Dunk Disposal’s Christmas Drive returns next week

By Constance Scrafield

“[We] do whatever we can to help within the community ... keep our plans fluid.” This is the business mantra for Dunk Disposal, founded and owned by Cameron Dunkerley.

He and his brother Devon Dunkerley have been building the business up since they began with a basic pickup truck seven years ago, to three large trucks, suited to the kind of all-encompassing service they offer to private and business customers.

A few years ago, they began a community-wide collection day in December to pick up food and toys as a drive to provide some Christmas cheer to families in need.

This year, the pickup date is December 21.

“This is a similar campaign to what we have done in the community,” said Cameron, “accepting non-perishable food and unwrapped toys from people in Orangeville, Caledon, Erin, Shelburne, Brampton and surrounding areas. How far around and how many trucks we'll need depends on the response; whenever everybody calls or contacts us, we'll map out our route to see if we need more than one truck. This is our basic customer area.”

The years have brought them regulars, repeat customers and many routine pick-ups for all aspects of their disposal services.

Response in other years to this Christmas pick-up has been “great,” Cameron told The Citizen. “Every year, it's grown and grown. Last year we doubled our pickups from the previous year. We take the food to the Orangeville Food Bank and all the rest to Toys for Tots, which we deliver to the Orangeville OPP station.”

The feedback the Dunkerley business has received from their Christmas pickup has been very positive. Mr. Dunkerley told us that a lot of people enjoy being able to just leave their items on their porch.

“People leave notes thanking us,” he said. “People want to donate but don't know where to take things or they don't have time. It's better for the receiving end too.” 

For 2023, they are looking at getting an office front as the business is starting to outgrow where they are now, checking out a couple of locations. Currently, they do have a place in Caledon Village and they are hoping to continue in Caledon as it is central to where they work.

“We'll just see what happens,” he said, adding, “we do definitely have to roll with the punches. Our plans are always fluid. I never like to be too [rigid]. When it comes to safety, though, there's no give and take to that. We do the job 100 per cent every time; there's no shirking for that. But there's always flexibility to how things can be done or how they can be done a little bit better.”

For the business to succeed, he is sure, good relationships with clients matter, saying, “the friendlier we are, the more we're likely to get that callback.”

Also essential is attention to disposing and continuing as much as possible to do things as environmentally safe as can be. That will always be their focus.

As for the Christmas pickup itself, Mr. Dunkerley said, “Anyone that wants to donate, it's completely free; there's no charge, just leave it on your doorstep. So, this takes a little bit of stress off your shoulders.”

To donate non-perishable food or unwrapped toys for this Christmas drive, give Dunk Disposal a call at 519-217-7149 or an email at dunkdisposal@gmail.com and they will come and pick it up on December 21.