Melbourne Skip Bin Hire Trends for 2024

 

 

As we approach 2024, the waste management industry is evolving, and so are the trends in skip bin hire in Melbourne. With a growing focus on sustainability and efficient waste disposal, new trends are emerging that are set to shape the future of our industry.
In this blog post, we will explore these trends and discuss how they can affect both you and your processes. No matter whether you are a landscaper, DIY enthusiast, builder, or factory, any waste producer needs to be aware of the nuances of waste disposal.

What Are the Skip Bin Trends for 2024?

1 - Increased Compliance

This relates to both the waste producer (you, the customer) and the waste receiver (us the skip bin hire company). EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is increasing compliance regulations annually, to ensure that more waste is diverted away from landfill and waste is disposed of in an environmentally responsible and legal manner.

Impact on Customer

You, as a customer, will need to be very clear when ordering each and every skip bin, as to being very transparent when describing the type of waste that will be going into each bin.

When the bin reaches the waste transfer station and is tipped onto a sorting pad, the skip bin operator will see all the items in the bin and you might be hit with extra charges, should you mix unallowable items in one bin.

One such example is soil waste. While many companies, including Cleanaway, are no longer accepting soil as a waste, those remaining companies will be enforcing more stringent guidelines on acceptable materials with soil.

2 - Increased Road Regulations for Overfilled Trucks

Overloading a truck, in our case, a Skip Bin Truck - is a serious offense, which can lead to hefty fines for the driver and the company and also can lead to license suspension. What leads to overloaded trucks are the overfilled bins.
Particularly, when we are dealing with hook bins, which are being filled with heavy materials, such as soil, bricks, concrete, roof tiles, and other materials, it is critical to follow the guidelines of the skip hire company and only fill to allowable limits.

The Victoria Police Road Policing Strategy 2021-2024 aligns with the Victorian Government Road Strategy 2020-2030 and the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. It represents a commitment from Victoria Police to agreed “Towards zero” goals of a 50% reduction of road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.

What is the Impact on Skip Bin Hire Customer

1. Consider bin size carefully when hiring a bin and ask questions as to what materials are allowed in the bin. For instance - larger bins like 21, 24, and 31 cubic meters can only be filled with light materials. If you try to put soil, concrete or bricks into the large bin, it will not even be liftable off the ground and you will end up offloading the bin.
   
   
2. When filling bins with soil - do not compact the soil with the machinery, as you will most definitely exceed the weight limits and the payload of the truck on a road. Maximum bin size for soil is 10 cubic meters hook bin, provided soil is not compacted.
   
   
3. Even though it might be very tempting, do not overfill the bin above the rim. There are many implications for this. If the bin is overfilled, the driver sometimes cannot pick it up, as it’s too high to be covered by a tarp. In this instance, we’ll need to reschedule the pickup, charge you for extra transport and you have to waste time offloading the bin. The second danger is that a large, overfilled bin might be too heavy to pickup, without breaking the truck lifter, hence again a risk of offloading and extra charges.
   
   
4. An overfilled bin with loose items at the top, such as bricks, tiles, etc can be a hazard on the road, even if the bin is covered with a tarp. The small items can fall out of the bin, due to vibration and movement and can inadvertently endanger other motorists and road users.
   

 

3 - Skip Bin Hire Operators Installing Scales on Trucks

One of the growing trends that we’ve already noticed at the end of 2023 is that more and more Skip Bin Hire operators have modified their trucks and installed scales.

This is to ensure that once they’ve picked up a bin from the customer, they can straight away weigh it and determine whether the bin is within the allowable weight limits or whether the customer needs to be charged more.

What is the Impact of the Scales on the Customer?

At the time of ordering the bin - you need to ask your skip bin supplier if there are any weight limits on the bin. If there are weight limits, you need to know what they are and what charges to expect once you exceed those weight limits.

How to Mitigate the Above Risk?

Once you have all the information available, in regards to weight limits and extra charges, compare a few suppliers and estimate your “worst case scenario”. Another option is to consider a supplier, who doesn’t impose weight limits. 

At this stage - our company - Need A Skip Now offers all bins up to 12 cubic meters without weight limits, unless it’s a non-recyclable material, such as artificial grass, skylights, carpets, and a few others. Therefore you know all your costs in advance, without the worry of paying extra hundreds of dollars on a pickup.

4 - Increased Soil Disposal Regulations

Every year we are seeing more and more pressure from the EPA on soil processing facilities, soil transporters, building sites, demolition sites, and waste transfer stations, to comply with soil disposal regulations.

Soil Accepting Facilities, which we see less and less of, are getting edgy and are tightening their controls over the quality of soil being taken to them. The risk of accepting contaminated soil, where the facility is not licensed to do so - can result in significant fines and an investigation from the EPA and also a complete shutdown of the business.

What is the impact on you as a customer

When disposing of soil, it is critical to assess the risk or probability of your soil being contaminated. To understand more about soil contamination, read our dedicated blog, which will make you an expert on the topic in no time.

 

In addition - you need to be guided by the skip bin supplier as to what materials, if any, can be mixed with your soil, to ensure that you don’t turn your clean soil into a contaminated material, just by virtue of mixing it with some other materials. One such example is mixing soil with general waste, such as plastics, polypropylene, pieces of plaster, treated timber, and other materials.

 

5 - Online Booking for Skip Bins

Like with many other goods and services, the convenience of online quotation, booking, and payment is becoming a norm in the skip bin hire industry. As we move forward towards a cashless economy, it is far more secure to book and pay online, without spelling out your credit card numbers over the phone. 

The online merchants, such as Eway and others have ensured that your credit card is very secure and if you’ve checked that it’s a legitimate skip hire company with decent Google Reviews, you are safe to go ahead and book online.

At Need A Skip Now - we have been offering online payments since our inception in 2011 and while the majority of people still prefer to call us and book and pay over the phone, we are noticing an increased trend of customers booking online at a time that suits them. Online bookings are particularly prevalent outside of our office opening hours and also can be conveniently done while you are at work, without spending time on a phone call.

6 - Transparent Pricing

Due to many many websites not displaying their prices and putting customers through many obstacles to obtain a price, this practice is becoming tiresome and redundant moving forward.

The modern consumer wants no-nonsense, upfront transparent information so that they can make an informative decision fast, with all the facts on hand.

How to overcome this risk

When hiring a bin from any company, always ask:

• is this the final price?
• does this price include GST?
• is there a weight limit on the bin?
• what is the tonnage charge for weight, which exceeds the limit?
• what materials are not included in the bin price?
• which materials are not allowed into the bin and might attract an extra fee?

 

It is also important to note that Council permit fees for bins that are going on a road or nature strips are never included in the bin price. Therefore, if you are aware that your bin is going to require a council permit, please obtain this quote while getting your bin hire quote.

 

If you feel that the bin hire company is not forthcoming and too vague about their pricing, move on to another company, which is upfront and happily discloses all the information to facilitate a transparent transaction.

 

7 - Eco-Friendly and Responsible Skip Bin Supplier

With the emphasis on climate change and the crackdown of the EPA on illegal dumping and illegal practices, it is more and more critical to be selective and ask the right questions, when choosing a bin supplier.
One of the simplest questions to ask is: what happens to my waste once my bin is picked up? If the operator cannot give you a straightforward answer and explain their waste management process, please move on to another supplier.

Here at Need A Skip Now, we operate a Waste Transfer Station, where each and every bin from our customer’s sites is taken. Therefore when this question comes up, our team is more than happy to explain the process of bin arriving at our facility, waste separation, and consequent transfer of various waste streams to other recycling facilities, to ensure we give some recyclable products a new chance of life.

In 2024 and beyond - being an environmentally friendly operator is not a “nice to have” but is an absolute must.

8- Increased Focus on Customer Service

Our educated consumers are well-traveled, well-versed people in many areas and have increasing expectations of excellence when it comes to customer service in the Skip Bin Hire industry. Traditionally this industry was dominated by small, one-man operators, who would be driving their trucks and simultaneously answering their calls, providing quotes, and taking orders.

Naturally, when you are dealing with an agitated driver, who is battling Melbourne traffic and at the same time is expected to achieve excellence in customer service, this combination is not attainable.

How To Capitalise on the Above Trend?

If customer service and customer experience are important to you, ensure that you are dealing with a company, that has a dedicated customer service support line, with real people (not bots) answering the phones and are available to answer any questions you might have.

 

Your initial interaction with a company will be an indication of how things will progress further. If something doesn’t feel right from your first phone call, move on to another company, to ensure that you feel satisfied and valued as a customer.

 

Here, at Need A Skip Now, we have multiple points of contact for our customers’ convenience. Apart from the dedicated customer line 1300 605 624, which is manned Monday to Friday 7am to 4.30pm, we also offer Saturday phone support between 8am and 11am. In addition, we offer live chat to customers, accessible from our website. Customers can also contact us via email and various social media channels, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Google Profile.

 

We encourage positive communication with our customers and see each new person as not just a one-off transaction but as the beginning of a hopefully long and prosperous relationship.

 

What Is Influencing the Trends in Skip Bin Hire

What drives the change in waste management trends for Melbourne and Victoria at large? There are multiple factors, including, but not limited to:

 

• Who and How Generates Waste
• Government Policies on Waste Management
• EPA Policies on Waste Disposal, Acceptance, and Transportation
• Local Government Environmental Goals & Policies
• Population growth and the impact on the building industry
• Consumer behaviour and changed expectations from the service providers.

 

How Can You Benefit From Being Prepared

Knowing where the waste disposal is heading, helps you to be more prepared when obtaining quotes and setting expectations of your dealings with Skip Hire Companies.

 

One important point to note is that there is more than a price to consider when selecting your skip bin supplier, which is transparency of information, customer service, availability of points of contact, Google Reviews, and legitimate practices of the said supplier.

 

When the price is very low, compared to other quotations, this could ring an alarm bell, as chances are - there is illegal waste disposal involved. As the responsibility for the legal and proper waste disposal lies with the waste produce (i.e. you) - choosing a legitimate and eco-friendly supplier is important.

 

Conclusion

Compliance is the name of the game, which spans from who you order your bin from, what you put in the bin, what the skip bin hire company is doing with the waste, and ensuring you filled the bin correctly and waste is not contaminated.

 

In addition, for your protection as a customer, remember to ask questions, questions, and more questions, to ensure that no stone is left unturned and no grey areas in regards to your skip hire are remaining.

As a consumer of the waste management industry, you need to feel valued, respected, and protected and have confidence in your skip bin hire operator, that they will do the right thing by you, i.e. abide by your instructions, look after you, and dispose of the waste legally and in an eco-friendly manner.

 

For any questions about your upcoming skip bin hire or waste disposal - reach out to us via phone at 1300 605 624, contact us via our website. We look forward to helping you in any way we can.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why Choose a Skip Bin for Soil Disposal - Read our latest blog here
2. Why Do I Need a Permit for Skip Bin - read our latest blog here
3. Taking My Trailer to the Tip vs Hiring a Skip - read our latest blog here