So I did some landscaping in my backyard a few weeks ago, and removed rocks where grass was growing up (more like river pebbles), etc. and laid down new stones/pavers. Now I bagged the rocks up in (barely) liftable black trashbags, and put them into one of our trashcans, and barely got it dragged down to the curb, and the trash guys won't take them.

Now my idiot husband keeps putting the grass clippings on top of the bags, and then the lid wasn't on the trashcans, so they both filled with water recently. Now one smells horrible, and the other is like a compost heap...and I have no way to get them moved. They are regular stand-up sized trashcans.

At this point I'd pay someone to come just take the trashcans and all and take them to a dump, I'd do it but can't lift them! And I don't know where to take them. Is there a service that will come by and take them for a fee? I'm in northwest Houston, Waste Management is our trash but they have nothing on their website, and the guys have already not taken it several times...

Just put up an ad on Craigslist. Pay them half when they take the cans and half when they bring them back.

Or have your husband handle it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/WM-Bagster-Dumpster-in-a-Bag-775-658/202228840

Have idiot husband open.

Have idiot husband dump trash can into bag.

Have idiot husband call WM for pick-up.

[This message has been edited by lostinla07 (edited 6/5/2014 12:49p).]

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Or have your husband handle it.

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Poke holes in the bottom of the can. Drain. Smack husband. Don't do that again.

We have had the problem where the trash can filled was too heavy and the trash guys wouldn't unload it. The next trash day, we just took the heavy bags out of the can and split them up into other bags and laid them next to the can. Collectively, it was the same weight, but at least each bag was more manageable than just one trash can.

Apparently they have no trouble lifting multiple bags outside the trash can, but can't pick them out individually from the trash can. Doesn't make much sense to me.

We also had a time where we replaced part of our yard and flowerbeds with better soil/new mulch. The old stuff was pretty heavy, so we bagged it up and threw it in the back of my truck. Our neighborhood is new, so there is a lot of construction going on around us. We just dumped the bags in their trash bins or opened up the bags and dumped the soil in an open field. I don't know if you would be able to do that with rocks and sounds like your load is too heavy to even lift up into a truck bed.

Go buy some contractor (3 mil) trash bags. Push the trash can over and fill up the trash bags to manageable levels for the trash people to haul off.

Why's everyone jumping on the husband? Correct, what he did wasn't smart, but it also wasn't smart to put a bag full of rocks that you could barely lift in the trash.

But to the original question, I agree with the above on draining out the water and splitting the trash up.

Well, I tried at first only taking a bag or two in with the regular trash but they would take everything but leave those heavy bags.

Now there's so much water and grass clippings (and smell) on top I can't (and don't want to) get the individual bags out, and they keep ripping open.

The bagster thing looks like a good option but it's $135 to pick it up, plus $30 for the bag! Anybody know of any cheaper options?

I don't even want the cans back, the lids won't stay on and they're old (came with the house). And yea, I thought about loading them in my truck and dumping them in the country, but there's no way I can get them lifted into my truck. I can roll them or dump them over into something, that's it.

Maybe you could get a small dumpster for cheaper but you're still going to have to pick up the bags to put them in the dumpster. The bagster thing is nice because you can just push the trash cans into the bag.

Perhaps you could try waiting outside when the gargage guys come by and offer them some $ to make the extra effort to take the heavy trash cans? They could probably lift it if two of them did it together.

Push it over and sweep it all into a storm drain. Nothing irritates me more than having a f-in crew of people who are paid to do a job (like taking trash) and refuse to do said job.

[This message has been edited by BrazosDog02 (edited 6/5/2014 3:07p).]

That WM bag is perfect for an upcoming project. I had no idea something like that existed.

Can you drill a hole in the bottom of the trash can to drain the water? Then let it dry in the sun.

They still probably won't take it. They have guidelines on max size and weight, mainly to avoid injuries (and disability claims). A trash can full of rocks is going to be pretty heavy..even more so if it's also full of water.

I bet they'll take it if you give the trash guys $20 when they drive by. That should be enough to get the driver out of the truck to help. Or maybe your idiot husband could help lift it.

[This message has been edited by Lostinla07 (edited 6/5/2014 3:26p).]

Don't know about your muni, but the trucks in Austin are operated by one guy and a machine arm on the side of the truck. That machine arm is rated for so much weight. If it won't lift it, he leaves you a love note saying so.

If you want the cans gone too (be aware that your local muni will likely charge you for replacements), just put an ad on Craigslist for someone to haul it off. Make sure no identifying information is inside or written on the can, because they may or may not make it to an actual landfill.

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Make the bags a manageable weight and just dump one or two a week until they are gone.

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I've disposed of everything associated with our remodel this way. Joists, subfloor, wood, tile, drywall... You name it. This plan absolutely works.

buy the contractor bags, keep proof of residence like water bill...find teenagers and landfill. Ask neighbors for a couple of teens and offer them $20(surprise them with $10 more if they do it right) PLUS a pizza when they are finished...young teens 12-14 who can't work but would love a $20 in their wallets will unload your cans and tell them the bags have to be easy to lift into your car....haul the bags to landfill at whatever rate is allowed some areas control the daily/weekly visits

another thing I have done is called our church and asked about kids who needed a little help with paying for mission trips or fun days.

Dump it out on ground near truck. Use shovel to load Into truck. Drive to empty field and unload. Why put this stuff in a landfill?

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Why's everyone jumping on the husband?

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Because she called him an idiot in her original post?

WM should have one day a month where they do "heavy trash pickup" ..it should be collected then. Give them a call to see when it is for you.

As an example, I had a trash can filled with tile today and all it took was a glass of water for the guys to drive the truck over and dump it in (they normally roll a huge trash can around and take it to the trash to the truck at the end of the street). I also pushed it next to the street for them instead of making them walk to the top of our driveway (our guys will pick trash up from the back gate so you don't have to put it out by the street).

[This message has been edited by Lostinla07 (edited 6/6/2014 5:54p).]

we decapitated a bunch of crape myrtles in our yard a few months ago. we stuffed our trash cans full the first time but they wouldn't take them at first either bc they were sticking out too far out of the top.

basically had to pull stuff out, chop down, and just go through several cycles of pickup to get everything gone.

Who throws rocks in the trash? Go dump them in an empty lot or something.

You may get more Craigslist responders if you label yourself a M I LF, which means a mother increasing land fill.


[This message has been edited by Iowaggie (edited 6/9/2014 9:03a).]

If you're using the city of Houston auto-pick up cans you can go to the grocery store (I know Kroger/Fiesta at least) and buy stickers ($1 each) that you can affix to bags that they'll then pick up in addition to the can.

That plus hiring out the neighborhood kids to do the dirty work should save you a trip to the landfill.

And Bagsters are awesome - we've used two in the past for small projects. Fun to see them picked up as well.

[This message has been edited by metrag06 (edited 6/10/2014 7:30p).]