Garden skip hire: what size do you need and can you mix waste?

Spring has sprung and lockdown restrictions are lifting, meaning it’s time to whip the garden into shape for the impending barbecue weather – and you’re going to need a garden skip hire service to help.

But if you’re not familiar with how skip hire works, or you’ve never done your own garden clear-out, it’s easy to get confused about what size skip you’ll need for your garden waste and exactly what you can and can’t put in the container.

SunSkips is committed to helping our customers get their gardens summer-ready, so here’s what you need to know before you book your garden skip hire.

What size skip do I need for garden waste?

It really depends on how much garden waste you have to get rid of. If you can’t get the waste prepared before you book the skip, it’s best to try to estimate how many black bags you think you’ll end up with.

A four-yard skip will hold 33 bin bags, which might be enough to dispose of dead plants, turf and other organic waste.

But if you have trees, branches, and other larger garden waste items that are harder to compact into the skip, you might need to look at the larger six-yard or eight-yard skip (builders’ skip).

Perhaps you could plan your garden skip hire with a general clear-out of your home, in which case you can choose the size that’ll take care of both and save money. It’s cheaper to get one larger skip than two smaller ones.

SunSkips offers a range of different skip sizes for domestic use like garden clear-outs, so it’s not always easy to know which one is best suited for the job. Consult our handy skip size guide or give us a call so we can advise you on the most appropriate size for your needs.

What garden waste can you put in a skip?

Any garden waste such as grass, leaves, plants and branches is all perfectly suitable to be loaded into a skip. You may also need to clear away things from patio refurbishments, such as tile, brick and wood, which are also OK to throw into your skip.

However, soil disposal has become a more tricky business for those looking to divert as much waste as possible from environmentally-unfriendly landfill sites. When soil is mixed with other waste, it becomes harder for it to be classed as inert waste (non-hazardous material that doesn’t decompose very fast or at all). If you are able, keeping soil separate from your general waste will give us a much greater chance of being able to recycle it.

If you’re clearing out the shed, you would need to tell us about specific items that need to be disposed of carefully, such as dry paint cans, fluorescent tubes, tyres, batteries, and plasterboard. We can collect these for you by special arrangement for a small additional fee.

Oil, solvents, liquids, hazardous material, gas cylinders, asbestos and food waste, cannot be loaded into skips under any circumstances. Garden skip hire companies like Sunskips don’t carry licenses that would allow them to collect this type of waste.

How much does garden skip hire cost?

You’re probably going to want one of the three most popular skips for garden clearances: the four-yard, six-yard, or eight-yard builders’ skip.

To give you an idea of prices, our Ipswich skip hire prices for those containers are (as of August 2022):

You might consider using a man and a van service to take care of your waste, but the cost of this includes the labour for lugging it into the van, so will likely work out to be more expensive than hiring a skip.

If you’re not able to get the skip into your garden and keep it there, you may have no choice but to place it outside your property. If this is the case, you’re going to need a permit from your local authorities.

SunSkips is happy to take care of the paperwork involved in obtaining the necessary permit (fees vary for council to council). This is a legal requirement for skips left on any public land, so we therefore cannot hire out skips that’ll be stationed on the road without the permit confirmed before your delivery date.

Can green garden waste be recycled?

Yes, in most cases organic waste from the garden can be recycled.

Firstly, you might consider what you can do to reuse the waste yourself. Can you use the green waste on a compost heap by mixing garden waste with other food waste like vegetable peelings? Do you have tree trunks or logs that you can use or sell for firewood?

Green waste is taken to a composting site and turned into domestic soil conditioner or agricultural compost by shredding and heating it.

Can you mix different kinds of organic waste in a skip?

Yes, SunSkips will take care of sorting your waste once we collect the skip and take it to our waste management site. We will determine what can be reused (green waste for compost, plastic furniture for alternative fuel like SRF) to avoid sending unnecessary amounts of waste to landfill.

If you have a very large job that will require several skips’ worth of organic waste, we may be able to offer you a better rate if it’s separated into single streams of waste (if this is the case, give us a call so we can discuss rates). But for smaller garden clear-outs that require one skip, it’s not necessary for our customers to sort the waste (with the exception of soil, as mentioned previously).

Any tips on how to make the garden look nice for the summer?

A garden clear-out can be a daunting task, but the results are always well worth the effort. Here are a few tips:

• Make sure you have a plan for how to tackle it and what you want to achieve before you begin.
• Clear out weeds, dead plants, and trim back any rotten tree branches.
• If you can’t repair, repurpose, or sell it, get rid of any broken furniture that might pose a hazard to a guest that attempts to use it. Same goes for cracked plant pots and ornaments.
• Use gloves to protect your hands from cuts and infections. You might also benefit from a strong pair of boots if you’re lugging a lot of heavy waste around the garden. When breaking down organic waste like tree branches, wear protective goggles to keep your eyes safe.
• If it’s sunny, avoid working during the hottest part of the day (between around 12pm and 3pm), otherwise you risk getting sunstroke.
• Buy the proper tools for the job. Don’t attempt to use a small hand trowel if you really need a full-size garden fork. Your back will thank you later.

How long does it take to clear out the garden?

Garden work can be far more strenuous than you might imagine. You could find that a weekend isn’t long enough, and it’s best to pace yourself so you don’t overdo it, rather than cram the work into a two-day period.

Start at one end of the garden and work in sections, rather than taking care of whatever section you’d like to see completed first because it’s particularly overgrown. A systematic approach will allow you to determine how long you should spend on each section and the overall time it’ll take to finish the entire job.

SunSkips’ standard garden skip hire period is seven days, so spread the work out and fill your bin slowly and steadily. If you find you’ll need the skip for longer, give us a call so we can arrange an extension on your rental.

Can I burn my garden waste rather than book a skip?

You can burn tree branches, but we wouldn’t recommend it. You could face fines of up to £5,000 if a neighbour decides to complain or the smoke drifts onto the street and causes visibility issues for traffic.

Most garden waste like soil and grass won’t burn, so it’s only dry wood that you could get rid of on a bonfire. Unless you can repurpose it as firewood, it’s better for the environment to use a skip hire firm like SunSkips that will recycle as much of your garden waste as possible.

If you’re committed to the idea of burning your waste, check local regulations so you don’t fall foul of government rules on burning waste.

How do I compact bulky garden waste?

Cut down branches and hedge trimmings into manageable pieces, so it doesn’t block space in the skip that could be better filled up with waste. If possible, stack bricks and tiles rather than just tossing them in the skip and wasting space.

If you find you have more garden waste than the skip can accommodate, under no circumstances should you pile it up above the fill line. Our drivers will not be able to pick up an overfilled skip until it has been emptied again, creating more work for both parties. If you find you’re going to need another skip, call us as soon as you realise so we can arrange for an additional skip hire to help you.

Ready to get your garden in barbecue shape? Confirm your garden skip hire today by calling us on 01449360032, or book online.