Bagster is your project partner in disposing of flood-damaged items

Once more, Chicago-area residents are faced with the unwanted task of throwing out household items damaged by flooded basements caused by the recent pounding rains. If that difficult job is facing you, Waste Management's The Bagster® Dumpster in a Bag® offers a less expensive alternative to higher-priced industrial waste containers.

Or, if you're a Chicago-area do-it-yourselfer rolling up your sleeves and finally getting down to the serious business of home improvement and cleanup projects, nothing makes it easier to dispose of your discards than The Bagster.

By now, you may have seen the bright green plastics Bagster bags in your neighborhood. They serve as an easy, less expensive alternative to large waste boxes for debris disposal. Bagsters were a common site used by residents to throw away their damaged goods after northern Illinois' recent spring flooding.

The Bagster is a durable plastic disposal container that can hold up to 3,300 pounds or three cubic feet of material. It measures 4 feet wide by 8 feet long and stands 2.5 feet in height, large enough to hold sheets of plywood or wall board. Because it is constructed of heavy-duty plastic, it won't tear if punctured, making it an ideal receptacle for home remodeling and other summer projects debris.

“Many, many residents in the Chicago area learned firsthand just how useful the Bagster is following the unusual spring rains we had when basements flooded and homeowners needed an easy, cost-effective way to throw out their flood-damaged possessions. The Bagster really proved itself as a do-it-yourselfer's helper,” said Denise Segal, Director of Sales for Waste Management's Illinois-Missouri Valley Area. “The Bagster is available at local hardware and home improvement stores and homeowners all over the Chicago area called on Waste Management to quickly cart off the material.”

The Bagster is economical to use. Consumers can purchase the Bagster at local home improvement and hardware stores, including The Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, and select Ace and True Value hardware stores. It is also available through Amazaon.com.

Bagster has a retail price of $29.95 and a Waste Management collection fee ranging from $129 to $149, significantly less than an industrial waste container. Additional Bagsters will be collected for a reduced fee of $124 if picked up at the same time.

Homeowners can hold on to Bagster for as long as they need to complete their projects. They can then call Waste Management for collection when finished.

For more information and to see a demonstration of the Bagster bag in action, visit www.thebagster.com

Waste Management provides the Bagster collection service in Cook, Du Page, Lake and Kane counties in the Chicago area. In Illinois, Bagster cannot be used for the disposal of yard wastes, electronics, appliances, tires, food wastes, large tree stumps or toxic or hazardous wastes, which are banned from landfills.