The short version: if it is non-hazardous, does not need specialized handling, and fits on a trailer, it can almost certainly go.
Routinely taken
- Furniture of every kind, indoor and outdoor
- Mattresses and box springs
- Appliances, once disconnected
- Boxes, bags and general household clutter
- Yard debris, branches and fronds
- Small amounts of non-hazardous renovation debris
The exceptions, and why
Paint, solvents, fuel, oil, propane tanks, asbestos, medical waste and ammunition all need specialized handling that a trailer and two people are not set up for. This is not squeamishness — those materials have their own disposal routes and putting them on a general load is not an option.
The awkward part is that almost all of them live at the back of a garage, which is exactly where the job usually is. Photograph the shelf and ask before the day.
Ask if you are unsure
It is a two-minute answer by text and it saves a wasted weekend appointment for both of us. Nobody minds the question.