Whether you’re demolishing an old structure, building a pipeline or upgrading a worksite, a surprising amount of rubbish is always generated. It’s not the type of stuff you can just pop into a regular garbage bin, and you can’t just leave it lying around the worksite, either.
This is where skip bins come in. These large, durable containers are designed for holding large amounts of waste that would usually be difficult to dispose of, but you also can’t use them to dispose of absolutely everything. So, how can you tell what is safe to pop in your skip bin and what isn’t?
M Tucker & Sons can provide skip hire in Melbourne, but it’s important to know what they’re supposed to be used for so everything at your site can be disposed of correctly. In this article, we’ll discuss what kinds of things you’ll find on different job sites that can be disposed of using a skip bin and what types of materials need to be disposed of in other ways.
Let’s begin!
Skip bins are large, rectangular containers with open tops made from heavy-duty steel. They are designed to be easy to transport (including loading and unloading) via truck and can hold large amounts of refuse safely. Skip bins come in a range of different sizes, with larger ones costing more to rent. Make sure to take stock of what you think you’ll need to dispose of so you can order a skip that is the right size for your project.
Skip bins should never be overfilled, as this can cause what is inside to overflow and fly off during transport. In order to make unloading your skip bins easier and prevent what is inside from being crushed, always make sure to pack them with flat objects first. Start with compacted cardboard boxes, plastic or metal sheets and paper, then heavier objects, leaving the lightest objects until last.
What you are allowed to dispose of in your skip largely depends on if it is safe to do so. Many businesses will hire out different skips depending on what type of material you need to get rid of, so make sure to clarify with your provider what types of waste you need to remove.
Here are some of the more common things you can dispose of in your skip:
One of the most common results of any construction work you’ll see around a site is leftover pieces of masonry. These are often heavy materials with crumbly or sharp edges that make moving and disposing of them a real pain!
Bricks, stone, concrete, tiles and sheet metal can all be placed in a skip bin for disposal, although you’ll need to check the weight limit given to you by the supplier of your skip bin, as if you exceed it, your bin won’t be able to be safely transported off-site.
Are you doing work on a site that has old furniture on it? Abandoned tables and chairs, lounge suites, desks, ottomans, stools and drawers are all large and heavy enough to be a pain to take to the tip yourself, so using a skip bin for their disposal is a smart idea.
These objects can take up a lot of space if you’re trying to do work around them, so using a skip bin for their removal will help keep your project running smoothly.
Green waste can be disposed of in a skip bin, which is especially useful when you need to do a lot of pruning and trimming or even if entire plants and trees need to be pulled up for your job. You can dispose of leaves, twigs, branches, grasses, flowers, bushes, woodchips and other green materials using a skip.
Due to their size and weight, very large tree roots and trunks may not be acceptable. If you want to dispose of them in a skip bin, they may need to be cut up or mulched. Man-made wood is also unable to be accepted into green waste skip bins.
If the site you are working on involves demolishing old properties, you may find there are some white goods left over that you need to remove. Washing machines, driers, dishwashers and other similar electrical appliances can all be disposed of in a skip bin. These heavy appliances may exceed the weight limit of your bin, so be sure to check how much it can take before you load them in.
Do you need skip bins in Rowville, Ferntree Gully or Ringwood? M Tucker & Sons offers skip hire across Melbourne, as well as access to our Waste Disposal Facility, should you need it.
Knowing what to avoid putting in your skip is extremely important, as you can put the health of yourself and others at risk by handling the wrong products, and you might also contaminate the contents of the entire skip.
Take care not to put any of the following things in a skip bin, and make sure to contact professionals for their disposal.
Any objects that can rot, also known as putrescible waste, cannot go in a skip bin. These include food scraps, deceased animals and other similar materials that can become hazardous as they decompose. These materials can put workers at risk if placed in a skip and can also contaminate other materials in the bin.
You will need to contact professionals who can safely dispose of rotting waste if you find any on your job site.
This extremely dangerous material can cause lung, kidney and throat cancer, as well as asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestos was commonly used to build properties before 1990 and is seen in things like internal and external cladding, roofing and guttering, floor coverings, electrics and fencing.
Because it can cause so much damage just by being breathed in, asbestos cannot be put in a regular skip bin and must be disposed of carefully by professionals. Discover more about how to check and dispose of asbestos by browsing through the Asbestos in Victoria website.
Liquids can spill out from the skip and make recycling and correctly disposing of other materials impossible, so as a general rule it’s best to keep all liquids out of your skip. This includes oils, paints (dried, empty paint cans are acceptable), fuel, chemicals and cement slurry.
Looking for slurry waste management in Melbourne? M Tucker & Sons offers slurry bins for hire in Victoria perfect for all your projects that use non-destructive digging.
Any sort of aerosol container needs to stay out of the skip bin. These can be dangerous if punctured, causing potentially explosive damage to the skip, the other materials inside and the people around it. These containers include gas bottles, fire extinguishers and spray cans.
Aerosol cans that still have fuel inside them must be disposed of through your local council’s hazardous waste disposal program. Empty aerosol cans can be recycled, while empty gas bottles can be swapped for a full one at any Swap And Go site across Melbourne. Find out more about what you can and can not recycle through the City of Melbourne’s A-Z Recycling and Waste Disposal Guide.
Not only can batteries leak and contaminate your skip bin, but they also pose a fire hazard. You’ll need to make sure batteries have been removed from any appliances, remotes and accessories that find their way into your skip bin, no matter their size.
Batteries should be dropped off at one of the many recycling centres found across Melbourne. Find your closest centre, as well as more information on recycling e-waste, on the City of Melbourne’s E-Waste and Chemicals page.
If you choose to hire skip bins from M Tucker & Sons, you’ll find a wide range of sizes and bin types for all sorts of materials you’ll commonly find on worksites across Melbourne. Our bins can be hired for three days at the noted price, with an additional $25 per day for every day beyond.
These bins come in four different sizes, with the smallest being a 2m3 skip with a weight limit of 400kg and the largest being a 6m3 walk-in skip with a limit of 1300kg. Our green garden waste bins can accept all your classic garden waste, but please avoid placing soil, large tree stumps and synthetic wood in these bins.
This bin is great if you have a wide range of lighter materials to dispose of. Like our green waste bins, they come in four sizes with the smallest being a 2m3 skip with a limit of 300kg and the largest being a 6m3 walk-in skip with a limit of 100kg. You can use these for a combination of green waste, plastic, paper, toys, clothes, glass, steel, white goods and furniture, but avoid heavy materials like bricks, concrete, sand and tiles.
Again, choose from four skip bin sizes for your builder’s waste, with the smallest 2m3 skip able to hold 600kg and the largest 6m3 walk-in skip able to hold 1800kg. Dispose of materials like timber, plumbing offcuts, plaster and other similar hard waste, but avoid using these skips for very large amounts of rubble, sand, dirt and tiles. Fees may apply if too many of these are in the skip!
These bins come in three sizes. Choose from a 2m3 skip, a 3m3 walk-in skip and a 4m3 walk-in skip, with no weight limits for any of them. These can be used to hold concrete, bricks, pavers, soil, sand, pavers and rubble, but please avoid placing floor or wall tiles in these skips.
You can also use our skips to dispose of mattresses and tyres, but additional charges will apply for these per item.
Access to high-quality skip bins can make your infrastructure, construction or civic project go much smoother. Having an easy and effective way to dispose of large and unwieldy rubbish means you spend less time hauling trash to and from your site and more time getting the job done.
M Tucker & Sons are more than just civil drainage experts–we offer skip bin hire across Melbourne’s southeast, as well as other professional services like traffic control, trenchless pipe repair and civil construction and repairs. Please use our online enquiry form or call us on 03 9736 3439 for more information or to book our services for your project.
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