Taking out the trash is often reasonably straightforward, but not when the garbage bin is full. Unless your community is paying workers to take the bins to the dump themselves, you may have to do it yourself. This not only takes time but also requires you to use a vehicle. That’s why there are alternatives to getting rid of junk without much hassle, one of which is hiring skip bins.
Skip bin services provide you with a skip bin that will serve as your garbage bin for days or even weeks. The skip bin service provider will then take the bin to the dump once it’s full.
Yes, it’s incredibly convenient, but while other households may be in dire need of skip bin services, it’s an unnecessary expense to some. So, which group do you belong to?
This article will tackle three steps you must take to know if skip bin services are worth it.
- Assess the service provider’s pricing structure
As one might expect, the first thing you must consider is the skip bin price before anything else. Keep in mind that the pricing structure of skip bin services is not as simple as paying a flat fee. It may vary according to a number of factors. These may include the weight of all your trash combined, the size of the skip bin, and the distance from your residence to the dump.
Here’s a look at the different pricing structures of skip bin service providers:
- Per load: Load may refer to a certain weight of trash. USD$100 per 300 pounds is an excellent baseline if your local skip bin service provider follows this pricing structure.
- Per pound: This is a much simpler pricing structure. It basically measures the weight by the pound and calculates the price from there. A price of 10 cents per pound is a good baseline.
- Hybrid: Other service providers may combine the previous two structures. One way they may do this is by charging a base fee up to a certain weight and an additional fee per pound over the initial weight. For example, they may charge USD$100 for the first 300 pounds and 10 cents for every pound of weight that exceeds the base weight of 300 pounds.
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Since your strategy will vary according to the pricing structure of service providers near your area, this is a good first step to know if skip bin services are worth your while and money.
- Get the weight of all your rubbish combined
Since the skip bin price relies heavily on the weight of garbage you need to deal with, the next step would be to get the weight of all your rubbish. This is so you can figure out whether the price would be to your advantage or not.
Here’s a look at the ideal weight for each pricing structure:
- If the service provider follows the per load structure, you’d want the weight of your trash to be as close to the weight per load without exceeding it even by a small margin.
For example, if they charge USD$30 per 100 pounds, throwing out only 50 pounds of trash would mean you only get half of your USD$30 investment. Similarly, 110 pounds of trash would mean you’ll pay an extra USD$30 just for 10 pounds. Either way, it’s not worth it. The ideal weight would be around 90 pounds or exactly 100 pounds.
- If they use a hybrid pricing structure, the investment would only be worth it if the rubbish weight is close to or exceeds the base weight.
For example, if they charge USD$60 for the first 200 pounds and 10 cents per pound after, 200 pounds would get you the most out of your investment, but 100 pounds of trash would only get you half the cost.
- In the case of a per pound structure, you don’t have to mind the weight of your rubbish. You can neither spend more money nor save money based on weight.
To conclude, if the pricing structure is a fee per pound or hybrid, the investment would only be worth it with the ideal weight. Otherwise, you may spend more money than you have to.
- Inspect your trash for safety hazards
Apart from its convenience, another reason that homeowners prefer hiring skip bin services is to avoid potential accidents. As you may already know, moving heavy or large objects via a car is a safety hazard in and of itself. It increases the likelihood of crashes and may even endanger others around you. If taking your rubbish to the dump yourself means you have to engage in such activity, it might be best if you rely on skip bin services instead.
Final word
Skip bin services have not always been as affordable as they are now. It was only due to the tight competition that rates have become rather competitive over the years. Fortunately, it has only led to the service becoming more affordable, which is always a welcome change for consumers. However, you should keep in mind that it’s not always going to be worth your money. If you’re struggling to figure out whether you should go through with the decision or not, this article should help.
References:
Should You Rent A Dumpster Or Take Trash To The Dump Yourself?
