Alternatives to skips

[cleddy]

I am about to completely dig up the garden at the side of my house. It has been left as a wasteground for 25 years by the previous owners of the house and as a result there is a lot of earth (and probably rubbish) to be removed.

It isn't really possible to hire a skip as

a) there is no access to the garden to get the skip in
b) there is nowhere on my property that you could get a skip on
c) the road I live on is single track so putting it on the road isn't an option either

So basically I am trying to come up with an alternative way of collecting the rubble.

I only live a few miles from the tip, so as long as it is collected in a relatively easily transportable way, I could keep jumping in the car and disposing of it myself.

Have had thoughts of just getting strong bags like sand comes in, or buying some tubs, but don't really know where I can get hold of some.

Also wondered if anyone else has had this problem and has any bright ideas/recommendations of bags which can reliably hold rubble/earth without splitting (having renovated the whole of my house, I have to say this is one thing I have never managed to find!)

 

[cobweb]

You could try phoning somewhere like Jewson’s and asking if they hire out empty sand delivery bags – the cloth type that they use for large deliveries of sand/soil Etc. I think they take a ton in weight. Obviously you wouldn’t fill them with that much but if you had say four of them, you could load them into the car, empty them at the tip and repeat until the job’s done. If you said to them that you are only using them for soil, and I expect you’d have to pay a deposit, I can’t imagine they’d say no.

Failing that ask where they purchase them and buy a few…they can’t be much and they’d be reusable.

But to be honest I can’t see why standard rubble bags, from Wicks Etc. won’t do the job.

 

[marmaliser]

Have a look in the local free papers for "Rubish removal" or "Man with a van" adds. That way you get the transport and the labour all at what is normally a very reasonable rate.

 

[Anton]

The best thing to use is the plastic bags that you buy sand/gravel etc in. Ask a local tradesman, they usually have a stash in a cupboard somewhere.
What about hiring/buying a trailer also to get it to the tip. Or borrow/hire a van.
Bear in mind also that council rubbish tips allow roughly 2 tonne per household, it might be worth checking with them if they plan to weigh you in and out as they did with me!

 

[masona]

Don't know if they still do it at Homebase you buy orange jumbo bag then you ring them up and they come & collect it.Might be pricey way of doing it.

 

[breezer]

Just a thought.

When we moved in we had loads of hedges, intoduce one saw and no more hedges, we asked the council, a man came round, (we gave him money) 4 days later all the rubbish was gone, apparently (we were asleep when the came) a rubish lorry turned up and a bunch of blokes loaded it and took it away

it wasn't cheap but it was no hassle

i wouldn't go for the skip bags, have you tried lifting one when you think it is nearly empty

 

[Graeme]

I have done regular runs with loads of topsoil in the back of my car when slabbing etc, the seats and taurpaulin down with the heavy duty black bags you get from b&q. You can only put about 4 shovels worth in each one, not that the bag won't take it but you have to lift it afterwards. I also live a few miles from the tip but it is hard work, I don't know your physical health but make sure you are up to it. It is not possible to use the large sand bags as (your tip may be different) you have to lift the bags up about 4' to get it into the skip. Also you will give yourself double the work dumping the soil and attempting to keep the bag, believe me it is not worth it. Is disposing of it essential? can't you just strim the area then mow as low as possible and perhaps hire a rotavator from HSS, then you will only have the clumps of grass left to dump and a perfect airiated soil, to do with what you please.

 

[MANDATE]

I purchased 20 rubble bags from Wickes £4-95 . They are reasonabley strong but avoid wood,glass nails etc also don't fill more than half full.
Twenty trips to the tip has got rid of approx 300 bags 1/3 full and I've still got the bags