Question 1

Learn more about Grab Hire in London

Accepted Answer

Grab hire refers to removing rubbish from outside residential and commercial properties, or from building sites with a vehicle known as a grab lorry, consisting of an extendable hydraulic arm (otherwise known as the grab), with a loading area for refuse, and a cab where the driver sits to control the grabber. The most common vehicle type is the 8 wheel grab lorry, which has a loading bay, although some grabs that are required to get into small spaces consist of just the arm and the control cab.

Grab lorry hire is frequently used as a means of collecting and transporting rubbish from building materials, broken furniture, DIY waste, and fly tip clearance, and they are widely available to hire from many waste disposal companies in London. Grab trucks are suitable for removing nearly all types of waste from outside the premises, from muck, green waste, timber, and hardcore to general rubbish and are common on small to medium building sites in the construction industry. However, grab hire is also an accessible and often cost-effective option for domestic projects and can be booked by individuals and households to remove piles of waste from anywhere outside the property, as long as there are no restrictions.

An 8 wheel grab lorry is the most common type of grabber measuring about 3 by 6 meters, with a hydraulic arm that extends from 4 to 8 meters (with a double extension attachment) typically holding up to 16 tonnes in one load. This makes them suitable for working in small spaces and reaching into alleyways and behind walls where domestic rubbish can often pile up over time. Grab lorries can pick up a mixture of heavy and light waste types for sorting after the waste is transported and are often used to clear fly tipped waste consisting of mixed materials such as plastic and metal, along with heavy building aggregates such as cement and subsoil.

As grab lorries are a specific type of waste management vehicle, having up to date and safe equipment is something that is extremely important for every service provider, as well as having qualified and trained personnel to operate the machinery. At Wayst we can promise that our service providers meet the highest levels for each health and safety criteria needed for providing grab hire in London. All service providers for Wayst, are quality checked for the appropriate qualifications and training in line with the Wayst standards for best practice within the waste management industry.

The Wayst standards help us audit our service providers, and measure them against waste management legislation, quality assurance, health and safety standards and best practices for environmentally sustainable waste management.

Need help with grab hire in London? Get in touch with us.

Question 2

Builders waste removal

Accepted Answer

Builders waste can include a mixture of light and heavy waste types from interior room renovations and office refits, to exterior materials from building extensions, conservatories, and expanding offices. The waste materials left from both DIY and professional building projects can range from fixtures and fittings, units, and furniture to heavy or ‘inert’ waste materials such as sand, cement, concrete, and soil. Grab lorries are most often used for clearing the latter type of heavy builder’s waste which can also include rubble, hardcore and bricks. The strong arm of the grab lorry can lift loads of up to a tonne in one grab and with a total load capacity of 16 tonnes (or 14m3) in one load, they are often used as an alternative to 8 yard 8 tonne skips. Even if the volume of the skip is larger, the heavy waste limit stays at 8 tonnes for it to be loaded onto the back of a truck and this can make grab lorries a more cost-effective option for many home renovation and medium sized construction projects when compared to skips that can only hold half the weight of a grab lorry.

Question 3

Hire a grab lorry in London

Accepted Answer

Grab lorries are a convenient and accessible waste management solution for clearance from outside a property. Piles of refuse can be easily picked up and loaded into the loading bay of the grab truck where it can be safely transported for sorting and processing at the waste transfer site.

If you need to hire a grab lorry in London, there are plenty of waste management companies for you to choose from that offer this as a service. At Wayst, we work with many service providers all over and around the city that offer grab hire, so we can be sure to find a service in your local area typically within 24 hours.

One of the most important things to remember when hiring any waste management solution (especially one that requires the use of specialist equipment and vehicles) is to cross check the company you intend to use with the Environment Agency database, containing all known licenced waste management companies within the United Kingdom. By making sure that you only hire a grab lorry from a registered waste management company, you will be carrying out your duty of care and safeguarding yourself against any repercussions if your waste is mismanaged by the company.

Question 4

Grab hire cost

Accepted Answer

Grab lorries are usually charged by the tonne or per load which is up to 16 tonnes or 14 metres squared volume for mixed waste. Grab lorries can also be booked by the hour or per half day making them a cost-effective option when there is a large volume of waste to be removed from an outdoor area. Some companies charge less for the removal of heavy inert waste compared with lighter waste types with a larger volume per cubic metre.

Part of the cost of a grab lorry hire includes a highly skilled operative who has been trained in controlling and manoeuvring the grab lorry vehicle in and out of difficult spaces and has the required health and safety qualifications. As a rough estimate a grab lorry can be rented along with the trained personnel required to operate the vehicle at a starting price of around £300+VAT.

Question 5

The benefits of using a grab lorry

Accepted Answer

Grab lorries also take a fraction of the time needed to load and haul a skip, making them very convenient in time pressured environments and for short term hire. If the waste is piled up in one area, they can be fully loaded within half an hour, and ready to transfer the rubbish off site.

The ability to pay for a half load and rent the grab lorry for a short period of time, makes them an economical solution if you have at least 4 tonnes of ground waste to remove, which is the case for most domestic building projects that accumulate heavy waste.

Another benefit of using a grab lorry is that they save a huge amount of time and effort in terms of manual Labour as the grab does all the heavy lifting and loading. This makes it faster and more efficient to carry out the work, and is also cost effective when you consider how long it would take to load the rubbish manually.

Question 6

What you need to know about London

Accepted Answer

An ancient settlement that grew up along the banks of the Thames, London is one of the most well established and influential cities in the western world. It has reinvented itself many times throughout history to become the vibrant dynamic and complex entity that it is today with an infrastructure that is constantly developing to accommodate the progress and advancements of modern day Britain. It is well known for being one of the most integrated and culturally diverse cities in Europe, and accommodates many ways of living that make it stand out as a place that not only celebrates diversity but thrives on it. The pull of London for so many people from around the world and its increasing population demand a waste management industry that is highly organised, adaptable, and available for public use. Waste transfer companies have a large share of a market that is constantly in need of rubbish removal services, and the amount of businesses operating within this industry drives competition and a range of services that can overwhelm consumers and organisations when choosing a contractor for their rubbish disposal needs. One of the most important considerations when choosing a rubbish removal service is their commitment to the environment, re-use and recycling practices, and a diversion of waste from landfill. This can be achieved by companies who operate within statutory frameworks, practise due diligence, and adhere to the rules and regulations set out by the Environment Agency.

Question 7

What are the different ways to dispose of waste in London?

Accepted Answer

There are hundreds of waste facilities around the city, from council run tips and recycling centres, to materials and energy recovery facilities, which are gradually replacing landfill sites. Nearly every Local Authority provides reuse and recycling centres for residents, handling a wide range of reusable items, recyclable rubbish, and general or residual municipal waste.

The local authority run facilities provide the same basic services from borough to borough in addition to offering specialised collections for garden waste, furniture and white goods and clinical waste disposal. Some types of waste, like building materials, are often classed as restricted due to their commercial use, as traders and construction companies have to pay to use the tips, and residents are only permitted to dump small amounts for it to be considered domestic waste. Hazardous waste is also seldom accepted at local civic amenity sites, and most homes and businesses are advised to contact the city of London hazardous waste disposal team, for the disposal of asbestos, oil based paint and other chemicals.

Many councils also provide competitively priced services for the collection, transfer and disposal of commercial refuse, although companies requiring industrial waste management solutions will often turn to the same private companies who are currently contracted by the council to deal with large scale waste. Private waste management organisations work closely with local authorities in London to transfer recyclable waste and sell it onto treatment facilities both nationally and internationally.

Question 8

Where are the nearest recycling centres in London

Accepted Answer

The Reuse and recycling centres and micro recycling sites available for public use throughout the city all vary slightly in terms of materials they can accept. Paper card glass tin aluminium and plastic bottles are generally accepted everywhere. Some difficult to dispose of items include paint, tyres, and plasterboard which often have to be transported to specialist facilities to be reused or recycled. Building materials like rubble soil timber garden fences and bathroom fixtures and fittings are also not typically accepted at all civic amenity sites and may require independent waste collectors to ensure swift and convenient removal of items.

Some materials frequently accepted at local authority facilities that cannot otherwise be disposed of for free include fluorescent tubes (energy saving light bulbs) car batteries, cooking and engine oil, and gas bottles. Most boroughs provide micro recycling sites for household batteries, textiles and small electrical items, however residents are encouraged to donate reusable items where possible at charity shops or at the tip, which often has links to resellers and refurbishment programmes such as Recycle my Cycle. Donated items, might include furniture, sports equipment, toys, and bric a brac. For all other waste like large electrical items, white goods, garden waste and soft furnishings like sofas, mattresses and carpets, these may still be recycled however the council often collects them from domestic properties for a fee if residents cannot transport them to the tip.

Question 9

What rubbish collection services are available in London?

Accepted Answer

Standard collection services for general refuse and recycling have significantly improved over the years to accept more varieties of plastic such as tubs, pots, trays and cutlery in dry mixed recycling bins. This has been a progressive step in tackling the problem of single use plastic that ends up in landfills or contaminating the natural environment, and recovering the raw materials ready for reprocessing and remanufacture into recycled consumer goods. The other main area of improvement has been the introduction of kitchen caddies and bins for food waste throughout London, which can contribute to a huge amount of harmful gases in the environment if it gets sent to landfill. The local authority provision of free food waste caddies along with compostable liners and regular weekly collections has meant that it gets segregated service level, and can be transported directly to an energy recovery facility to be turned into biogas, biofertilizer and fuel, which in some areas has already resulted in a 100% diversion from landfill for all food waste.

Other organic waste services include garden waste collection which is offered across most London boroughs for a yearly subscription fee. For those households that do not produce enough garden waste for regular collections some councils offer one off collections, however most boroughs have a home composting guide on their website which they encourage residents to make use of, and to reuse their garden waste to enrich the soil.

Most borough councils in London offer bulky waste collection of furniture, white goods and large electrical items at competitive prices or for free for elderly residents and those in receipt of benefit, limited to a certain amount of collections per year. Some councils direct locals towards charity operated solutions from their websites that remove bulk waste for free, however the vast majority of boroughs are limited to offering their own collection services or inviting residents to transport large waste items to the tip, which is seldom practical in most cases. Instead many households opt for using the wide range of competitively priced independent waste carriers in London that offer the same services. However the choice can be overwhelming, and some unlicensed waste carriers slip through the net and fly tip rubbish on private or even public land that then needs to be dealt with by another waste management company or by the local authorities. The Environment Agency provides a public directory of licensed waste carriers, brokers and dealers which members of the public can use to check that their chosen waste provider is compliant with the statutory requirements for waste management at every stage of the disposal process.

Need help with a waste clearance in London? Get in touch

Question 10

How are the local authorities in London handling your waste?

Accepted Answer

Over the years many local authorities have risen to the challenge for the planning and delivery of environmentally sustainable waste management for the millions of people living within the 32 London boroughs. Even as the population continues to expand, increased pressure is placed on public services to produce cleaner waste management solutions through investment, technological innovations and the building of infrastructure to derive energy from waste and ultimately provide channels for decentralised energy provision throughout the greater London area.

Borough councils are combining their financial resources to build state-of-the-art waste management facilities for sorting and transferring waste, materials and energy recovery, reselling and in some cases exporting raw materials back to the manufacturers for reprocessing. As a response to the demand for more effective waste management solutions in the city and proposals in the The London Plan handed down at the local government level, the following authorities have been set up between borough councils to strategize and action events around public waste management.

ELWA (East London Waste Authority) which has been set up between Redbridge, Havering, Barking & Dagenham and Newham.

NLWA (North London Waste Authority) which has been set up between Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Waltham Forest, Camden, Hackney and Islington.

WLWA (West London Waste Authority) which has been set up between Hillingdon, Brent, Harrow, Ealing, Hounslow and Richmond-upon-Thames.

WRWA (Western Riverside Waste Authority) which has been set up between Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Wandsworth and Lambeth.

SLWP (South London Waste Partnership) which has been set up between Merton, Kingston upon Thames, Croydon and Sutton.

Several Large scale private waste contractors also work in partnership with borough councils to manage waste and deliver on their objectives for landfill diversion and the increased production of energy from waste. The building of new facilities funded by regional London waste authorities has already started to deliver on the long term sustainable waste strategies proposed by the London Plan and lead to the reclamation of natural landscapes. providing renewed conservation areas that used to be contaminated by man made waste or used for landfill.

At the service level, organic waste removal services such as home composting caddies and garden waste collection are now standard practice for many London Boroughs seeking to avoid the use of landfill sites. Residents are given brown or grey bins specifically for food waste including meat, fish, and poultry waste, which is collected periodically alongside general rubbish. The organic waste is taken to facilities where it will undergo treatment such as pyrolysis or gasification which are both methods used to heat organic waste at controlled temperatures in order to produce by-products such as oil, char and gas that may be used as fuel. These controlled heating methods are relatively new, although they are in the commercial stages of development, and composting remains the most widely used method for recycling organic waste materials collected by Local Authorities in London and the surrounding areas.

Question 11

What are the plans for a greener future in London?

Accepted Answer

In addition to London boroughs pooling resources and investing in waste management solutions for the future, each council runs public awareness initiatives promoting healthy habits around sustainable ways of living in response to climate change, and encouraging engagement with the ‘circular economy’ in collaboration with community organisations charities and businesses. This model of consumption encourages individuals to conserve energy fuel and resources by making small incremental changes to their habits and lifestyle from walking or cycling instead of travelling by car, to buying and using only what they need. This feeds into the circular model of reselling or donating unwanted material goods back into the local economy for refurbishment and reuse, as opposed to the ‘linear economy’ which ends with the disposal of consumer goods and wasted materials.

In recent years London has made many efforts to become an environmentally friendly city and has adopted a practice known as ‘urban greening’ which aims to bring purpose built green spaces into the infrastructure of the city, helping to lower temperatures, prevent flooding and improve air quality. With the population in London set to increase by an estimated 3 million by 2050, and with permanent changes in the weather due to climate, urban greening is mandated to become a key part of building in the city as it expands. This consists of planning permission for green walls and roofs as standard practice for any major developments.

The urban greening factor is included in the New London Plan which is the spatial development strategy for Greater London led by the Mayor of London and the Greater London authority. Other aspects of urban greening are set to include the ‘healthy streets’ initiative, which will not only change the physical environment of London’s streets and pedestrianised areas, but intends to shift public behaviour towards greener methods of travel such as walking and cycling, and increased use of public transport for long journeys. The ‘grey to green’ project as part of the sustainable drainage action plan also encourages communities to advocate for an increase in accessible green spaces by communicating with the local council about where such improvements could be made.

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