Rubbish removal

As one would rightfully assume, rubbish removal is just that, the removal of waste and rubbish from your home or business beyond your local council’s normal bin collection date. Property owners can arrange for rubbish removal for a variety of reasons, such as for house clearances, during or after demolitions projects, probate and bereavement clearances, post-eviction waste removal, and much more.

A number of questions may come to mind regarding waste removal. Can you do the job yourself, or is it better to use a waste removal service? Do you anticipate any hazardous materials or are there large, bulky items that need to be removed safely? How much does rubbish removal cost in the UK? We’ll endeavour to answer these questions below.

Methods of waste removal

There are many methods to remove waste and rubbish from your property, including:

House clearance: dedicated house clearance services specialise in the sorting, collection, and removal of household waste according to the needs of their clients. Bulky items such as refrigerators, washing machines, and furniture can be safely removed from your property and disposed of by man & van teams, but another major benefit is that many house clearance services will also resell salvageable waste or donate to charitable organisations.

Rubbish removal: waste carriers specialising in rubbish removal often perform house clearance as well, so the two terms are related. Some rubbish clearance companies will resell your rubbish or donate it, but others will only take waste to disposal sites.

Skip hire: ideal for ongoing waste removal such as on building/demolition job sites, skips are an excellent method of waste removal. The benefit is that you can often request exactly the right size of skip for your needs and keep it on your property for a few days or weeks. The downside is that you may require permits if the skip cannot safely be located on your property (e.g. on a public right-of-way), and improper disposal of specific items can lead to penalties, the cost of which will be passed onto you.

Council waste removal: depending on where you live in the UK, your local council may provide a cost-effective (or even free, in some cases) bulky waste removal service. Although this sounds ideal, it’s often the least convenient option since you must arrange for collection and removal on their terms rather than when you need the service most.

Do-it-yourself:

you will need to sort waste by categories, load it into a vehicle safely, transport it to the nearest council tip (for household waste) or a transfer centre (for business and commercial waste), and pay the appropriate fees for disposal. Oh, and you will require a waste carrier license as well. Unless you hold a registered waste carrier license in the UK, this method is often far more trouble than it’s worth, so it’s often best to leave it to a waste collection service instead.

For most of us in the UK, the most convenient methods of waste removal are with man and van teams capable of performing house clearances, removal of large, bulky items, and the safe disposal of various waste categories.

Do all waste carriers provide the same services?

It depends. Every waste carrier in the UK must hold a valid waste carrier license, but this doesn’t mean that they all operate in the same manner. Some specialise in collecting building waste, others strictly deal in scrap metals, and others routinely perform full and part house clearances, for example.

For this reason, the best way to have rubbish removed from your home or business is to enquire with rubbish removal teams near you. Having a great selection of licensed waste carriers near you provides more options, greater flexibility, and less hassle. This is why we encourage property owners, building managers, and property management companies to use Rubbish.com to find rubbish removers anywhere in the UK.

Beware of prices too good to be true

Unfortunately, there are many cowboy waste carriers operating in the UK. The problem of fly-tipping has prompted the government and local councils to take action against waste carriers and households engaging in this undesirable behaviour.

Often, unlicensed waste carriers compete with honest, genuine waste carriers by offering prices that are far lower. You may think you’re getting the better end of the deal, but the only reason they can afford these low, low prices is because they aren’t paying the commercial tip for disposal - they’re discarding illegally it by the motorway, in fields, or in rivers.

As of January 2019, new fly-tipping penalties have been enacted to dissuade homeowners and waste carriers from engaging in fly-tipping. Penalties for household waste found to be fly-tipped can be up to £400.

According to the Environment Agency, particularly egregious cases of fly-tipping can lead to significantly higher fines and even incarceration. The maximum fine that can be imposed is £50,000 or up to 12 months in prison, the latter of which is a criminal charge. If convicted by the Crown Court, the potential maximum fine is unlimited and up to five years of prison time are possible. In brief, do not pollute our land, air, rivers, and beautiful countryside with rubbish!

Will I be paid for my rubbish?

Some waste carriers will simply pick up your rubbish and dispose of it at the nearest commercial tip. This is fairly straightforward, but it is neither the most cost-effective solution nor is it environmentally-friendly.

Most waste carriers have a vested interest in keeping their operating costs low so that their prices can remain competitive. One such incentive is to divert as much waste as possible from the tip and to recycle or refurbish waste instead. By recycling waste such as electronic waste, scrap metal, and garden waste, the waste carrier will incur lower fees for disposal and benefit the environment at the same time.

Another excellent means of reducing the cost of rubbish removal is to have the man and van team sell off any waste that is salvageable and/or has value. Items that cannot be sold can often be donated to charitable organisations, so that old television doesn’t necessarily need to be thrown into the council tip but instead be donated to lower-income families, for example.

The rubbish removal process explained

Step 1: find a reputable waste collector

The first step to having your rubbish removed from your property is to find a reputable waste carrier near you. Don’t waste your precious time ringing up each and every waste carrier you find online.

Rubbish.com makes this process easy. All you need to do is to click on “GET QUOTES” then input your post code. You’ll then be able to see reliable, vetted waste carriers near you and request quotes for your rubbish removal or house clearance needs.

Step 2: negotiate with waste removal providers

No two jobs are alike for waste removal teams. Some homeowners simply want to be rid of an old refrigerator, others need to have an entire large estate cleared out completely. In order to provide a more accurate quote, waste carriers need to have a reasonably good idea of how much rubbish needs to be removed and what type of waste is being collected.

Another option is to enquire with a waste carrier near you to request a site visit. Typically, man and van rubbish removal teams can provide you with a quick, fairly accurate quote on the spot once they’ve seen what needs to go.

Step 3: sort out your waste

If you don’t need to have your entire property cleaned out, then you’ll need to sort out your waste from what you want to keep. Man and van teams can often navigate up and down staircases with large, bulky items, so you may not need to move these items. Avoid handling toxic or hazardous substances such as materials that may contain asbestos and instead notify the waste carrier if dealing with hazardous waste.

Step 4: meet the waste collection team and arrange for removal

Once you’ve negotiated with the waste carrier and arranged for a time and date to collect the waste, meet them at your property and allow them safe access to and from the property. They may require multiple trips to collect all rubbish, so if the path is clear and easy to navigate, the job will take less time and can reduce costs.

If you’re satisfied with a waste carrier that you found on Rubbish.com, please leave them a positive review after the job is done. A genuine review goes a long way to reassuring future customers that these small waste collection teams are reputable and reliable.

The importance of responsible waste removal

Responsible waste disposal is critically important in our current day and age. A growing global electronic waste crisis, for example is rapidly affecting groundwater reserves, soils, and air quality, especially in developing and underdeveloped nations. Here in the UK, a growing public sense of environmental stewardship and responsibility for our impacts on the environment are now mainstream ideas.

Environmental benefits

The Environment Agency has been responsible for the quality of air, water, and land in the UK since its founding in 1995. With a commitment to protecting the environment, it only makes sense that the Environment Agency has played a large role in driving public policy with regards to waste disposal and recycling initiatives.

Waste carriers on Rubbish.com are committed to landfill diversion, which means they will endeavour to minimise waste going into the tip and to maximise waste that ends up either recycled, refurbished and resold, or donated to charity.

Save time and money

Homeowners and business owners can save both time and money by choosing a reliable waste carrier on Rubbish.com. Our online network of registered, licensed waste carriers in the UK offer fair, competitive prices for quality services. Since you will find waste carriers in your post code, this reduces travel time and emissions, which helps keep costs lower and benefits the environment as well.

Healthier, more liveable spaces

Whether you’re clearing out your home or your business, having less waste on the property leads to healthier, more liveable, productive spaces. Out of sight, out of mind.

Clean homes are conducive to improved air quality, less clutter leads to fewer accidents such as tripping and falling, and tidy workplaces lead to improved productivity. Don’t let your home or business accumulate waste and have it removed before it becomes a costly, hazardous problem.

How much does rubbish removal cost?

The price of rubbish removal varies widely depending on many different factors. These include:

Type of waste: some waste categories will incur higher disposal fees at commercial tips, so the costs will be passed onto you. Items such as mattresses, electronic waste, white goods, hazardous waste, and garden waste may end up costing more (a fixed fee for each item, for example).

Quantity of waste to be removed: perhaps one of the biggest contributors to price is how much waste needs to be removed. Waste carriers tend to price their services in cubic yards. For illustration purposes, one cubic yard is about the size of a wheelie bin and a washing machine. The more waste, the higher the costs will be.

Time and labour required: related to the previous point, greater quantities of waste will often require more time and labour, which drives up costs. If a man and van team isn’t sufficient and more labour is required, or if the job takes longer than a day, expect to pay commensurately for the service.

After-hours service: many waste carriers will be able to dispose of your rubbish on weekends or in the evening, but you may have to pay a premium for after-hours service.

Experience: the more experienced the waste carrier, the more they will charge as a premium for their expertise. More experience typically means they will get the job done quicker, in a more safe and secure manner, and without hassle or incident.

Location: if the waste carrier needs to travel long distances to reach your property and long distances to the nearest commercial tip, you may end up paying more for the added time and mileage. Rubbish.com reduces the impact of this factor since you will find waste carriers located near you.

How to find a licensed waste carrier near you

Just click on “GET QUOTES” above to quickly find professional waste carriers capable of performing house clearances and rubbish removal at best prices.