best values of the entire project.
Let redbox+ Take the Hassle Out of Cleanup
At redbox+ Dumpsters of St. Louis, we believe your weekends should be spent finishing your project—not making repeated trips to the landfill. We’ll deliver the right-sized dumpster directly to your home or job site. Every delivery includes protective underlayment to help protect your driveway, and our experienced drivers carefully place the dumpster exactly where you need it. When you’re finished, we’ll come pick it up. No repeated landfill trips. No mess inside your truck or SUV. No waiting in line. No navigating around heavy equipment. No worrying about nails in the road. No wondering if you’ll make it before the landfill closes.
Whether you’re cleaning out a garage, helping a family member move, tackling a remodeling project, or finally getting rid of years of accumulated clutter, we’ll help you choose the right dumpster and make cleanup the easiest part of your project.
Get your free quote from Redbox+ Dumpsters of St. Louis today and spend your time completing your project—not hauling junk.