Spring cleaning is upon us — here's how to get rid of household waste in the Twin Cities
It's that time of year again: Spring cleaning season is upon us, and the annual chore can be overwhelming.
"People are bringing in all kinds of stuff," Ramsey County Environmental Health Division Manager Daniel Schmidt said.
Flat screens, paint cans and light bulbs are just a sampling of what you can drop off at the Ramsey County Environmental Center.
"People have been so excited," Schmidt said. "We have been extremely busy since the day we opened. We had a line of cars and every morning kind of starts out that way."
Residents of Ramsey, Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Scott and Washington counties can drop off household hazardous waste and electronics, household recycling and food scraps all in one place for free.
"We have offered these services in Ramsey County for a long time, but we didn't have them all in one place," Schmidt said.
Since it opened a month ago, Schmidt says they see an average of 155 cars a day.
But if you're looking for the car to come to you, clearing space is a skill Two Men and A Junk Truck, sister company to Two Men and a Truck, specializes in.
"Decluttering actually has a direct effect on mental health," Two Men and A Truck Director of Marketing and Communications Sally Flinck said.
Flinck says they'll haul away nearly anything – except hazardous products. Eighty percent of what they leave with stays out of landfills.
"One of our core values is landfill diversion," she said. "So, we do as much as we can to actually keep things out of the landfill."
Experts say to start small while spring cleaning — and start with one room at a time.
