Plenty of companies claim they recycle. Far fewer can tell you what percentage of a load gets diverted, or name the facility it went to. The difference matters if landfill diversion is why you’re hiring someone.
The three destinations
Donation: furniture, working appliances, clothing, toys, and building materials in usable condition.
Recycling: metal, cardboard, electronics, yard waste, and often mattresses where a facility exists.
Landfill: genuinely broken, contaminated, or non-recyclable material — the last resort, not the default.
Sorting starts at the curb
Real diversion happens while the truck is being loaded, not afterwards. If donatable furniture is buried under drywall by the time the truck reaches the depot, it’s landfill-bound regardless of intent. Crews that sort as they load get dramatically better outcomes.
How to check a company is telling the truth
Ask three questions: roughly what percentage of a typical load do you divert, which charities do you actually deliver to, and can you tell me where my items went if I ask afterwards? Vague answers to all three usually mean everything goes to the same place.