Safe Travels on the long weekend

Posted by & filed under CapitalJunk.

With the long weekend approaching ,we at Capital junk want to make sure all of you are traveling safely to you destinations. So we have put together some tips to keep you and others around you safe on the roads.

First off  ensure that all occupants buckle up and that children are properly secured in their safety seats.  it is important to buckle up because  it will keep you an your loved ones much safer during traveling time. Also it is the law to your seat belt on. Nobody wants a ticket for something as simple as putting your seat belt, what a way to ruin your long weekend.Seat belts save about 1,000 lives a year in Canada so it is best that you buckle up for the drive.

Now this next tip I’m sure is a tough one for everyone because no one wants to be driving  all day and all night. Everyone just wants to start having fun but Do not speed. It’s dangerous, and driving above 90 km/hour decreases your fuel efficiency exponentially. Speeding  can also lead to accidents. you just never know when an animal will decide to jump out in front of you, so …

Earth Day 1000 Tree Giveaway

Posted by & filed under Earth Day Ottawa, green events, Green Living.

As an environmentally responsible company, Capital Junk Ottawa’s Favorite junk removal company is aware of the affects of Global Warming and just this past month have partnered up with The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF) to become The First Carbon Neutral Fleet in Ottawa.   The Rideau Valley Conservation has estimated that our fleet will produce 54 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2013 and in order to offset our Co2 emissions the RVCF will plant 400 vigorous Canadian bare-root seedlings on land as close to Ottawa as possible.

Global Warming is a worldwide problem that is effecting our environments and in turn affecting our health and the health of our children.  It’s hard to comprehend a problem on such a global scale, but if you understand what is causing global warming you may see a smaller solution that you yourself can offer.

Global warming is caused by the release of carbon dioxide and other pollutants in to the air that is creating a thick blanket in our atmosphere, trapping the suns heat causing the planet to warm up.  The carbon dioxide and other pollutants are created by our daily activities…driving a car, turning on the lights, doing a load of laundry …

Spring Cleaning The Capital

Posted by & filed under CapitalJunk.

Capital Junk has been participating in the Cleaning the Capital campaign here in Ottawa since the company began nearly 4 years ago.  Being a locally owned and operated company it is very important for us to be a part of the community that we live, work and serve our customers in.  Cleaning the Capital is celebrating 20 years here in Ottawa this year; originally just a spring clean-up that Ottawa residents and businesses could participate in, in 2006 because of the overwhelming response Cleaning the Capital initiated a fall cleaning the capital campaign.  Since 1994 when the program began nearly 856,000 volunteers have participated in 13,100 cleanup projects (City of Ottawa) resulting in nearly 1.48 million kilograms of waste to be removed from our communities.  Cleaning the Capital is a non for profit and depends on local sponsors to fund the program and of course you and I to make it the successful campaign that it is today!

Ottawa’s Spring Cleaning the Capital registration began on March 15th and will run until April 15th when the actual clean up begins.  Cleanups takes place in public areas around the city including parks, ravines, shorelines, wooded walking paths and …

My day on the truck….

Posted by & filed under CapitalJunk.

I have been working for Capital Junk for over 2 years and was finally given the opportunity to get out on the trucks.  I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into.  The customer was a real estate agent that was looking to clear out her client’s home to get it ready for the market.  The client happened to be her Grandmother so it was especially important to take our time and sort through everything to make sure nothing of importance was being misplaced.

The morning I arrived the team had already been onsite and removed most of the items from the upstairs, what was left to clear out was the basement, the customer was completely overwhelmed with the task that lay ahead, but we reassured her that it would all get done and be ready for the open house that Sunday.

There were endless piles of magazines, boxes of old newspapers, old carpets and underlay.  There were tons of really cool hat boxes like you see in the movies, bags of old clothes and shoes and I think thousands of empty mason jars!  There was a couple of really neat furniture pieces like an old chest and writing desk …

Inexpensive Tips & Fixes to Get Your Home Ready for Sale

Posted by & filed under CapitalJunk.

The housing market can be very competitive; everyone wants their home to sell for top dollar and quickly. When a home buyer is searching for their new dream home, little things like dirty kitchens, old furniture, clutter or bad smells can be a major turn off. Many buyers think they can look beyond the dated décor or bare rooms and see the homes hidden potential, but in reality, it is a struggle to do. Like many things in life, a good first impression is important. The good news is; there are many techniques and fixes you can do to give your home an edge over the competition. Here’s a few tips and fixes to transform your house into a marketable and desirable home.

  • De-clutter the closets! Storage is Home Stagingimportant to a home buyer, so they will be looking in your closets! Make sure they are not full of junk, not only is it unattractive, but it will make the space look smaller.
  •   Add power outlets with USB ports in rooms that are lacking. USB ports are becoming more popular, a power outlet that includes this can be the little extra bonus to younger tech-savvy individuals.
  •  Clean the floors!

    • …

How To Tell If Your “Junk” Is Valuable – Levis & Barbie

Posted by & filed under CapitalJunk.

Have you ever been clearing out your attic and wonder whether your old junk is really worth anything?  As a full service junk removal company we get asked all the time weather we come across any valuable junk.  There are definitely a few tips that you can use to find out for yourself if your junk is worth anything before you give it away to the Salvation Army or it ends up at the end of your driveway on garbage day!

Levis

We all have our favorite pair of jeans that are our go to jeans when we want to look and feel great!  Believe it or not they may actually be worth a lot of money if the tag says Levis!  Levis started making jeans back in 1873 and the oldest existing jeans were made in 1890.  Here are a few tips to telling if your jeans are worth money.

  1. If the letters on the red tag on the side of pair of Levis are all in caps your jeans may be worth a whole lot more than you think!
  2. For a period in the 1970’s Levis was printing their tags with an upper case “E” only, hold on

    3. …

Charity E-Waste Pickup

Posted by & filed under CapitalJunk.

The Ottawa Food Bank is a charitable organization that is currently supporting 140 emergency food programs that feed approximately 45,000 people per month, 37% of which are children!   It is through donations of time and money from individuals and companies, like yourself, that this is made possible.  Each year around the holiday season CTV and Bob Fm hold a holiday food drive in support of The Ottawa Food Bank to help reduce hunger in our city.

For Capital Junk it is very important to be a part of and support our community. Last year when we decided that we wanted participate in the holiday food drive, we put our heads together and came up with a way that we could put our expertise (junk removal) to good use and raise some money!

On December 10th, 11th and 12th Capital Junk collected electronic waste from Ottawa residents and business and asking customers for a $20.00 donation to the Ottawa Food Bank, rather than charging the normal removal costs.

At the end of the three days, Capital Junk matched all the donations collected! We had set a pretty lofty goal of $2500.00 to be collected and donated to The Ottawa Food …

Have a Green Christmas: Keeping the Holidays Eco-friendly

Posted by & filed under CapitalJunk.

It is that time of year again! Time for decorating the house, chopping down the Christmas tree, visiting family members, and of course presents!  Yes, the holidays can be some of the most happiest and memorable time of year, but it can also be one of the hardest on the environment. Between gift wrap, extra food and traveling the holidays can easily get out of hand. For instance:

  • Did you know that it is estimated Canadians create 900,000 tonnes of garbage between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year?
  • Canada’s annual waste for wrapping paper and gift bags equals 545,000 tonnes?

After hearing these Christmas facts, I decided to search the internet in search of a few tips on making the holiday seasons a little more environmentally friendly.

  1. Turn off the lights! It is fun to decorate the house with hundreds of Christmas lights; it really can set the holiday spirit! Just make sure, to turn them off when you are not using them. Regardless of how energy efficient the lights maybe, it is still wasted energy if nobody is there to see it. If you are forgetful, invest in some automatic timers so they will shut off on their own.
  2. Plan

    3. …

Help Fight Hunger and Get That Old TV Removed!

Posted by & filed under CapitalJunk.

Most people have missed the occasional meal at one point another, and are aware of the uncomfortable feeling or slight irritability it can cause. However, many people are unaware the negative effects of prolonged hunger can have. A person who has been malnourished for a long period of time can suffer a number of different problems, which is why Capital Junk believes it is an issue we can’t ignore!

Some of the affects of starvation
include:

  • Lower energy levels
  • Emotional changes
  • Decreased concentration
  • Sleep disorders
  • Lowered heart rate
  • Bone loss
  • Tooth decay

Help Capital Junk support
The Ottawa Food Bank this season with their mission that nobody goes hungry in the Ottawa area! For those of you who don’t know who The Ottawa Food Bank is, they are charitable organization that currently is supporting 140 emergency food programs that feed approximately 45,000 people per month! It is through donations of time and money from individuals and companies, like yourself, that this is made possible.

On December 10th, 11th and 12th Capital Junk will be collecting electronic waste from Ottawa residents and business and asking clients for a $20.00 donation to the Ottawa Food Bank, rather than charging the normal removal …

Calling All Pennies for The Well!

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Canadian Penny

As some of you may know, the Government of Canada has decided to do away with the penny. They are asking that all pennies be returned in the next few months.

The Well is calling all pennies to help them on their quest for a badly needed industrial stove. For those of you who do not know what the Well is, it is a center that helps women and children in Ottawa on a daily basis by providing them with friendship, shelter and nourishment.

For the next few weeks, our Capital Junk teams members will be carrying jars to help The Well on their “Pennies from Heaven” campaign . Rolled or unrolled coins, it does not matter. So why not “lighten your load” and put your spare change to a good cause!

For more information on The Well or their penny quest, visit:  http://www.the-well.ca…