Choosing the right size skip bin

When it comes to hiring a skip bin, the biggest decision you will have to make is between skip bin sizes. Choosing a skip bin might sound relatively straightforward. However, the type of skip you choose will have a big effect on your project. It will impact the amount of space available for waste disposal, the type of access you have to your bin, how often you need to have your skip bin emptied and ultimately – cost.

The trick to choosing the right skip bin is to have a good understanding of your needs and the skip bin hire options available to you. In order to simplify that process, we’ve created this short guide to help you choose the right bin for your next project.

What will your skip bin be used for?

Are you landscaping in your backyard? Renovating an office space? Disposing of green waste or contaminated soil?

Knowing what the project is for helps to narrow down the range of skip bins. So before you contact our friendly customer service team to get a free quote for your next skip bin hire, make sure you know exactly what it will be used for. This assists in determining which size skip would be optimal. It also helps to choose the most appropriate type of bin for the waste you will be dealing with and the type of access you will require.

Outdoor gardening projects, for example, would generally require a skip bin with wheelbarrow ramp access. This style would enable you to easily wheel your green waste from your garden into the bin. Office renovations on the other hand, work best with walk-in skip bins as they allow you to make the most of the available space and cut down on the frequency of skip pickups.

Where will you put your skip bin?

Where your bin will be located is just as important to know when determining the type of bin you will require for your next project. The right size for your skip is not just the one with the right capacity for your needs, but also the one that can fit on the site of your project. When considering where you will put your skip bin, there are a number of factors that you should consider. The first is whether the skip bin can fit in the location you need it. There’s no point in choosing the largest size for your bin if your site has insufficient space.

The second consideration is whether the truck that carries the skip can access the site. At a minimum the truck will need to be able to drop off and pick up the skip, so don’t forget truck access in your calculations. You will also need to consider the type of terrain the bin is on. The larger size skips can hold an immense amount of weight. So ensure that the location of your skip can withstand the necessary weight without problems. The final consideration is the type of access your chosen skip provides. If you choose a walk-in skip or one with wheelbarrow ramps, make sure the location provides the necessary space to easily access your bin.

How big is your project?

The size of your project will ultimately determine the skip bin size that you require. Understanding the approximate duration and scope of the project you are undertaking will help you to choose the right skip bin for your needs. A home renovation of a single room will obviously create less waste and require less cubic metres in the skip than a renovation of an entire home. Similarly, an office renovation can vary dramatically in scope depending on the number of offices and square footage being renovated. All of this information is worth noting down so that you can convey to our team of experts exactly how big your project is likely to be.

Once you’ve noted down an approximation of the amount of time, space, people and waste involved in your upcoming project, it’s time to estimate the cubic metres you will require in your skip bin. Using the cubic metre as a metric for gauging volume can be tricky to visualise. So instead we recommend using “the Wheelie Bin approach.”

Estimating the size of a skip bin – how many Wheelie Bins?

If you can perfectly visualise what a cubic metre looks like and how much waste you can fit in it, then we would love for you to fill out an application to join the Jim’s Skip Bins team.

For everyone else, we have a simpler method for estimating the size of a skip bin. The Wheelie Bin approach is effective because everyone can picture the dimensions of general household wheelie bins. With the height and width of a wheelie bin in your mind you can easily translate it into cubic metres by multiplying it by four. Four standard wheelie bins fit neatly into one cubic metre. This means that the smallest skip bin of two cubic metres is roughly equivalent to eight household wheelie bins.

What can I put in my skip?

There are different types of skips for different types of waste. Below we have provided a rough guide for the type of waste you can put in each skip. For more information, or to confirm the type of skip that’s right for your next project, get in touch with our team today.

• General Waste bins: Most general household waste. Boxes, wood, cabinets, white goods, clothes, toys, carpet etc.
• Builders / Renovation bins: Waste from household clean-ups & renovations including bricks, concrete & general waste.
• Dirt bins: Exclusively dirt, soil & sand.
• Brick and Concrete bins: Only bricks and concrete are allowed.
• Green Waste: Organic waste such as grass clippings, branches, wood-chips and bark, wood, fence palings.

What if I choose the wrong size skip bin?

With skip bin sizes ranging from two cubic metres to ten cubic metres, there is no shortage of options when it comes to hiring a skip bin. This guide has outlined some of the important questions to answer when determining the right skip for your needs. However, with so many choices it can still be a tricky process. Our team of friendly experts are happy to talk you through the process, provide free quotes and help you choose the best skip for your budget and project specifications. If you still find that you have chosen the wrong size for your skip bin, then there is nothing to worry about. Give us a call and we can pick up your bin and replace it with the right size so that your project doesn’t get held up by the wrong bin.

To help your next project go smoothly, get in touch with our team today to start organising the right skip bin for the job.