In most cases, when you hire a skip bin, the hire company sets a maximum weight limit for the skip. The weight limit is a safety issue, related to moving the skip. If your waste exceeds the limit, you may need to pay an additional fee.
In most cases, skips are designed so that if you fill them with typical rubbish, they will not exceed the weight limit. However, there are exceptions, and here are some tips to help you avoid the exceptions and stay below the weight limit:
1. Make alternative arrangements for super heavy items.
If you are throwing away anything exceptionally heavy, make other arrangements for it to keep your skip under the weight limit. This is particularly true if you are throwing out old concrete, as it is incredibly heavy. Instead of throwing it out, find a recycled concrete company willing to pick it up and sell it, or integrate it in your own landscaping project. Make similar types of arrangements for washing machines and other bulky, heavy items.
2. Leave extra room if you put in heavy items.
Ultimately, if you decide to put heavy items such as concrete in your skip, that's fine. However, you may want to avoid filling your skip up to the top. The empty space can help to counteract the weight.
Alternatively, if you have to throw away a whole skip full of heavy items, talk with the hire company representative before they drop off the skip. If you have an estimate of the cubic metres of cement you need to throw away, they can guide you toward a skip that can handle that weight.
3. Cover the skip so others don't use it.
If you are trying to leave empty space in the skip, take measures to ensure that others don't decide to throw waste in your skip. To prevent that, put a lid on your skip and lock it. Also, post a sign asking people not to use it.
4. Prevent water from filling up in your skip.
Water can also add unnecessary weight to your skip, but luckily, there are easy ways to avoid excess water. If possible, hire a skip that has small drain holes in the bottom. Make sure that the skip is on hard level ground. If it is on soft grass or soil, it may sink in and the holes may get blocked. Also, try to throw away your items with a bit of space between them. That gives rainwater a path to run through the skip.
