Garden Waste Removal on the Sunshine Coast: A Practical Guide for Bigger Yard Clean-Ups
While an occasional afternoon of gardening will generally yield only a few bags of leaves and clippings from your garden, the yard clean-up involved in larger garden and landscaping projects can generate vast amounts of branches, leaves and other garden material, which can quickly overwhelm even the hardest of gardeners.
Garden waste is produced in abundance when established trees and shrubs are pruned, overgrown beds are cleared and garden beds are prepared for new plantings including landscaping. The volume of waste from pruning trees and shrubs in particular is often greater than expected.
For bigger jobs, take some time to plan your garden waste removal on the Sunshine Coast prior to commencing your gardening or landscaping work. Disposing of your waste as you clear your yard will make for a far less stressful clean-up than allowing piles of waste to accumulate around your property, and reduce the number of trips you need to make for disposal.
Garden Waste Removal on the Sunshine Coast: A Practical Guide for Larger Garden Cleans and Landscaping Projects
A discussion on how to effectively manage garden waste whilst completing larger garden cleans and landscaping projects around the Sunshine Coast. What to look for when selecting a skip bin for garden waste removal and how JACS Bins can assist in making your outdoor clean-up easier to manage.
What Counts as Green Waste?
Green waste refers to garden waste like grass clippings, leaves, garden trimmings, small branches and other plant material like weeds and plants.
For a typical garden clean-up, this may include:
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Garden trimmings
- Small branches
- Pruned vegetation
- Plants and weeds
JACS Bins outline what they class as green waste on their Waste Types page – this includes plants, weeds, palm fronds, tree trimmings and lawn clippings – but note that in some cases larger or heavier garden waste may need to be assessed for suitability for skip bin hire prior to quote.
Bear in mind though, that whilst you are clearing a yard of rubbish from your back garden, all of that waste will probably fall into different types of waste, i.e. there will be soil, concrete, pavers, timber, old outdoor furniture etc., and will have to be treated as such.
Be aware that if you have a large number of waste types for your garden clearance that you will need to check if all can be placed in the skip before loading.
Why Bigger Garden Clean-Ups Produce So Much Waste
Garden waste such as hedge cuttings, looks a lot worse when they are cut than they did when they were growing in the garden. Trees and shrubs are normally pruned occasionally to keep them within bounds. However, as soon as a large number of hedge and shrub species are severely cut back at the same time, their volume is impressive.
This is particularly true for branches, with their strange forms, which – due to their irregular shapes – contain large amounts of empty space when stacked.
This can become an issue during projects such as:
- Major seasonal garden clean-ups
- Backyard makeovers
- Clearing heavily overgrown areas
- Hedge and shrub pruning
- Preparing a garden for landscaping
- Property maintenance before selling or leasing
- Removing vegetation before an outdoor renovation
- Cleaning up a neglected rental or investment property
Green waste skip bins are a better solution for these types of jobs as you have a large enough container to hold all the garden waste, and it makes the job of carrying the waste to the depot so much easier.
Use a green waste skip bin to provide a central focal point to manage all suitable garden waste for the duration of the garden clean-up.
Planning Garden Waste Removal Before You Start
A thorough job planning ensures a good garden waste removal in Sunshine Coast. Be sure to look around the house and property and to separate trees and shrubs from garden beds. If you have a large amount of landscaping, such as rock or brick work, also separate these materials from the garden waste.
Also, a project like this can be broken up into different parts of work and thus it can be advised to take down trees and shrubs first and then clear the garden beds and do a general clean up of the property.
Whether your project will consist only of green waste or if you will have a mixture of soil, old decking/pavers etc and general rubbish, needs to be decided before booking your skip bin.
A simple prune of all your trees and shrubs will mostly consist of green waste, whereas a full landscape makeover of your garden will consist of garden waste, as well as soil, old paving etc and general waste.
It also helps ensure your skip bin is sent with the correct label to enable correct disposal of your contents at our Transfer Stations.
Choosing a Skip Bin for a Sunshine Coast Garden Clean-Up
When selecting the size of the skip bin for your garden clean-up, you will need to consider the size of the area to be cleaned up as well as the bulkiness of the waste.
JACS Bins offers a range of skip bin sizes ranging from 2m³ to 10m³ to suit any garden clean-up project, from small garden tidy-ups to full property clean-outs.
A 2m3 or 3m3 skip is suitable for smaller garden tidy-ups, household clean-ups, etc. This range of skip bins from JACS Bins is best suited for smaller household and garden tidy-ups before you start.
These types of clean-ups need larger capacity skip bins to cater for the amount of cut garden waste, especially if there are lots of trees that need cutting down. The volume of branches from these trees needs to be assessed before you book a skip bin to ensure you have the correct size bin.
Many people, including landscapers and arborists, underestimate how much space vegetation waste will actually take up when it has been cut down and piled up. This is because large plant material such as tree branches can be hidden amongst smaller quantities of leaves and other garden waste.
If you are unsure of how much your pruning will fill or how best to dispose of your waste then we can discuss your needs prior to your booking to ensure you choose the correct waste type and bin size to suit your needs.
Loading Garden Waste More Efficiently
Loading up your skip is an important consideration in order to get the best out of your skip. A good rule of thumb is to start filling your skip with the largest suitable items first, and then use the smaller garden waste items to fill in any gaps left.
Also be sure to cut long branches down into smaller pieces to avoid leaving large amounts of space between them and thus not getting the best use out of your skip.
Don’t pile large tangled branches into the skip without thinking about how they will be in the skip – it may look full but in fact there could be a lot of space in the skip left unused.
Remember to never attempt to over fill the skip by filling above the top of the skip bin. JACS Bins can only transport bins filled to the top rail of the bin.
Should your clean-up generate more waste than you first anticipated, JACS can either send another bin out to you or collect and change over the bin for you. Overfilled bins will however attract an additional charge.
Separating Green Waste From Other Landscaping Materials
When considering waste from landscaping projects it is easy to mislead yourself into thinking that all the garden waste from pruning trees and shrubs is classed as just one type of waste.
While an individual landscaping project can consist of of pruning of trees, removal of shrubs and debris from garden beds and the like, there is often a lot of other material that can be created as part of the project such as old pavers, landscaping edging, soil that needs to be removed from a landscape renewal, and other damaged outdoor products.
Although materials from the same project are being disposed of, each type of material is classed as a different type of waste.
Separating different types of waste throughout your project and keeping approved green waste for garden waste separate from other landscape waste and building materials that you have to dispose of will make your life so much easier.
Note also that soil, concrete, masonry, building waste and general household waste are considered to be different waste types and would need to be booked as such. This can be clarified with JACS Bins prior to booking.
What Should Stay Out of Your Skip Bin?
A garden clean-up can reveal all sorts of unexpected items left in old sheds, garages and outdoor storage areas. These will need to be dealt with separately from your garden waste.
JACS Bins’ Waste Types page lists items that are prohibited from being placed in all waste types, including asbestos, contaminated soil, paint, food waste, gas bottles, batteries, fire extinguishers, and all chemicals and liquids.
Prior approval is required for Tyres and Mattresses. They are classified as Special Waste and attract a special fee.
Note – this is a separate waste type to Green Waste and must be approved prior to disposal in a Green Waste load. Contact JACS Bins to confirm special waste disposal arrangements.
Identify Unknown Items at a Property Clean Up to Ensure Safe Disposal.
Often materials from an older home will contain products and items of unknowns. Best to err on side of caution and ask prior to placing unknown items into skip bins.
Making a Bigger Garden Clean-Up More Manageable
Manage your large yard project easier by splitting it up into areas, and clear waste as you go.
Large garden clean-ups can be made more manageable by working in areas and keeping the skip bin near at hand, with garden waste pruned and loaded progressively.
Loading as you prune is also a good way to manage the job and to keep the area clear of debris. It also makes it easier to get an estimate of how much your skip will hold.
For large garden clean-ups, landscaping and property clean-ups for multiple personnel such as from a contracting company, property owners and / or outside services, ensure all parties understand the category of waste to be placed within the skip bin and separate the waste correctly at the onset to avoid mixing of unsuitable waste with the Green Waste later.
Why a Skip Bin Can Suit Larger Green Waste Projects
For a small amount of green waste a household solution will be sufficient. For a large garden clean-up, you will need a skip bin.
With a suitable skip bin on the Sunshine Coast for your Green Waste, you can throw the appropriate garden waste into the skip bin as you clear it from the garden instead of moving it to piles of waste and then transferring it to a vehicle to take to a waste disposal site.
This can be particularly useful when:
- Clearing a large backyard
- Cutting back extensive vegetation
- Preparing a property for sale
- Undertaking a landscaping makeover
- Tidying an investment or rental property
- Completing a major seasonal yard clean-up
Having the bin on site when you start your work helps to organize your gardening and your cleaning up.
Taking a More Responsible Approach to Garden Waste
Thoughtful waste management is an important part of any outdoor project. Start with reusing materials from the garden where possible and then look at the waste that needs to be removed from your property. Consider what can be added to your home compost or used in other parts of the garden.
Where green waste needs to be removed from a property, it is best to keep this separate from other waste such as packaging, building waste, etc. That way it can be more easily managed.
It is also best to keep items like plastic pots, empty bags, treated timber and other non-garden waste separate as this will be classed as non-garden waste unless otherwise stated by the team.
Remember to select the right waste category and adhere to the disposal requirements of your waste provider. Do not dispose of hazardous or prohibited items in the skip and ask the provider if you are unsure as to whether something can be disposed of.
All you need to do is plan a little ahead to prevent any contamination and JACS Bins will take care of the rest for you with the green waste removal on the Sunshine Coast.
Preparing for Delivery and Collection
When booking your skip bin, agree on a convenient location on your property for delivery of the skip. This should be on a firm surface and able to accommodate the skip’s size, as well as provide adequate access for our delivery truck.
Be sure to clear any parked cars and check for any low hanging branches or power lines.
Skip Bin Delivery to Caloundra, Fraser Island, Maroochydore & Sunshine Coast Region
When selecting a location for your bin to ensure that you have provided your gardening team with adequate access to move piles of gardening materials as you clear them, to place the waste in the bin as you go.
Keep the route to the bin that the skip will be collected from as clear as possible of obstacles. If you are collecting from the road or verge be sure to check with the relevant council if a permit is required for waste placed on the road or verge.
Bookings for garden waste disposal require a minimum of 24 hours notice for delivery. Same day delivery may be possible and we recommend booking as early as possible to secure a booking for the required date and time.
Our standard hire period is 7 days and the collection date can be booked and confirmed at the time of booking. JACS Bins can also accommodate longer hire periods and/or earlier collection.
How JACS Bins Can Help With Your Garden Clean-Up
We provide skip bin hire on the Sunshine Coast including areas such as Caloundra and Maroochydore. It is best to check for availability for the address of your delivery when booking.
Online booking of skip bins allows you to choose the size of skip you require, the type of waste to be placed in the skip, the address for delivery, and the date you require it to arrive.
When booking we would appreciate a brief description of the gardening work being done and the type and approximate amount of materials to be removed. This will enable us to advise whether a particular skip size would be more suitable and also which waste type to choose.
Let the team know that for pruning you can estimate how much material you will have to remove and whether there are to be any large branches.
For a full landscape overhaul of your garden it is best to let them know about the amount of soil, new paving, new timbers etc. that will be generated and they can then recommend the correct size skip and waste type.
Conclusion
Big garden projects in one outdoors area can generate much more waste than you think. Large amounts of branches, leaves, pruning cuttings and remnant building materials quickly pile up, as you’re working on many parts of the garden at the same time.
Help keep your garden project organized by planning for the disposal of the waste before commencing work. Provide the crew with an estimate of the volume of material to be removed, ensure all waste is separated and properly placed in the skip, and choose the correct size skip for your project.
If you have a large yard and landscaping cleaning project, JACS Bins’ skip bins from 2m³ up to 10m³ can assist with your Green Waste disposal needs across the Sunshine Coast region.
We can help you complete your outdoor project and make it easier to deal with all of the garden waste that your project will produce.
