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Mark Luck

Waste Not Want Not: Your Guide to Waste Removal Companies

Updated: Feb 26

Whether you own a construction business or have collated a large amount of rubbish and waste at home, the amount of waste you’re left with can often be rather intimidating when it comes to the thought of disposing of it, not to mention unsafe should you have any contaminated waste.


That’s why your safest bet is to enlist the help of a trusted waste removal company. Given the number of helpful services that they provide, they can help you with the removal of all kinds of waste at a large scale, ensuring that it is disposed of efficiently and responsibly.

Keep reading on to learn more about how the services offered by waste removal companies could help you in this comprehensive guide.



Waste removal vehicle


Why is Proper Waste Removal Important?

From domestic waste to building waste and everything in between, there are various reasons why it is important to remove waste in the proper ways, with consideration for the environment being one of the most prominent of these.


If rubbish is left sitting undisposed of, then it can leak harmful pollutants into the surrounding air, soil and waterways, which can be incredibly harmful both to human health and the environment. This is especially the case when it comes to landfill, which is a huge contributor to pollution.


This is why it is imperative that recyclable or reusable materials are disposed of accordingly, rather than going to landfill. Whilst it is unavoidable for some materials to go to landfill, by reducing the amount of rubbish and waste that does where possible, then your impact on the environment is subsequently reduced - something which is of high importance when considering the climate crisis that we’re currently facing.


Not only that, by recycling and reusing materials where possible, then there is less need to extract and use the planet’s natural resources, which not only produces plenty of carbon emissions to do so but continues to deplete them when they’re already dwindling.


There is also the case of hazardous waste and contaminated materials. Hazardous waste is especially detrimental to the environment if not disposed of properly, but also poses a higher risk to human health, usually due to it containing harmful chemicals or substances. This is why waste that is classified as hazardous should be handled by professionals and disposed of only at authorised sites.


How a Waste Removal Company Can Help

When it comes to disposing of large quantities of waste responsibly, especially in a commercial setting in which there is often a lot to get rid of, then a waste removal company can make this much more streamlined.


Companies that specialise in waste removal, such as us here at Mark Luck Ltd, are able to visit your site to collect and dispose of your waste on your behalf. Not only do they identify the type of vehicle needed to transport your waste, but they will also determine what classification of waste it is and dispose of it responsibly in compliance with the necessary legislations and guidelines that are in place.


Remember to always use a licensed company when disposing of your waste; here at Mark Luck Ltd, we hold many licences and are registered with the Environment Agency. We always strive to use environmentally safe transportation and disposal services and always seek and explore opportunities to recycle waste where possible.


Domestic vs Commercial Rubbish Removal

Domestic Rubbish Removal

Whilst most rubbish removal at home involves putting rubbish into your dustbins for the council to pick up weekly, whether that be general rubbish, recycling or garden waste, there are some circumstances where you may find that you need more help to dispose of your waste.


For example, it could be that you have a lot of rubbish as a result of a house clearance or home and garden improvements. This will typically result in much more rubbish than can be disposed of in your weekly rubbish collection. Furthermore, in the case of home and garden improvements then there will likely be construction materials that cannot otherwise be disposed of by your local council collection.


Should it not be convenient or possible for you to take this waste to your local recycling centre or tip (for non-recyclable materials), then you can arrange for a waste disposal company to come to your home and take these away for disposal for you.


Commercial Rubbish Removal

When it comes to commercial waste, this cannot be taken to a household tip, but must instead be taken to a waste transfer station or collected by a licensed company. If you are a business owner, then it is your responsibility to ensure that you arrange for your commercial waste to be disposed of responsibly in accordance with government guidelines.


Before even disposing of waste in the first place, you should do all you can to prevent, reuse, recycle or recover waste (in that order). Commercial waste counts as any waste that comes from your business’s activities, though it also includes any waste that comes from construction, demolition, industry and agriculture.


Depending on the type of waste that you have from the list above will determine what kind of vehicle is required to remove it and where it will be disposed of.


What is Muck Away?

Muck away is its own branch of waste disposal that often requires the help of waste removal companies. This is the process of removing waste from a development site, with this waste mainly being soil, however there are different types of muck away.

Once the muck away waste has been taken away, then it will be sorted and sent to the appropriate location for either disposal, remediation or reuse.

Below, we’ve listed the different types of muck away.


Inert

This is what is considered ‘clean’ waste, meaning it will not cause harm to either the environment or human health. It is defined by the government as ‘waste that does not undergo any significant physical, chemical or biological transformations’.

This is typically disposed of at an inert landfill, however measures will first be taken to reuse or recycle as much of the waste as possible, so as to avoid the amount that goes to landfill. For example, it could be that waste concrete from a construction site is instead turned into recycled aggregates.


Non-Hazardous

Similar to inert waste, non-hazardous waste also should not cause harm to the environment or human health, though it does have low levels of contamination that can leach from the waste material. Because of this, they are regulated to ensure that material is correctly handled and won’t leach any contaminants to the surrounding environment.

It must only be disposed of at a permitted site, and a risk assessment can be conducted to determine whether any reusable or recyclable material is safe enough to be recovered.


Hazardous

Unlike the previous two types of waste, hazardous waste is harmful to the environment and human health. Though it may not pose an immediate risk, it can contain various levels of harmful substances, such as:


● Asbestos

● Heavy metals

● TPH (which comes from crude oil)

● PAH (chemicals that naturally occur in coal and crude oil)

● pH


There are extra requirements when disposing of hazardous materials. They are usually disposed of at designated landfill sites in carefully constructed units that are designed to protect groundwater and surface water resources.


Waste Removal and Grab Hire Across London

Have you got lots of waste that needs disposing of, but haven’t got the capacity to do so yourself? If you live in the London, Kent and Sussex areas, then you’re in luck - Mark Luck, to be specific!


With over 90 years of experience behind us, we are committed to providing a professional building waste removal service, offering legitimate and licensed waste disposal. Whether you require our muck away services or would benefit from grab lorry hire, you can count on us to be reliable, punctual and affordable.


As well as our waste removal and plant hire services, we also supply building materials, aggregates (both primary and recycled), topsoil and road salt, making us the go-to company for all your industry needs.

If you’d like to learn more about what we do and obtain a quote for one (or more!) of our services, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.

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