Rubbish Removal vs Skip Hire: What’s Better?

Let’s be real. Nobody wakes up and immediately thinks, “You know what would make my day? Deciding how to deal with a mountain of junk.”

But alas, the time comes for every homeowner, builder, or garden hobbyist to face the ultimate management showdown:  rubbish removal or skip hire. 

If you’re knee-deep in general cleaning or just Marie Kondo-ing your way through a weekend purge, choosing which is the better waste disposal method can be tricky.

🧾 The Basics: Skip Hire and Rubbish Removal

Here’s a quick look at how each option works:

🚚 Rubbish Removal: A team (like ours) shows up to your house and loads your waste onto their trucks for you.

You choose a time slot that works for your schedule so you can plan ahead and have everything ready on pickup day.

🟨 Skip Hire: You can rent a skip, have it delivered to your home, and fill it at your own pace. Then, when you’re ready, the skip hire service will come and collect it for you.

Whether you’re decluttering, renovating, or just doing a big tidy-up, both services offer different perks depending on your needs.

Compare at a glance

🚛 Rubbish removal

✅ Pros of rubbish and junk removal

• Speedy Service 

They come to your house, load your waste, and go on their merry way. This is a great option for those “I need this gone yesterday” situations.

• No permit stress

When you opt for a rubbish collection, you don’t need to tango with your local council unit over skip placement. 

• Perfect for quick waste removal

If you’re eager to get rid of an old sofa and a few bags of rubbish, rubbish removal is a fast and easy option. We can even collect just one item if that’s all you need.

• Great for larger loads

Got more to throw out? No problem. We offer different sizes to match your needs, from a quarter load to a full truck load. It’s ideal for everything, from a small clear-out to a major declutter. And since pricing is similar to skip hire, you get extra help without extra hassle!

• Zero lifting

We’ll handle all the loading for you. Your back can say thanks! 🙌

• Flexible 

Pick a time slot that suits your schedule. Just book your preferred date, have your waste ready, and we’ll take care of the rest.

❌ Cons of Junk Removal

• Not great for renovation or demolition

Junk removal comes with flexible load sizes, but if you’ve got a large amount of heavy waste say from a renovation, a skip might be the better fit. For most household cleanups, though, junk removal is a quick and convenient choice.

🟨 Skip Hire

Picture this: You’re knee-deep in a kitchen renovation. Tiles off, cabinets out, debris everywhere. In a situation like that, most people already know the wheelie bin won’t cut it. That’s why skips are such a go-to! ✨

You can have one sitting in your driveway, ready to handle the mess as it happens.

✅ Pros of Skip Hire

• You can choose the size of the skip based on your needs

From the smallest to the largest skip, there’s one for every situation. You can get a skip appropriate for your rubbish removal needs. Choose from 2.5 cubic yards right up to 20 cubic yards for commercial work.

• Flexibility over multiple days

You pick the drop-off and collection dates when you book a skip, so it’s yours for a few days, usually three, but you can ask for extra time if needed. It’s a tidy solution when you need a few solid days to tackle the mess.

❌ Cons of Skip Hire

• Permits can be needed

Only in some cases, like if you don’t have space on your driveway and you need to place the skip on a public road or one with paid parking bays. If that’s the case, you’ll need a permit from your local council.

Permits are required when placing a skip on public land, such as:

• Roads
• Footpaths
• Paid-parking zones
• Yellow lines
• Clearways

But if your skip is going on private property like your driveway, a private parking spot, your garden, or anywhere else you own, then no permit is needed.

Permit rules and applications vary slightly across councils in the Greater Dublin Area, so be sure to check with your local authority before booking.

• Heavy lifting 

You’ll have to load it yourself. Just think of it as bonus arms day! 🏋️ (nice…?) The upside of this is you can maximize space by packing your skip strategically. So, if heavy lifting isn’t your thing (or your back says so), you can opt for a rubbish removal service instead.

What Can Go Into a Skip?

Things like household waste, wood and metal scraps, and even garden waste are allowed in skips. For a more detailed list of what you can put in, check out what can and cannot be accepted in the FAQ section here. When you’re ready to get started, you can book your skip hire.

🗑️ What Ireland’s Waste Habits Tell Us

Choosing between a skip hire and a rubbish removal isn’t just about the convenience of getting rid of your rubbish. It also taps into a bigger national issue of waste management.

Did you know Ireland produces around 3.2 million tons of household waste each year? That’s about 643 kilograms of rubbish per person.

What’s worrying is that we’re recycling less than before. Packaging recycling has dropped from around 70.5 percent to just 62 percent and it’s still falling.

This might not seem like a big drop, but it adds up because less recycling means more waste ends up in landfills and incinerators (emissions and all), which isn’t very great for the environment.

That’s why it’s so important to manage waste properly, whether that means recycling more or using services like rubbish removal and skip hire to make sure your rubbish is handled the right way by licensed operators.

Easy Ways to Save Space (and Money) Before Rubbish Removal

A bit of prep can help you save space, money, and a whole lot of waste. Here are some easy, free ways to slim things down before collection day:

• Give it away/Sell

Old chair? Still-okay toaster? Someone out there wants it. Check out local charities or list it on sites like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, or Decluttr. 

• Repurpose

Before you toss it, ask: can I use this for something else? Jars, boxes, and scrap wood can be handy for storage, DIYs, or even kids’ art projects.

• Recycle
  No need to pay for space your green bin can handle. Recyclables like paper, plastic, and cans can go out with your normal collection. You can also drop them off at your Bring banks and civic amenities. Use this map here to locate the nearest collection points.

For electronic waste, click this recycling center locator to find nearby drop-off points where you can recycle your e-rubbish for free! 

• Flatten it dow

Break up furniture. Squash boxes. The flatter the waste is, the more you can fit in. This is especially helpful for skips!

So, Which One Should You Choose?

Both services have their pros and cons, so to settle this once and for all, we’ve written a checklist for you:

✅ Rubbish removal services if:

• You want someone else to do all the heavy lifting. No need to move a thing!
• You like the idea of a hands-off option that costs about the same as skip hire.
• You need to get rid of items quickly and don’t want a skip sitting outside.
• You don’t have the space for a skip on your property.

✅ Choose Skip hire if:

• You want to load waste at your own pace and keep the skip for a few days until you’re ready for collection.
• You’re dealing with heavy or bulky materials like light renovation waste, soil, some bricks, tiles etc…
• You expect to throw out a very large amount of waste.
• You have space to place the skip, like a driveway or private parking spot.

Final Thoughts

The choice really comes down to your time, your project, and your biceps.

If you’ve got the muscles and want to take your time, skip hire gives you full control. You can load as you go and work around your own schedule.

If you’d rather sit back, rubbish removal is just as practical. The cost is relatively similar, and you won’t have to lift a thing.

Whichever you go for, you can feel good knowing your waste is being handled the right way. More than 95 percent of what we collect gets recycled, so nothing goes to waste (even your decision). ♻️

About us

Junk&Waste is a professional waste booking agent – we partner with local, vetted crews to ensure all waste collections booked via our website are fully licenced, insured and responsible.

🚀 Ready to Clear the Clutter?

Whether you’re leaning toward rubbish removal or skip hire we’ve got your back! Just choose the option that suits you best and leave the rest to our team. 👉 Learn more here.