Above image courtesy of Bingo Bins
Moving out, moving in, building or renovating – if you’ve “bin” there, done that, you’ll know that there are times when the 240 litre wheelie just won’t cut it. That’s when it’s time to call in the big guns (or bins) – skip bins to be exact. Skips come in a wide range of sizes and styles, so how do you decide what’s best for your needs?
Marrel or hook?
Bingo Bins marketing manager Sargon Raoul said the first thing to decide was between a marrel or hook skip. But what’s the difference?
“Marrel and hook are descriptive words used to identify how the bins are loaded onto trucks,” he says. “Marrel bins are generally smaller than their hook counterparts. They are chain-lifted onto the back of a skip truck (so chains are attached to the bin, then the bin is lifted and lowered onto a skip truck). These are more suitable for the average household as they are small enough to be placed on driveways and come on smaller trucks for easier access.
“Hook bins are lifted onto big hook trucks by a hook arm that pulls the bin onto the truck. They are generally bigger in size compared to the marrel bins and are mostly used for volume-based light waste. These are mainly used by the building and construction industry as they have the room to accept these large bins and produce large amounts of waste.“
Choosing the right size
That’s a start, but having chosen marrel or hook, it’s then time to think size. Get something too big, and you’re wasting money. Choose something too small and you’ll find yourself having to order a second bin.
Sargon offered several hints for estimating the right size skip for your needs, starting with thinking about the items to be disposed of. “Make sure that all materials or items going into the skip are suitable contents for a skip bin,” he says. “In doing so, you will be able to have a better understanding of how much waste you will need to put in the skip. Once you have worked out what can go in the skip, it’s always best to figure out what would be the biggest item that will go in the bin and work from there.”
Loading up
Then it’s time to bundle everything together. “Where possible, place all items to be removed in one place close to where a skip would be positioned,” Sargon advised. “This will make it visually easier for you to size up your waste and choose the right size skip required. Estimate, in cubic metres, the size of skip bin you would need for the materials you are disposing of.“ Bingo’s website shows the dimensions of various bins, how much waste they take in cubic metres and whether they have doors or tailgates (so you can wheel in your junk!
Of course all this is academic if you can’t get the skip bin delivered where you want it. “Figure out what access you have for a truck to back into for the bin delivery,” Sargon says. “There’s no point in getting a big skip if you do not have the space for it. Measure the width of your driveway and check for overhanging power lines for example.
“Think about where you want the bin placed. Will you need it placed on the road or do you have room on your driveway? Every council is different in the way they operate. Some require you to get a permit for placement of skip bins in public areas, such as roads and footpaths. Some charge a fee or bond to do so. If it needs to go on the road, ensure that the company you are using is registered with the local council. It’s also a good idea to have the bin close to the waste for easy loading. You may find that you’re better off going for a smaller bin as you can place it in an easier position to load.”
What goes in the bin
Phew. Decision made. But before you start loading up, it’s important to make sure you do the right thing (to coin a phrase)!
Sargons says skips can be used to dispose of construction and demolition waste, green waste, household items, timber, steel, cardboard, plastics, furniture, glass, clothes and shoes, appliances and electronics. The no-nos include asbestos, contaminated soils, food or liquids, chemicals and toxic waste and gas bottles. Special bins and other methods of collections are available for these items.
Now we’re all concerned about the environment, so what happens to all that junk when it heads down the road on the back of a truck? “All Bingo skip bins are taken back to a recycling centre for sorting, and separated into different material classes,” Sargon says. “Once materials are sorted they are then sent to their respective facility for recycling, which keeps landfill waste to an absolute minimum. It is becoming increasingly important to protect our environment and recycle waste. Bingo has unique and exclusive partnership with Planet Ark to continue to set the standard in recycled waste management.”
