How to Safely and Efficiently Load or Fill a Skip Bin

From small household clearouts to full-home renos, commercial construction, or any other type of project, hiring a skip bin is an effective way to manage waste responsibly and sustainably.

The process is easy and straightforward, but requires some planning on your part to make sure you get the most for your money. Jim’s Skip Bins is an expert in the field, so we know a thing or two about maximising your skip bin hire in Australia. How you fill or load your skip bin can make a big difference to how much you can fit in it, and how far your money will go. Take a look at what our team has to say about how to load a skip correctly and keep the skip bin hire price down.

Before you Pack Up

Choose the Right Sized Skip

The first step happens way before you start filling the skip bin – it’s choosing what size skip bin you need. Too big and you’ll be paying for unused space, too small and you’ll end up with leftover waste you need to take care of. Calculating the right skip bin size will ensure you’re only paying for what you need. We always recommend sizing up one, as a lot of homeowners find that once they’ve started throwing things out, they actually have more to dispose of than they initially anticipated. There are also different types of skip bins, so take this into consideration too. 

If you’re still not sure, get in touch with your local franchisee who can give you some size advice.

Consider Waste Types

There are different skip bins and disposal methods for various materials and waste types. If you’re clearing up after a garden project, you’ll probably have more green waste than anything, whereas construction sites generally need to get rid of excess concrete and building materials. Maybe it’s general household waste you need gone, or electronic items to dispose of responsibly. Whatever the case may be, let us know what waste type is being disposed of in your skip bin so that we can make sure to guide you towards the right one.

When you’re packing your skip bin, look out for what not to put in a skip bin, as this will slow down the process during disposal, and could end up costing you more money.

Loading a Skip Bin

It goes without saying that with any loading, filling, and heavy lifting, personal safety is paramount.

How to safely load a skip bin? Make sure to only carry what you can manage, and ask for help with what you can’t. Beyond that, here is our step-by-step guide to loading a skip bin.

1. Create a base

Start smart by packing any flat items on the bottom of your skip bin. This could be bricks, slabs, tabletops, benches, or similar. If you’re putting furniture in at this stage, take it apart as much as possible to maximise the space inside and leave you more room to stack.

2. Weight on the bottom

Once the flat, stackable things are in, next up is heavy items like white goods. This is important to keep the centre of gravity low in the bin to prevent it from tipping on pickup or in transit. Not only is it a pain if this happens, it also poses a serious risk to property and personal safety

Skip bins larger than 3 cubic metres have walk-in doors, making steps 1 and 2 easier by using a trolley or wheelbarrow.

3. Tetris

With the flats and the heavies in, now it’s just a case of squeezing things into the gaps. The less space that’s wasted with air, the more you’ll fit in the bin, and the better value your skip bin hire will work out at. Larger items should go first, then find room around them for small waste to fill the remaining space. Try to distribute the weight as evenly as possible so that one side isn’t significantly heavier than the other, as this can make collection difficult.

4. Compress and condense waste

To make the most of the space, you need to condense your items and make them as small as possible. Disassemble furniture, cut tree branches, and roll up softer items like carpet or other materials. You can also bag up green waste like leaves as well as other smaller items to keep them contained.

When the skip bin is filled, use a shovel or similar to pack things down. This could reveal a little extra space for something you didn’t think would fit.

5. Don’t overfill the skip bin

One of the most important things to remember when you’re stacking a skip bin is not to fill it over the rim. Any excess waste thrown on top won’t fit under the skip bin cover that will be applied before pick up, so will end up left on the site. This isn’t just to be picky, it’s because moving an overly-full skip is dangerous for the people transporting it and for others on the road. Preventing this is another reason why we recommend getting a slightly bigger bin than you think you need.

6. Be selective

If you’re reaching maximum capacity in your skip bin but still have more waste to get rid of, consider disposing of your unwanted items elsewhere. In the case of household items, evaluate whether an item can be given to a friend or family member, donated elsewhere, or recycled. Green waste can even be transformed into mulch for your garden. While not everything can be reused, removing a few items can create valuable space in your skip bin and give them a second life.

Book Your Skip Bin Today!

Responsible waste management is easy with Jim’s Skip Bins! Contact our friendly team, or complete a free, no-obligation skip bin hire quote online.