What Junk Removal Companies Won't Take in Polk County

Every week somebody walks me to a garage shelf full of paint cans, pool chlorine and a gas can and asks if it can go on the trailer. It can't. I don't take paint, solvents, oil, propane, pool chemicals or batteries, and that's true for any junk removal company, not just mine. Here's what the rules actually are in Polk County, where the county wants each item to go, and what to set aside before the truck shows up. For every Polk County site with its hours, fees and ID rules in one place, see the Polk County disposal guide.

Why can't a junk removal truck take everything?

Because the landfill won't accept it. When I dump a trailer at the North Central Landfill or a transfer station, the load gets looked at. Hazardous materials in a household load are a problem for the landfill, for the people working there, and for me. So haulers refuse them at the curb, and the county built a separate, free program for residents to handle them the right way.

My policy is simple: no paint, no solvents, no oil, no propane, no pool chemicals, no batteries. Not on the trailer, not in a rental, not in a bag inside a box. Set them to one side and the rest of the pile goes. If you're not sure what something is, send me a photo of the shelf and I'll tell you which side of the line it's on.

What does Polk County's hazardous waste facility take?

Polk County Solid Waste runs a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility at the North Central Landfill in Winter Haven. According to the county's page, it accepts household chemical and electronic waste from Polk County residents at no additional fee. The county lists these accepted items:

• Auto and boat batteries
• Household batteries
• Fuel and gas cylinders
• Used oil and antifreeze, and their filters
• Pesticides
• Mercury and fluorescent lights
• Flares
• Paint
• Used cooking oil

The county also takes electronic waste there, with a limit of five components per visit: computers, monitors, printers, televisions, VHS players and the like.

Two rules to know. First, it's for residents only. The county says businesses, nonprofit groups or entities other than residential households are not eligible. Second, hours are limited and can change, so check the county's Household Hazardous Waste page before you drive over. The Solid Waste Division's number is (863) 284-4319.

Item by item: what goes where?

What about tires?

Tires are a middle case. The landfill takes them, but for a fee. Polk County's landfill page lists tires at five dollars each at county disposal facilities, with proof of Polk residency required, as of this writing. Fees change, so check the page. If you have a few tires in a cleanout pile, tell me the count when you call and I'll build it into the quote or point you to the county drop-off, whichever is cheaper for you.

What about old TVs and computers?

E-waste is one the county handles well. Drop up to five components per visit at the hazardous waste facility in Winter Haven, free for residents. If you have a garage with two old TVs and a printer, that's an easy trip from Winter Haven, Lake Alfred or Auburndale. If the e-waste is part of a bigger cleanout in Davenport or Haines City, ask me. I'll tell you what I can take with the load.

What about fridges and freezers?

Those I take. A refrigerator is one of the most common single-item pickups I do. Empty it, unplug it the night before, and prop the freezer door so it defrosts. They go to the scrap yard, where the refrigerant is recovered before the metal gets recycled. You don't need to have the unit evacuated first. The appliance removal page has the prep list.

What should you do before the truck arrives?

1. Walk the garage shelf. Anything liquid, pressurized or with a warning label goes in its own box, set apart from the pile.
2. Text me a photo of that box. I'll tell you what can ride with the load.
3. Plan one county trip for the rest. Winter Haven is about 25 minutes from Davenport. Load the car, check the hours, go on a Saturday.
4. Don't pour anything down a drain or into the yard to get rid of it. That's how a garage cleanout turns into a bigger problem.

Most cleanouts have five or ten hazardous items in them. Sorting them out ahead of time takes fifteen minutes and means the rest of the job goes smoothly.

What Big Rob's does here

The What We Take page has the full two-column table: what goes on the trailer and what doesn't. For the rest of the house, garage or yard, see junk removal in Davenport and Polk County. We work all over the county, and the towns closest to the county's hazardous waste facility are Winter Haven, Lake Alfred and Auburndale. Home base is Davenport, with Haines City next door.

Not sure about something on the shelf? Text a photo to (863) 225-2147 and ask.