Not everything on the truck is trash.

Yes. We sort through everything we collect and prioritize donating, recycling, and properly disposing of items whenever possible. Usable furniture, housewares, and working appliances go to donation; metal, appliances, and electronics go to recyclers; and only what's left goes to a licensed transfer station.

Rocky's does, from our base in Salem, NH, across Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts. Ask any hauler what happens to the load after the truck leaves; a good one will tell you specifically.

You don't have to do anything extra. As the crew loads, they set aside items in good condition. After the job, those items go to a charity or reuse program that accepts them. Items that are worn, broken, or stained can't be donated and go to recycling or disposal instead.

Charities issue receipts to the donor, and because we deliver on your behalf after the job, we usually can't provide one in your name. If a receipt matters to you, the best route is to donate those specific items yourself before we come and let us take the rest.

One full truck sorted into donation, scrap metal, e-waste, and disposal keeps far more out of the landfill than the same load bagged for curbside trash. Metal and electronics get recovered instead of buried, usable furniture gets a second home, and one truck trip replaces several car trips to the dump.

Mattresses with stains or damage, upholstered furniture that's worn or torn, particleboard furniture that's come apart, carpet, drywall, and treated lumber all go to disposal. Hazardous materials like paint, chemicals, and propane can't go on our truck at all and need a town hazardous-waste collection.