After 48,000 pickups, we can tell you exactly what's filling the average trash bag: food scraps, packaging, and stuff that could have been donated. None of it requires a lifestyle overhaul — just better defaults in the kitchen and at the curb.
Start with the heavy third: organics
Food and yard waste is the single heaviest thing most families throw away. A countertop caddy plus a curbside organics tote — like our compost kit — can cut bag weight by a third in the first week, and the smell in the kitchen drops with it.
Then fix the packaging stream
Refill stations for soap and pantry staples, a reusable bag that actually lives by the door, and saying no to produce bags you don't need. Each swap is small; together they empty half a bin.
- Compost food scraps instead of bagging them
- Refill soaps and staples; skip single-use packaging
- Donate the usable before you haul the rest
When the remaining pile is truly junk, that's our cue. One crew visit clears what months of small swaps can't — and sorts it properly on the way out.