It’s just rubbish. Yet getting rid of it can cost you hundreds of dollars. Worst of all: Each year, 70% of Australia’s total rubbish and 84% of plastic ends up in landfill. Expensive and bad for the environment? We agree, this sort of rubbish removal sounds like a rip-off.
Luckily, there’s a new rubbish removal service in town. At Ridly, we’re transforming the rubbish industry to have a green, landfill-free mission. This makes rubbish removal both more cost-effective and environmentally-sustainable.
Let’s go over how much to remove rubbish. We’ll also look at the key factors to consider when hiring a rubbish removal service.
How much does it cost to remove rubbish and what are my options?
So, how much does it cost to remove rubbish? It depends on which option you decide on. Generally speaking, there are four main types:
- Private collectors: A handful of private rubbish removal companies offer services in Australia. However methods and pricing vary greatly among them. According to country-wide estimates, the median price for rubbish removal is $160, but the type of rubbish you’re removing can also impact how much for rubbish removal (i.e. tree stumps or hazardous materials). A typical advantage of private collectors is that they’ll pick up your rubbish for you, sometimes same-day.
- Skip bin: A skip bin is generally considered a more expensive option. That’s because you hire a skip bin for a period of time and then, once full, it’s picked up. The smallest skip bin offered is 2 cubic meters for $286/day. As you can imagine, how much for rubbish removal can quickly spike if you want a larger bin or one for longer than a day. This option is most appropriate if your clean-up will take several days, or if your business needs one for ongoing construction work.
- Go to the dump yourself: Another option is to go to the dump yourself. There are two considerations for visiting a dump. First, you’ll have to transport the rubbish yourself. If you’re getting rid of bulky items or a large amount of rubbish, you may run into trouble. Second, the costs aren’t very affordable. Dry materials cost around $400/ton and garden materials around $250/ton. Of course it depends on the type and amount of rubbish, but going to the dump could end up costing you for how much to remove rubbish.
- Council pick-up: Finally, Sydney offers a free rubbish pick-up service for residents. Once a week from Monday to Friday, they pick up some types of rubbish from local neighborhoods. While this is free, there are certain limitations to be aware of. First, you have to book the pick-up in advance, which is often in full demand. In addition, only three types of rubbish are allowed: mattresses, old furniture and whitegoods. (Note: If you add other types of rubbish, the council will reject your pick-up.) Another key factor to consider is that you’re responsible for putting the items in the street before pick-up, which may be a problem if they’re bulky or heavy. The best scenario for how much for rubbish removal is $0, but your situation may not be covered.
In our view, skip bins and going to the dump are pricey and inconvenient. And while free council pick-up is useful for one-time items like mattresses, private collectors are ultimately the most cost-effective option available.
What types of rubbish impact removal costs?
The best answer to how much does it cost to remove rubbish: it depends. However, you can get a sense for how much to get rubbish removed by considering these types.
How Much Does It Cost to Remove Rubbish?
- Common household rubbish ($): How much does rubbish removal cost for household items? This is the most popular type of waste, which consists of normal stuff such as garden waste, old furniture like couches, beds and wardrobes, e-waste, whitegoods like fridges and washing machines, scrap metal, food waste and recyclables. Nearly all private collectors will collect these items with a per cubic meter cost.
- Special household items ($$): Items like mattresses, car tires, heavy tree stumps and liquid waste are often priced separately. You’ll want to get quotes for these special items, as they’re not typically per cubic meter.
- Construction debris ($$): Construction debris is another category to keep in mind. Materials such as bricks, timber, concrete, steel, plastic, roof tiles, pipes and cupboards, etc. are also dealt with separately. You’ll need to ask a private collector whether they accept this type of rubbish.
- Commercial waste ($$): Commercial waste is a broad category that’s considered separate from household waste. Often businesses will have to pay more for rubbish removal since it’s not linked to individual waste. Again, check with a private collector about removal costs for businesses.
- Household chemicals ($$$): This type of rubbish includes paints, oils, pesticides, cleaners, gas bottles, car batteries, asbestos, fibro and other flammable liquids. Many of these items require a permit to handle, which is why you’ll need to check with a private collector on whether they accept household chemicals.
What other key factors determine rubbish removal costs?
Besides the type of rubbish, other factors can determine how much for rubbish removal. So, how much does it cost to remove rubbish? The final price will vary if you’re affected by these factors:
- Amount of waste: Typical quotes are made by the cubic meter, so the amount of waste can play a big part. However, it’s not just the amount of waste, but the time needed to collect it. Large-scale services such as end-of-lease or deceased estate rubbish removal could incur a higher fee for this reason.
- Location for pick-up: Sometimes location can impact how much to get rubbish removed as well. How much does rubbish removal cost for rural and urban pick-up? This will depend on the private collector as to whether they have different rates for locations farther away. In general, this may happen for rural homes, but be wary if a private collector wants to charge you a higher fee for an urban pick-up.
What’s included in rubbish removal costs?
Now that you have a sense of how much to remove rubbish, let’s look at what’s included in these costs: Each private collector offers a different set of services and it’s important to know what is and isn’t included. In turn, this will influence the value of the service. You should ask about:
- Free and upfront quotes: Some private collectors will charge for a rubbish removal quote. Ideally, the service would include a free quote that’s upfront too. Be sure to ask about any hidden fees.
- Types of rubbish removed: As mentioned above, find out what the collector does and doesn’t remove. If you have a variety of different types of rubbish, it’s worth hiring a more wide-ranging service. You should also make sure the cubic meter price covers any special items you have.
- Same-day collection: Scheduling your collection online or via phone is common these days. But same-day isn’t available for all private collectors. It’s a good idea to check whether same-day is possible and if it costs more.
- Removal availability: Many people clean out their rubbish on weekends, but not every private collector collects then. Ask whether weekend pick-up is possible and if it costs the same amount. You should also check if you have to be present. Sometimes rubbish collectors require your in-person presence to remove rubbish, which can be a drain on your time.
- Loading protocol: Will you have to load the rubbish or put it by the curb? It’s important to find out whether the collector will handle the materials. Some even charge extra for loading, while for others it’s included in how much to get rubbish removed.
- Sustainability factor: Rubbish can be a pain to get rid of. But it’s worth asking how the private collector will dispose of your rubbish. If it’s going straight to the landfill, you may want to reconsider the value of the service. Several collectors offer recycling and repurposing as part of their removal process.
- COVID contact-free pick-up: We live in a COVID world and it’s a good idea to ask about contact-free pick-up. Having a COVID protocol is essential and you’ll want to hire a collector that takes this seriously.
What about the environmental cost of rubbish?
Our rubbish impacts the environment. As you’re still considering how much does it cost to remove rubbish, you should factor in environmental costs as well. A private collector that picks up your rubbish and takes it straight to the landfill is offering a less valuable service - for you and the environment.
As you’re considering different private collectors, check what percentage is recycled or reused. Often environmentally-friendly collectors are proud of their work and mention a percentage of recycled rubbish on their websites. At Ridly, for example, 90% of your rubbish is completely recycled or reused.
Focused on the question of how much does it cost to remove rubbish? We make it easy for you by offering big-value, environmentally-friendly service.
What are the benefits of Ridly rubbish removal?
We’ll be honest: we think Ridly is the #1 rubbish removal service in Sydney. We’ve taken your question of how much it costs to remove rubbish to the next level: how much value can we offer you? As you’ll see below, the answer is quite a lot.
- Transparent pricing: How much does rubbish removal cost with Ridly? Our rubbish removal pricing starts at $69. We’ll give you a free quote after determining the items you want to remove, which is based only on the space it takes up in our truck. The quote doesn’t have any surprises, such as recycling fees.
- Extreme convenience: We remove basically every type of rubbish. We also have same-day collection any day of the week. We’ll handle all your rubbish (you don’t need to lift a finger) and you don’t even need to be there if the rubbish is accessible.
- Health/safety professionalism: We’re rubbish removal specialists, so we’ve got all the equipment and experience to handle waste and dispose of it safely. You don’t need to worry about your rubbish with us. As part of our commitment to health, we also have COVID contact-free pick-up to protect everybody’s safety.
- Sustainable mission: 99% of rubbish collected by our competitors ends up in the landfill. (Ew is right.) At Ridly, our average recycling rate is 90%. We’re committed to going landfill-free, which means our rubbish is recycled, donated to those in need or converted into sustainable electrical energy.
How much does it cost to remove rubbish with Ridly?
Our prices start at $69. Why don’t you contact us for a free quote? Our services are wide-ranging, including everything from garage clean-ups to end-of-lease rubbish removal. We’ve got your back, especially when it comes to how much it costs to get rubbish removed.