Skip Bin Etiquette

 Ordering a skip bin: First and foremost be polite and courteous, this applies to both parties. The supplier should realise that the person who has called up to request a quote and/or other general information regarding skip bin hire is in most cases not accustomed to ordering skips and may require assistance or guidance. The customer should realise that the information being requested by the supplier is necessary to give an accurate quote and obtain information such as desired delivery location. The customer should provide an honest and accurate description of what will be going in the bin so the supplier can make an estimate of the eventual bin weight and give an accurate quote.

Positioning of skip bin: Generally speaking, the position of the bin will be a collaborative effort between the customer at delivery and the driver of the delivery vehicle. The ideal situation is what we call LAVA which stands for LEVEL position AWAY from obstructions with good VISIBILITY and ACCESSIBILTY. So, we are looking to place the bin on a level surface where possible. Putting skips on a sloping surface presents problems because of the way the machinery of the delivery vehicle operates. Putting bins straight up or down a sloping surface presents some problems but is doable, to some extent the same applies for a bin placed directly across a slope. Placing bins diagonally up or down a slope is not recommended because of the way the bin will slew around uncontrollably both on delivery and pickup when only one corner of the bin is in contact with the ground. We want the skip bin to be placed away from obstructions which may impede the delivery process such as trees with overhanging branches, buildings, and other structures such as fences as well as any overhead powerlines. There should be good visibility both, of the bin once it is in position and for and of the truck doing the delivery. Ensure the bin is clearly visible to any vehicles or pedestrians who may potentially interact with it, this may involve the use of reflective bollards or witches’ hats. Lastly the bin should have safe, clear, and easy access so the driver can un-hook and eventually re-hook the bin and people filling the bin can do so in a safe and easy manner.

Loading the bin: Assuming the process of ordering the bin has gone smoothly the bin which is delivered is the correct size for your job. If by chance you have ordered the wrong size bin for whatever reason or the bin which was delivered is wrong in any way contact the supplier straight away, there may have been a miscommunication at some stage. If the bin is empty, it can usually be exchanged for a different bin for a minimum of fuss but if the bin is filled before the supplier becomes aware of any problem there is no come-back.

When filling the bin do not fill above the rim of the bin. Remember we must pick the bin up and carry it along a public road. If the bin is overfull the driver may refuse to load it on safety grounds or may choose to remove the portion of the load, he considers unsafe. It is just bad manners to expect a driver to carry an unsafe load on a public road. When filling the bin consider the weight of items going into the bin and try and achieve an even weight distribution. If the bin is heavier at one end it can present problems when the driver returns to load it back onto the truck. Be mindful also of the weight restrictions on your bin. Most bins ordered will have a weight limit on them. If you have honestly described the items to be placed in the bin you should be comfortable filling the bin with those items, do not try to sneak other items or materials into the load, you will be found out during bin processing. If you have been asked to separate items in the bin either at the time of ordering or by the delivery driver it is common courtesy to follow those directions. For example, you may have been asked to put a mattress on top of the rest of the load. Be particularly mindful of not putting any liquids, hazardous materials, food items, or food scraps in the bin. Remember the contents are processed manually by people before being taken to eventual disposal, I am sure you would not want to be playing around with somebody’s rotten food scraps or left-over poison or paint at your workplace so you should not expect anybody else to either.

Bin security: You have gone to the trouble to order and pay for a bin you certainly do not want other random people putting their stuff in your bin. It might seem funny until it happens to you but there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there who have no qualms about putting their stuff in your bin, we call them CUCKOO DUMPERS – they lay their rubbish in other people’s bins, so where at all possible have the bin on your property to discourage these COCKOO DUMPERS.

Weather Conditions: Being in the tropics and susceptible to cyclones you may need to secure the bin and its contents in the event a cyclone appears while you have the bin on hire. Even though you may want the supplier to take the bin away before a cyclone hits it is simply not possible to retrieve all the bins out on hire and even if it was possible it is not feasible to sort and dispose of such a large amount of waste in such a short time.