Green Waste Skip Bin Hire in Sydney
Green waste is the cheapest bin you can hire, provided you keep it clean. It gets mulched rather than landfilled, which means it largely avoids the state waste levy, and that saving lands in your price.
Keep it pure and it stays cheap. One bag of soil, a handful of plastic pots or a few lengths of treated timber can reclassify the whole load as general waste, at general waste rates. If you have a mixed clean up, use two bins.
What goes in a green waste bin
- Grass clippings and leaves
- Hedge and shrub prunings
- Branches and small limbs
- Turf and lawn removal
- Weeds and garden bed clearing
- Small stumps and root balls
- Palm fronds
- Bamboo and vine growth
What stops it being a green load
- Soil, sand and fill
- Plastic pots and seedling trays
- Treated timber, sleepers and fence palings
- Concrete edging and pavers
- Bagged rubbish
- Garden hose and irrigation fittings
Garden clean up? Ask about a green waste rate.
Size it for bulk, not weight
Green waste is the opposite problem to concrete. It weighs almost nothing and takes up enormous room, particularly branches. If you are cutting back anything substantial, take the bigger bin. A 6m3 filled with prunings is a genuinely common outcome from what looked like a small afternoon’s work.
Cutting branches down before they go in makes a real difference. Loose branches trap air and you end up paying for the gaps.
| Size | Typical footprint | Trailer loads | Wheelbarrows | 240L bins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2m3 | 1.8m x 1.5m x 0.9m | 1 to 2 | about 16 to 20 | 8 |
| 3m3 | 2.5m x 1.5m x 0.95m | 2 to 3 | about 30 | 12 |
| 4m3 | 3.2m x 1.6m x 1.0m | 3 to 4 | about 40 | 16 |
| 6m3 | 3.7m x 1.6m x 1.3m | 5 to 6 | about 60 | 24 |
| 8m3 | 4.0m x 1.6m x 1.6m | 7 to 8 | about 80 | 32 |
| 10m3 | 4.25m x 1.6m x 1.6m | 9 to 10 | 100 to 120 | 40 |
Where the waste actually goes
Everything we collect goes to a licensed transfer station where it is sorted rather than tipped straight into landfill. Clean concrete, brick and green waste are the easiest streams to recycle and the cheapest to dispose of, which is why separating them saves you money as well as saving the load from landfill.
If you have two clearly different waste streams, ask about two bins. It often works out cheaper than one mixed bin, because mixed loads attract the highest disposal rate.
Common questions
What counts as green waste?
Grass, leaves, prunings, branches, hedge clippings, turf, weeds and small stumps. Anything that grew. The moment soil, pots, plastic or timber goes in, it stops being a green waste load.
Why is green waste cheaper?
Because it is mulched and composted rather than landfilled, so it largely escapes the NSW waste levy. Published Sydney green waste prices typically run 20 to 25 per cent below general waste for the same size bin.
Can I put soil in a green waste bin?
No. Soil is heavy and it contaminates a green load. If you have both, ask about two bins or a heavy waste bin for the soil.
What about tree stumps?
Small stumps are usually fine. Large ones often attract a separate charge because they have to be processed differently, so mention them when you call.
How big a bin for a garden clean up?
Green waste is bulky and light, so you need volume. A decent hedge cut or a full garden tidy usually needs a 4m3 or 6m3, and branches take up far more room than people expect.
Need a bin today? We deliver across Sydney seven days.