Skip Hire vs DIY Waste Disposal: Pros and Cons
Homeowners often forget the realities of managing construction and demolition waste until they begin their renovation project.
Waste disposal in the UK takes many forms, and the right one for your project might be the tried-and-true method of loading the family vehicle with household waste and hauling it to the recycling centre yourself.
Keep your home renovation project on track by choosing proper waste management from the start. Here’s how to know whether DIY waste disposal or skip hire is the route for you.
Understanding skip hire
Skip hire is a convenient and cost-effective way for many homeowners to deal with cast-off construction and demolition materials. Even if you’re planning a fully DIY job, professional skip hire can be a smart investment in the project’s success.
At The Waste Group, we have skips in a wide range of sizes from 4-yard to 12-yard skips and larger roll-on-roll-off bins from 16-yard to 40-yard. There’s a skip size tailored to your needs, making it easy to get just the right skip for the project.
Your skip is delivered, remains on site for the specified number of days, and is then removed by the skip hire staff. Skip hire can work well for cleaning up any project, from household clear-outs to tidying the garden.
Advantages of skip hire
The main advantages of skip hire are:
Convenient waste disposal
Skip hire services are incredibly convenient for the homeowner. Once the waste is placed in the skip, it’s the skip hire company’s job to haul it to recycling centres or landfills. Skip hire saves the homeowner time it takes to drive to the recycling centre and painstakingly separate waste into the various recycling subcategories.
Correct handling of recyclable materials
When you work with professional skip hire services like The Waste Group, you know your DIY waste is sorted correctly, and that every recyclable material is sent to the correct recycling centre.
Safer waste management
Chemical waste materials like solvents, paints and oils, and sharp objects like glass should be handled with extreme caution. Using skip hire services is a better way to ensure hazardous waste is handled with care.
Understanding DIY waste disposal
Skip hire services are brilliantly convenient and make short work of DIY waste, but sometimes, the simple solution is the right one for the job.
DIY waste disposal involves collecting waste materials as your project progresses and taking them to household waste recycling centres in your own time. You transport construction and demolition materials in your vehicle, and you pay a fee to recycle your DIY waste items depending on the type and amount you have.
Advantages of DIY waste disposal
The advantages of DIY waste removal are:
Cost-effective for a small project
Skip hire services are best used for projects that generate more than one or two boot-loads of waste. Anything smaller is best disposed of on a DIY basis.
Better control of waste disposal timing
Skip hire permits are granted with a fixed date range, so if your project goes longer than you anticipate, you may be stuck with additional charges. With DIY waste removal, you can take your waste to the recycling centre anytime it suits you.
Comparing costs and convenience
On the surface, skip hire seems like the more expensive option. Mini skips can cost several hundred pounds (click here for a quote), and there’s a charge for skip-hire permits, too.
But, once you pay these charges, you’re unlikely to get any unpleasant surprises. If you’ve allowed ample time for your skip hire, there are no additional fees, and skip hire is much more convenient than a DIY option.
The DIY route isn’t necessarily free of charge, either. Hauling waste to the recycling centre will cost you time and petrol. If you have lots of waste, it’ll take multiple trips.
Recycling centres and landfills charge a fee for their services, too, so you’ll pay for the items that need to be recycled or dumped.
As a general rule of thumb, we’d recommend hiring a skip if you have more than 2 boot-loads of waste. More than this, you’ll find that the skip hire is less costly – and far more convenient – than a DIY approach.
Environmental impact
Certain waste items like batteries, glass, paints, oils, and solvents can be hazardous to the environment and unsafe for you to handle. With dangerous items, it’s best to leave waste management to the professionals.
At The Waste Group, we’re deeply committed to sustainability, so every last scrap of recyclable material is responsibly recycled.
Quick & convenient – Skip hire for the win!
DIY waste removal is a great solution for tiny projects, but it’s often not worth the dirt in the boot, the multiple trips to the recycling centre, and the mounting recycling costs. Get started with a quote today to explore how cost-effective and wonderfully convenient skip hire can be.
