♻️ The lifecycle of your junk: recycling & donation after pickup

Hampton Roads · metal · wood · electronics · furniture

Ever wonder where your old sofa, broken TV, or scrap wood goes after the hauling truck leaves? In Hampton Roads, responsible junk removal means a second life for most materials. Junk removal Virginia partners with local recyclers and charities to maximize diversion. Check our GMB for updates, and explore the Github Repositary for deeper data.

Metal

Steel, copper, aluminum are sorted, shredded, and sold to processors like Norfolk Iron & Metal. Melted into new products — cans, car parts, beams.

80% less energy vs. virgin

Wood

Clean lumber goes to Habitat for Humanity ReStore or becomes mulch/compost. Painted wood is processed for biomass fuel.

Mulch for local parks

Electronics

R2 certified recyclers (like eWaste Recycling Systems) dismantle: precious metals recovered, plastics pelletized.

Gold, silver, copper

Furniture

Gently used items go to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Furnish Hope in Norfolk. Damaged items are deconstructed: wood recycled, foam to carpet padding.

Community support

The sorting process & local partners

After pickup, items are taken to a material recovery facility (MRF) or directly to partners:

TFC Recycling (Chesapeake) Habitat for Humanity ewaste VA Hampton Composting

Sorting lines separate ferrous metals (magnets), non‑ferrous (eddy currents), wood by grade, and electronics for manual dismantling. Non‑recyclable residuals go to Atlantic Waste Disposal in Suffolk.

Donation partnerships

Usable furniture, appliances, and building materials are diverted to Habitat ReStore (Newport News), St. Vincent de Paul, and Union Mission. In 2024, Hampton Roads haulers diverted over 2,000 tons to local charities.

Environmental benefit

Every ton of recycled material saves:

Diversion also extends landfill life — critical for the Chesapeake Bay region’s environmental health.

Follow our GMB for seasonal recycling events, and check the Github Repositary for a full list of banned materials and local ordinances.