How to Save Money on Skip Hire. Tips for Cost-Effective Waste Disposal

Skip hire is an incredibly convenient and cost-efficient way to manage waste. You can dispose of all your waste for a single fee, avoiding multiple trips to your local waste and recycling centre or multiple collections.

However, you can pay more than you need if you do not take care, whether you get the wrong skip or just are not paying attention to what is going in it. We all want to reduce our costs, so here are some top tips to help you save money on skip hire.

Choose the right disposal method

Skips are remarkably easy to fill; you fill them, and then What Skip comes to collect them. However, you cannot just put anything in there. It is important to think about what goes in because the laws and regulations on waste management are not always straightforward.

We are not allowed to take hazardous waste, so plasterboard from building work containing sulphur will need specialist disposal. Depending on its manufacture, even wooden fencing and outdoor furniture might contain chemicals that prevent them from being put in a skip.

If you have any questions, just ask. As a fully licensed waste disposal company, we are always up to date on the restrictions.

Get the right size skip

It sounds obvious, but hiring the correct size of skip is important. Skip hire is primarily volume-based, so a larger skip costs more. However, saving money is not just about avoiding going too big.

Getting the right skip size is a mix of art and science. You need to think about what will go in and how it will go in, then calculate the volume of skip you require. Going too big will mean paying for more skip than you need, but if you get a skip that is too small, you might need to hire another skip to deal with the excess. If you are using contractors, they can advise you based on their experience. But if you are unsure, the best advice is to go slightly larger to allow for the unexpected.

Plan ahead and plan properly

Another factor that affects your skip cost is time. The longer you have a skip on site, the longer the rental period, and the more the skip hire fees increase.

By planning, you can align your work and skip hire. This will minimise the time you need the skip and the cost. Moreover, if you book your skip in advance, you can often secure a cheaper rate.

Think about the placement of your skip

Placing a skip on a public road requires applying for a skip permit from your local council. Each council sets its fees, so the cost will vary. Like skip hire costs, skip permits tend to be more expensive the longer they are on the road.

If you can place the skip on private land, you can avoid the fee entirely. This often helps you make savings elsewhere, as the skip is better located for your use, reducing labour costs.

Consider sharing a skip

We know from experience that neighbours cannot resist a skip. When a skip has been in place for a few days, it is common to find others have cheekily taken advantage by leaving a few things in it.

If you plan to hire a skip, it can be worth asking neighbours if they are interested in sharing. A benefit of skips is that they can take mixed waste, making a cost-effective share possible, with building, general, and garden waste all going into one handy skip.

Sort your waste

What Skip will sort your waste after they have collected it. And that gives you the benefit of knowing that as much of your waste as possible is recycled or reused. But by pre-sorting, you might be able to save and possibly even make some money.

An example might be if your work involves a lot of deliveries. Rather than taking up a lot of space in a skip, you might be able to get rid of those boxes in your general waste or recycling collection, saving money. You might also have some waste, like metals from piping and cabling, that you can sell for scrap.

Pack efficiently

It helps to think about your skip like you were packing a bag or even playing a game of Tetris. Waste rarely comes in convenient shapes, but planning the packing often helps maximise the use of space.

Try to place larger items first, then use smaller and looser items to fill the spaces. If you can, break down your waste to pack it more effectively. Wood, for example, can be cut down and stacked.

Follow the rules

It is important to follow all the rules. We have already discussed skip permits and prohibited items. Never think you can get away with breaking them.

Exceeding your permit just by a few hours or adding certain items to the skip can result in significant consequences, including delays, extra costs, and potential fines. However much you might think they can be easily overlooked, authorities usually take the view that if they overlook even a minor breach, it risks others following, so they will take a dim view of your seemingly minor transgression.

Consider alternatives to skip hire

Skip hire might not be the right option for your project. If you have a smaller amount of waste, you might be able to dispose of it yourself at your local waste and recycling centre.

If you still want the convenience of collection, though, options like man and van collection and skip bags are ideal for smaller amounts of waste, and What Skip can offer both 

Use What Skip

We specialise in waste disposal and can guarantee you great value, whichever way you want to handle your waste. Fill in our form today, and we will give you a quote that covers everything. You will soon discover why thousands recommend What Skip for waste disposal.