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Bulmans

Managing rubbish removal costs

5 ways to get rid of your rubbish and minimise your costs

When you have a lot of rubbish to deal with, like after a major project or tackling a house clearance, it can be expensive and awkward to dispose of, to top it off, these situations often seem to occur when you have the least time to deal with them. Whether you’re a business or household, it can be time-consuming figuring out who will take what and how much it’s going to cost you. Some reasons for having excess rubbish include:

  • Renovation or re-furnishing your home or business
  • Preparing for a property sale
  • Moving house or business premises
  • The garden/garage/house/business needs a clear out
  • Your business waste services need an update

The benefits of getting rid of excess things and waste depend on your situation, but generally, you’ll gain more space, be more organised, have easier access to the stuff you need and feel more relaxed. This article aims to outline the different routes of rubbish and waste disposal you could opt for, the types of costs and effort you can expect, and how you can combine a few of these options to get rid of your rubbish safely and economically.

Public recycling centres

It’s easy to find your council’s website, and from there you can find your local public recycling centre, with information on what they take, any charges applicable, and details on permits and who needs them (please check this if you will be using a van, even for personal household waste).

Pros

  • Mostly free (charges may apply to some items depending on your council)
  • Easy to access

Considerations

  • Depending on the size of your job, it could take time and multiple trips, costing fuel and working/relaxing hours
  • Is your car suitable? Do you want to spend more time cleaning it after?
  • There may be an extra charge if you use a van or trailer
  • Business waste may incur a cost or be refused if you don’t already have a lisence for waste removal. 

So, your local recycling centre is excellent for household waste and light on the wallet, but for those more extensive or complicated jobs, relying exclusively on public recycling centres can be inefficient, messy and take a great deal of time. Additionally, many recycling centres will not allow you to dispose of your business waste.

Donating

Sometimes the stuff you want to dispose of still has life left in it. If you don’t have the time or inclination to sell it yourself, there are plenty of outlets looking for donated furniture, white goods, clothes, and sometimes even small electrical items. If you are at all able to donate items to charity, it is always appreciated.

Pros

  • Accessible
  • Goes towards good causes
  • Some will pick up large furniture items.

Considerations

  • They vary in what they can sell, and therefore what they accept
  • If arranging pick up, there is no guarantee they can be flexible with times, or that they will take everything you have
  • If they don’t offer a pickup service, you’ll have to take it to them.

In most cases, the only considerations are what they will take, and when or how it gets to them. 

Selling

So, maybe you’re in a position to try and sell some of the things you’re getting rid of;  it’s not junk if someone else wants it, and that’s one less thing going to waste.

Pros

  • There are plenty of dogital platforms you can now use to sell your items
  • Doesn’t cost you anything but time to have a garage sale
  • You can make some money
  • The buyer usually comes to you

Considerations

  • Most platforms charge fees, dependent on various factors (read the small print), so consider this when pricing your items
  • There may also be a requirement to post items to the purchaser, incurring extra fees and effort
  • Time on your phone/or email – you’ll be fielding questions and negotiating meeting times
  • Time wasters – sadly people don’t always show up or honour purchases
  • A garage sale takes time to set up and there is no guarantee that anyone will come.

So, while the idea of making back a few pounds is appealing, the practical considerations of time and sellers fees should be considered. If you do choose to sell, make sure the item is honestly presented and accurately described, and include well-lit photos to maximise your chance of a sale.

Skip hire

You may be in a situation where a skip is an appealing option. They are great when you have to get rid of large quantities of waste – delivered where you want (within reason), you fill them at your leisure and then they disappear, as if never there.

Pros:

  • Convenient
  • Accessible
  • Can handle large volumes
  • Often the cheapest option when you have large amounts of heavy waste such as rubble or soil

Considerations:

  • If filled with mixed waste (i.e., recyclable items with non-recyclable) it’s subject to the Landfill Tax and adds to your expenses
  • Don’t overfill it – they will charge you more or leave the excess at your property
  • You may need a permit – ranging from £15-£70 depending on where you live
  • They can mysteriously be filled up in the night (or afternoon), by others
  • They are not always able to pick the skip up when you want it gone
  • Suitable access to drop them is needed.

You may be able to cut your costs down a bit when hiring a skip especially if you have only one type of waste material to dispose of. Check with your chosen company for any weight or volume restrictions, and be aware of the duration and terms of your skip hire – this will prevent any expensive surprises at the end of the job, and help develop a good relationship with the company should you need more than one.

Professional rubbish removal service

When convenience and ease are a high priority, professional rubbish removal or ‘man with a van’ services often fit the bill; they are an economical alternative (or supplement) to the above channels.

Pros

  • They work around your schedule
  • They often donate, re-use, and recycle where possible on your behalf
  • Price on volume or weight, depending on the items
  • You will know the total cost before they begin work
  • You pay for your waste only, rather than for a skip size that you may not fill
  • They can take waste from anywhere on your property, saving you time and effort

Considerations

If you hire a rubbish removal service, there are some things you can do to cut down the volume of waste, such as dismantling large items, taking certain materials to the recycling centre yourself, or combining any of the above strategies such as donating and selling. To get an idea of what sorts of materials incur extra charges, check out our price list and some examples of mixed waste volume costs.

In summary

You have a few options to consider when planning your waste removal, and a few ways that you can minimise the cost of your rubbish disposal. For household waste, make use of your local recycling facilities where possible and check their websites for additional charges on certain materials. Think about donating or selling items, and be informed about the professional rubbish disposal and skip hire companies you engage and how you use them – responsible rubbish removal traders are more than happy to answer your questions, provide you with documentation, share their license details and tell you about their process.

If you have any questions about minimising your rubbish costs, leave a comment on our Facebook page, fill in our online booking form, or give us a call on 01934 744 700.  If you would like more information on how we work, you can also check out our FAQ

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