We all like to get the best ‘bang for our buck.’ That’s human nature. Think of those takeaway restaurants that let you fill your plate yourself. Have you seen diners cramming their plates so full that food falls off the sides? Though we’re sure you’re completely innocent, we bet you have.
Now, while most restaurants will turn a blind eye to such ‘gluttony.’ We can’t when it comes to customers overfilling our bins.
And there are good reasons for this.
It comes down to physics
The thing is, over-full bins simply don’t fit under the gantries on our trucks. Also, if a bin is overflowing, where do you think all the rubbish goes? That’s right, all over the road as our driver heads to the depot. Funnily enough, NZTA, the police and OSH frown upon this kind of thing.
#8 wire?
Kiwis are known for being innovative. And we have witnessed a few ‘innovations’ over the years, like the customer who attached plywood sides to a bin so they could squeeze more in.
Unfortunately, before we could pick up, the customer had to remove a lot of rubbish first.
Nice try, though.
The limits
In all fairness, it is usually new, one-off customers who try to push their luck.
Basically, you mustn’t fill a bin past the top. So that our customers know the limits, we provide an information sheet.
Here are weight guidelines for our different bin sizes:
- 9m³: 1.5 tonne (10 small trailers)
- 6m³: 1 tonne (7 small trailers)
- 4.5m³: 800 kg (5 small trailers)
- 3m³: 400 kg (3 small trailers)
4 tips to maximise your bin
Of course, we want you to get value for money. So, before you load your next bin, here are four tips for getting the most from it:
- Break down large items — these days, a lot of furniture is designed to be flat packed, so it is easy to disassemble.
- Pack in the right order — put heavy waste at the bottom and light waste, like cardboard, on top.
- Pretend you’re doing a jigsaw — don’t leave large gaps. You are not paying to transport air. Pack your bin nice and tight.
- Recycling—before you throw an item into a skip, think about whether it is recyclable. Some organisations will take it away for free.