Choosing the right commercial waste container can make a significant difference to how efficiently and cost-effectively your business manages waste. Each option is designed for different waste volumes, materials, sites and collection requirements. But what is the difference between a skip, RoRo, FEL and commercial waste bin, and which one does your business actually need?
A skip is an open or closed waste container, most commonly used for disposing of project or one-off waste. Skips can stay on your site until the waste is generated and ready to be exchanged (collected). The available skip sizes from Hive Waste include 4 yard skips, 6 yard skips, 8 yard skips, 12 yard skips, 14 yard skips, and 16 yard skips. The only enclosed options out of these sizes are the 8 yard skips, 12 yard skips and 16 yard skips. Standard skips can be used for almost any household, garden and non-hazardous construction waste, with heavy items, like bricks, placed at the bottom and lighter items at the top. Skips do follow loading rules, which means the waste shouldn’t be loaded above the solid rim or max fill line. If you are placing the skip on a public road, you may need a council permit before doing so.
A RoRo, short for roll-on/roll-off, is a much larger waste container designed for significant volumes of waste. The sizes of RoRo containers available include 20 yard and 35-yard RoRo containers, which are rolled on and off a specialist vehicle when being emptied. The main advantage of a RoRo is volume, and where a project would otherwise require multiple exchanges of skips, a RoRo provides greater on-site capacity and will reduce the number of collections required.
FEL stands for Front End Loader, which is a bin type designed for consistent and medium-sized outputs of waste. A FEL is typically suited to ongoing commercial waste collections, which is where they differ from skips or RoRos that are usually temporary. FEL bins are enclosed with lids and have side doors for loading. They can come with forklift truck pockets, as well as a lid lock.
A commercial wheelie bin is the most familiar waste container and is designed for regular collections of an average-sized commercial waste output. They are available in different sizes, such as 240 litre wheelie bin, 360 litre wheelie bins, 660 litre wheelie bins, and a 1100 litre wheelie bins. Wheelie bins can be used for general waste and dry mixed recycling, cardboard and paper, and food waste. These can be collected weekly or fortnightly, depending on the volume of the waste output. Commercial wheelie bins are particularly useful for businesses that generate predictable amounts of everyday.
The biggest difference between a skip and a RoRo is the capacity. Both can be for project-based and construction waste, but RoRo would be better for more substantial volumes. A conventional skip may be more appropriate for a smaller project or where space and access are limited to the site. Cost should be considered alongside capacity: a smaller container could have lower collection or hire cost but regularly exchanging it can be inefficient.
FEL bins and commercial wheelie bins are both designed for recurring waste collections, but they suit different levels of waste generation. Commercial wheelie bins work well for businesses generating lower or moderate volumes of predictable waste. Differently, FEL bins provide considerably more capacity and are better suited to sites producing larger volumes of waste. But bigger doesn’t always mean better. A business that rarely fills a FEL may be paying for capacity it doesn’t need.
Container size, collection frequency and waste segregation all affect the overall cost and efficiency of commercial waste management. If containers regularly overflow before collection day, your business may require greater capacity or more frequent collections. If containers are consistently collected half empty, there may be an opportunity to reduce collection frequency or use a smaller container. Reviewing when you produce waste, how it’s stored and when it’s being collected can identify more efficient combinations and ways of managing waste.
There is no single commercial waste container that is right for every business. The most effective approach is to understand your waste before deciding how to collect it. At Hive Services, we help businesses build waste management solutions around their actual requirements. If you’re unsure whether your business needs a skip, RoRo, FEL or commercial waste bin, speak to the Hive team. We can help you choose the right containers to keep your site moving efficiently.
