They are however quite different in reality. Knowing the difference between Junk and Rubbish will help you deal with the things you want to get rid of effectively.
When people think of junk and rubbish, often the same image pops into your head.
Rubbish…
Junk…
So, what are the main differences between junk and rubbish:
Size – Rubbish usually fits into a rubbish bag or bin so it is generally smaller, able to be contained and easily moved. Junk on the other hand is usually bigger and bulkier (such as old furniture) which makes it more difficult to move or dispose of.
Health & Safety – Rubbish (particularly household rubbish) is often quite smelly and comprises of items that are unsanitary or that you would not want to touch ideally. You need to dispose of rubbish regularly otherwise it will start to stink very quickly and attract germs, rats, rodents. Junk on the other hand doesn’t normally pose a direct health or sanitation concern but could potentially result in an injury if you accidentally bump into or trip over large unwanted items that are in the way and not stored safely or if you try to move them incorrectly.
Organic vs Inorganic – Rubbish usually consists of a mixture of organic items like food scraps and other smaller inorganic items. Junk items are inorganic and can be either recyclable (such as e-waste and timber), reusable (such as a fridge that still works) or at the end of their life (eg. flood damaged items).
Disposal – Getting rid of rubbish is relatively easily as the Council has regular rubbish and recycling bin collection services in place. Getting rid of your unwanted junk items is not so easy unfortunately. Auckland Council has an annual inorganic collection service for up to 1m3 a year (which is about the size of an avg size fridge). It starts to get difficult if you have more junk than this to dispose of and/or you don’t want to wait for your next Council collection which is only once a year.
Skip Bins and Flexi Bins are often the first thing that people think of when it comes to getting rid of their junk (or excess rubbish). The problem with these collection services is that everything that gets put into these bins gets taken straight to landfills as the waste collectors don’t have the time or inclination to go through and sort all the reusable or recyclable items from the rest – it’s easier, simpler and more cost effective for them to take these straight to the tip! This is exactly why we at Junk Run do what we do. We come to your house, office or business and safely collect and dispose of your junk effectively no matter how big, cumbersome or awkward it is. We make sure that any items that can be re-homed or recycled are which benefits both the community and the environment.