Waste management plays an important role in our everyday lives. From recycling to proper, safe rubbish disposal, how we deal with our unwanted items has an impact on our environment, our surroundings, and our everyday lives. A key component of waste removal involves how you store your disposed rubbish before its removal. You can remove rubbish through a traditional garbage collection service or by using skip bins. Each has a role to play, but what is the best choice for your next major clean-up? Let’s compare the two to find the best waste management solution for your next project.
What are Skip Bins and Traditional Garbage Collection?
Skip bins are big, open-top containers that can be transported to a location and are used to transport large quantities. Skip bin hire is a common practice for both residential and commercial purposes, whether it’s for a major spring clean or for removing debris from a construction site.
For this article, traditional rubbish collection refers to services that come and collect unwanted items and rubbish from your property. This can include council-organised weekly pickups, which usually involve homes having a wheelie bin (or a shared bin for apartment complexes). It can also include services you can hire to remove excess rubbish. These companies will often use a vehicle such as a hook-lift truck or similar vehicle to store and take away the rubbish from your premises.
While a traditional rubbish removal service is an essential service for any area (especially council-provided services), it may not be ideal for every situation. Larger items or just a large quantity of waste may easily exceed the capacity of the vehicle coming to collect your rubbish or the container provided. In these circumstances, you’ll need an alternative solution that can remove a larger quantity of rubbish, such as a skip bin.
Collection and Transportation
Capacity and Size
The big advantage of a skip bin versus your regular rubbish collection is the sheer size of the skip bins. Along with simply providing more capacity, the extra space allows more flexibility as to what you can throw away. Skip bins are available in a range of sizes to suit a wide range of waste types and projects.
Traditional rubbish removal services can vary when it comes to their ability to handle large loads of debris. Often, they cannot handle large quantities made up of a variety of items.
Transportation Logistics
An advantage of skip bins is their efficiency when it comes to transportation. The size of a skip means more waste can be transported in a single trip, minimising the need for multiple journeys. For larger amounts of waste, this makes skip bins a more efficient method of removal.
Segregation and Recycling
Segregation at Source
Segregation is important for ensuring all types of rubbish are disposed of in the best way. This encourages recycling, helps safely dispose of hazardous materials, and minimises overall landfill. Skip bins are taken to transfer centres where recyclables are sorted from landfill.
Recycling Processes
Recycling is an important part of waste management and preventing the build-up of landfills. Once identified, recyclables are transformed into new raw materials, such as newspapers, wood chips, aluminium, or various other products.
Convenience and Accessibility
The advantage of both methods is saving you a trip to the local tip. With a traditional rubbish collection, the staff operating the truck will also help you move the rubbish. The company leaves skip bins on your property, allowing you to put the rubbish in yourself. The advantage is that the skip bin remains for a few days, so you can fill it at your convenience. This is especially helpful during a spring clean, moving house, sorting out a deceased estate, or any situation where you may not know exactly what you’re keeping and what you’re throwing away.
Cost Analysis
Initial and Ongoing Costs
Comparing the cost of hiring a skip bin compared to hiring a traditional garage collection can be difficult as each company has its own pricing structures. Usually, skip bin hire charges by the size of the bin you hire and for how long, whereas a traditional garage collection service will offer a quote for each job. As they usually use a truck, the price will often be based on the amount of rubbish that needs to be picked up.
The potential hidden cost with some rubbish removal services is that they may need to make several trips due to the limited size of their truck.
Getting the best value is about weighing up the job at hand and choosing either the right size skip bin or vehicle to accommodate the waste. Too small of a container and you’ll need to hire another skip or make multiple trips. Too big and you’ll be paying for space you don’t need.
While wheelie bin services usually come at no cost, they can handle only a limited amount of rubbish.
Long-Term Financial Benefits
Skip bins offer an affordable yet effective means of removing waste from your property. It’s a waste disposal option that you can hire when needed. There’s also less chance of needing multiple trips.
Impact on the Environment
Landfill Usage
Reducing landfill is an important step in protecting our environment. While we cannot speak about all skip bin services, the way we handle our waste once we remove it from your property is to take it to a transfer station. Once there, the facility sorts and separates the materials, sending recyclable items to create new raw materials. It then responsibly disposes of the remaining amount (usually 20% or less) in a landfill.
How traditional rubbish collection services dispose of your rubbish will depend on the company. Many follow a similar process to us or have a responsible disposal process in place. The best way to find out is to ask the specific companies you’re considering.
Contribution to Sustainability
Sustainability is usually a big concern for both skip bin companies and other waste removal services. We take your rubbish to trusted transfer stations, where we separate all recyclable materials from the landfill. The ability to remove an entire skip in one trip is also more environmentally sustainable than making multiple journeys.
Analysis of Benefits and Drawbacks
Advantages of Skip Bins
- Convenience: Skip bins offer a simple, effective means to remove large quantities of waste. Unlike a trailer, you don’t even have to take it away yourself.
- Versatility in sizes: Skips come in a range of sizes to accommodate a range of materials.
- Time-saving solution: Forget multiple trips to the dump, a skip allows you to remove a large amount of waste in one go.
- Flexibility with time: Skip bin hire can be done whenever is suitable for you. You also get to fill the skip bin at your own convenience.
Advantages of Traditional Garbage Collection
- Council rubbish collection is excellent for the regular collection of rubbish.
- Scheduled collections can be organised every week/fortnight.
- Some services will have employees helping you move your rubbish.
The Right Rubbish Removal for Your Job
Both skip bins and traditional services have their advantages and the best choice will come down to the specifications of the job. For smaller jobs, a traditional rubbish removal service will get the job done. For a larger amount of rubbish with the added flexibility of having the container on-site for an extended period, your best choice is to hire a skip bin.
Ultimately, the best choice of rubbish removal service will come down to your specific needs. For larger removal jobs, few options are as convenient as hiring a skip. With a range of skip bin sizes and types available, there’s a skip bin out there to handle your project, whatever the size.
Best Price Skip Bins is Here to Help With Your Clean-Up Needs!
Think a skip bin might be the right option for you? Best Price Skip Bins are your one-stop for all your skip bin hiring needs. Why not contact our friendly, expert team today to discuss your waste removal needs?