Why Junk Removal Is Booming

As e-commerce grows, so do our garbage piles.

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Junk removal has been around for decades. One of the largest brands in the space, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, dates back to a single truck that started rolling in 1989. But now it has a lot of competition. By our count, there are at least 13 more brands, with names like Junk King and The Junkluggers.

Premium Service Brands, which owns nine brands, even bought the franchise Rubbish Works in 2020. “It appealed to us because it has two revenue streams,” says Premium founder and CEO Paul Flick: It rents dumpsters to businesses, and hauls residential junk. So, what’s driving growth in junk removal? Simple: It’s all the junk we're buying.

There is a confluence of reasons for this, says Flick. First, young people are spending more on experiences—and less on high-quality, long-lasting products.