DIY waste disposal: How to get rid of renovation rubbish

So you’ve just installed a brand new kitchen and you’re feeling pretty happy with yourself.

But that pile of old cabinets, dried up paint cans, cuttings, tiles and rubble is now sitting in the garden and you didn’t count on having so much DIY waste to dispose of.

If you’re looking for a speedy clear up, a skip hire company like SunSkips is your best bet, but there are several ways to take care of your DIY waste disposal, depending on the urgency, the amount of rubbish and your budget.

Here are all your options for DIY waste disposal – and the pros and cons of each:

Take your DIY waste to the recycling centre

Assuming you have the means of transport to ferry it there, you can take your DIY waste to your local recycling centre.

Using recycling centres for your DIY waste disposal can often mean having to book an appointment in advance, waiting in a long queue, and doing several trips to get rid of it all.

From December 31, 2023, DIY and construction waste like hardcore, rubble, soil and plasterboard are free for households to dispose of at Cambridgeshire recycling centres and Suffolk County Council recycling centres. However, they may not accept DIY waste if they suspect it’s from a large-scale project and it’s up to the discretion of the site operators as to whether or not they’ll take it.

New DIY waste disposal legislation

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published consultation documents in April proposing a country-wide end to recycling centre fees for DIY waste disposal.

Authorities believe that offering free DIY waste disposal will make a significant impact on the amount of fly-tipping in England, which has seen an increase since the beginning of the pandemic.

MORE: Fly-tipping in Suffolk: The continued blight on our county

Former environment minister Jo Churchill – who is also MP for Bury St Edmunds where SunSkips operates its skip hire services – said at the time, “When it comes to fly-tipping, enough is enough.

“These appalling incidents cost us £392m a year and it is time to put a stop to them. I want to make sure that recycling and the correct disposal of rubbish is free, accessible and easy for householders.

“No one should be tempted to fly-tip or turn to waste criminals and rogue operators.”

But while free DIY waste disposal is certainly an attractive proposition, there’s actually an even more economical solution…

Sell quality bits and pieces

If the stuff you need to get rid of is in good condition, you might find someone willing to part with a bit of cash for it as well as taking it off your hands.

Fellow DIY enthusiasts might be able to use your leftovers on their own projects. Online marketplaces like Builders Bay and Enviromate allow you to buy and sell secondhand DIY and construction materials. Alternatively, you can build relationships with other fellow DIYers with active projects, or post your offer in local classifieds.

Earning and saving money on excess DIY materials is not only cost-effective, it’s the best way to prevent DIY waste ending up in landfill and harming the environment.

Donate your leftovers

Got some leftover paint you don’t know what to do with? If you only have a small amount left, it’s a good idea to store it in case your walls get scuffed or a rogue toddler is let loose with a red crayon. But if you’ve still got a full tin left over, consider offering it to friends and family that you know have been talking about a fresh coat.

If your DIY waste disposal includes complete cabinets or pieces of furniture, you might be able to find them a good home too. Think about who you might know that’s just bought their first home and is looking to save a few quid on the refurb. A quick post on Facebook might root out someone in your network that’s willing to collect it for free – and you’ll be left with a warm, fuzzy feeling for helping them out to boot!

Repurpose your DIY waste into something new

If you’ve got a decent amount of wood leftover, why not keep the DIY train chugging and build something for another room in the house?

Shelves are a pretty easy project for even the amateur DIY hobbyist – and a quirky storage solution made with your own two hands beats an IKEA purchase any day. Leftover tiles might make a nice kitchen backsplash, a small amount of paint might be enough to freshen up the front door, and excess bricks could quickly become a flowerbed.

Inevitably, you’ll have some things you can’t use. Just be sure that anything that you have no choice but to dispose of is handled in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

MORE: The five Rs of waste management: Refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle

Hazardous DIY waste disposal

Some DIY projects might generate waste that can’t be disposed of easily.

SunSkips accepts some of these common things for an additional charge, such as plasterboard, dry paint and common appliances.

But under no circumstances can any liquids (including wet paint), gas cylinders or asbestos be loaded into any of our containers.

If your DIY waste disposal does include waste that’s not accepted by a recycling centre or skip hire company, you’ll need to contract the services of a hazardous waste specialist.

Skip hire for DIY waste disposal

The well-organised DIY enthusiast books a skip for their DIY waste disposal ahead of time so they have a convenient container to throw it all in as they work.

For small to medium DIY projects like a kitchen or bathroom refurb, an 8-yard skip (typically referred to as a “builders’ skip”) is the most popular size. Consult SunSkips’ handy skip size guide to help you work out which container is most suitable for your project so you don’t end up wasting money on something too big, or worse, a bin that’s not big enough for your DIY waste disposal.

Once your skip is loaded up, it’ll be collected by one of our friendly drivers, making it the most stress-free solution to your DIY waste disposal – and it’ll all be professionally separated and recycled too!

SunSkips can offer expert advice about the skip size you need for your DIY waste disposal – get in touch today. Or if you‘re ready to get your skip hire confirmed, book online with our easy online platform.