Renting a dumpster is a great way to dispose of excess construction material, unused items from cleaning a basement or garage, or soiled items from a flood or other water damage. Since most communities now have a limit on how much trash you can dispose of at the curb, renting a dumpster is a great way to quickly get rid of a lot of items.

However, just because you have a dumpster in your driveway doesn't mean that you can dispose of every unwanted item in the container and have it hauled away. There are still a number of items that are prohibited from being disposed of in dumpster rentals.

Items that you can't throw away in a dumpster rental

1. Hazardous materials. "Hazardous materials" is a broad category that includes everything from house paint to car batteries to flammable materials. This also includes construction debris with asbestos, explosives like fireworks and ammunition, and poisonous items like weed killer or rat poison.

2. Tires. Most dumpster companies prohibit collecting tires in their dumpsters, since most landfills prohibit tires in their locations. Tires usually must be collected at special recycling events. Some companies allow tires that have been cut up into small pieces.

3. Appliances. Appliances, particularly those containing freon, such as air conditioners and refrigerators, are usually prohibited by dumpster rental companies.

4. Television sets and CRT monitors. Television sets with picture tubes and older cathode ray tube computer monitors are also usually banned from dumpsters.

5. Excessively heavy items. Most dumpster companies prohibit mixing extra heavy items, such as concrete, bricks, and fill dirt, with other items in a dumpster. When allowed, there is lower maximum capacity for dumpsters containing extra heavy items.

6. Recylables. Items that can be recycled, such as cardboard, plastic, and glass, should be disposed of via your area's normal recycling channels. Since dumpsters contain a hodge-podge of materials, there is no method for separating out recyclables that have been placed in a dumpster.

7. Leaves and grass. Yard waste is generally banned from landfills. However, if you have a huge amount of such waste, some dumpster companies will accept a dumpster filled exclusively with yard waste. They take such dumpsters to disposable locations that accept only yard waste.

Renting a temporary dumpster can be a great way to dispose of unwanted debris and possessions quickly and efficiently. However, make sure that you know what can and cannot be put in such a dumpster before you start filling up the container.