What’s twice the size of America, made of plastic (mostly) and eats seafood alive?

Give up? It’s the revolting Pacific Ocean Trash Vortex or Patch. It’s so big, it’s got an Eastern and a Western hemisphere and it’s thought to be responsible for up to 1,100 000 bird and sea life deaths a year. Although it’s formed by sea currents, it could some day end up on a beach very near you! Brizzy Rubbish Removals are not here to lecture about the state of theenvironment, but we would like to offer a few tips on keeping our beaches and oceans clean – because we love adorable little birds and tasty seafood as much as you do!

Photo courtesy of Greenpeace

Clean Green. You know those little scented toilet perfume cages that hang in there and serve some largely unknown purpose? How about the quadruple action skin peeling laundry liquid you use on your delicates (seemingly the ones you wear down the coal mine)? What about that all-powerful, lung-singeing bleach you’re using daily to remove fingerprints from your tap ware? All those things, no matter how you delight in the brightness of their results, flush a chemical cocktail into our waterways. This can create environments where sea life can’t live, but toxic algae flourishes, poisoning the water for months or years.

Photo courtesy of Planet Save.com

In addition to binning and recycling your garbage, the recent floods taught us that keeping a clean and clear yard and “under the house” area is a must. Anywhere your rubbish can be swept away by wind or water should be clutter free. We all saw the terrible footage of so much rubbish on our beaches after the floods, it’s time to learn from that and do our bit to keep the ocean and environment safe.

*Thanks to Jean Michel Cousteau and Greenpeace websites for further information.

They say St Patrick himself was removing rubbish when he heard his calling…well, mucking out pig pens, but in the 4th century Ireland, that’s about as close to rubbish removal as you got. Here at Brizzy Rubbish Removal we’re fond of the grand ole’ Irish and all that they’ve given the world, so this is our tribute to all things Irish, that aren’t rubbish!

At Brizzy Rubbish Removals, we love Irish Beer

Let’s raise a pint to the beer that takes 119.53 seconds to pour properly (in two stages) and should only be served at precisely 6°C. To the beer we’ve seen where the bubbles travel down, not up and where the head can just about be cut with a knife. There’s nothing rubbish about a Guinness.

At Brizzy Rubbish Removals, we love Redheads

While real red hair is extremely rare (only 4% of Caucasians are naturally red), around 46% of the Irish population carry the red head gene. While we know not all redheads are Irish, we also know that there’s no woman like a fiery Irish redhead and if there’s one woman on Earth that won’t take any rubbish, it’s her!

At Brizzy Rubbish Removals, we love 90s Boy Band Westlife

Nah, just kidding, they really are rubbish.

At Brizzy Rubbish Removals, we love the Irish Brogue

Actually, at Brizzy Rubbish Removals, the women on our team love the Irish Brogue… in fact, they’re crowded around a video of Colin Farrell now, not doing any work….I am told that Colin Farrell is definitely not rubbish! The Irish accent changes from one end of Dublin to the other and has impacted on accents all around the world – including adding a lyrical bounce to Jamaican intonation and is blamed for the extreme R’s in American English.

Most of all, we LOVE St Patrick’s Day

Yes, it’s because love a bit of craic, a good Irish beer, the idea of a little green man who’ll give us a pot of gold and of course, we love the one day of the year we get to sing Oh Danny Boy at an unmelodic threshold of pain…. Happy St Patrick’s Day Brisbane from all of us at Brizzy Rubbish Removals!

Wow, what a terrible month! Brizzy Rubbish Removals has been busy helping with the flood clean-up and those terrible images of devastation will stay with us for a long time. If it isn’t a flood in South East Queensland, it’s a cyclone up north and out west or an earthquake across the ditch. Mother Nature is having a shocker of a year! While there isn’t much we can do to prevent natural disasters, Brizzy Rubbish Removals can help you prepare. Here are our top tips for minimising damage caused by junk in your home or workplace.

Rubbish Management for Floods

• Check if your home or workplace is in a flood zone and if so, what the predicted high water level is. Your local council should be able to provide this information.
• Move valuable items above the high water level and dispose of any dangerous chemicals, waste containers or poisons.
• Have large “hard rubbish” items removed from your property to avoid any damage they could cause if dislodged.
• Anchor (or better remove) any fuel containers or tanks.
• Anchor (or better remove) any unnecessary objects under your home or workplace or in your yard or car park.
• Assist neighbours to anchor or remove any dangerous items.
• Secure (or better remove) any unnecessary buoyant objects.
• Clean out and organise your shed or warehouse to minimize loss.

Rubbish Management for Earthquakes

• Clean out overhead cupboards and secure stored items
• Remove any unnecessary or waste glass from your property. Remove any dangerous materials such as asbestos or lead containing paints.
• Remove any rubbish from utility rooms (for fast access to gas and electricity mains).
• Clear your yard of any objects that could block the path to outdoor utility mains (such as your water mains).
• Remove any unnecessary objects or furniture which could block exits.
• Dispose of fuel containers, old paint and other flammable objects.
• Dispose of any unnecessary chemicals.
• Clear out ceiling cavities and attics.

Rubbish Management for Storms and Cyclones

• Cover and anchor all outdoor items.
• Remove damaged fence palings or building fixtures.
• Cut back all branches close to your building or power lines.
• Clean out gutters and check downpipes for damage.
• Clear all clutter from patios, decks and landings.
• Assist neighbours with preparing their homes or businesses.
• Secure or remove any hanging items such as potted plants.
• Clear rubbish from under your house.
• Ensure car ports or car parks are free of rubbish to avoid damage to vehicles.

Rubbish Management for Bushfires

• Clean out gutters.
• Remove all old gas and fuel containers from your home or workplace.
• Remove all rubbish from your yard or car park.
• Trim tree and bushes and cut back any branches close to your building.
• Mow your lawn short and remove clippings.
• Cut back (or down) “oily” trees such as Eucalypts.
• Remove barbecue gas cylinders.
• Remove any rubbish or debris that could obstruct fire crews from accessing your water mains.
• Clear away all rubbish from under your home.
• Clear flammable rubbish from within your ceiling or attic.
• Dispose of any chemicals that emit toxic gas when heated.
• Remove scrap timber and other building materials.

Rubbish Management for Animal / Insect born pandemics

• Remove old tires or any vessel that will allow water to sit stagnant.
• Clear gutters, repair downpipes and ensure water tanks are protected from insects.
• Clear any rubbish or green waste preventing effective drainage.
• Replace torn or broken fly screens.
• Never store old mattresses (they make the ideal rat’s nest).
• Remove all cardboard and natural fiber based rubbish (they make the ideal mouse nest).
• Do not store compost waste close to the home and always comply with the manufacturer’s instructions on compost bins and worm farms.
• Avoid placing meat and dairy based foods in compost bins.
• Regularly clean out your pantry.
• Avoid leaving toys and playground equipment uncovered to prevent contamination by bird and other animal feces.
• Remove all rubbish stored on bare dirt and regularly treat pets with flea and tick treatments.

These are just a few things you can do to prepare for natural disasters. For a comprehensive list, contact your local SES or Council. For everything that is preventable before and everything that needs clearing away after, Brizzy Rubbish Removals is here for Queenslanders.