Green Bins

[AJD Mowing]

When I lived on the Goldie and had the VIP Franchise I would go to the tip every day with a big load of grass. This rusted out my vehicle it was time consuming and expensive. I now live in the Southerland Shire NSW and the council have bins for green waste that are picked up every day. What amazes me is the amount of new customers that ask me to take the grass away because their last contractor did it, I would say yes no problem but they soon cahange their mind when I show them the tip fee. They think there is this magical place where we dump grass at no charge. What amazes me more is the amount of contractors I see driving around with bags of grass loaded up on their ute when there is a free bin to put it in.. Why would you?? I love coming home with an empty vehicle the only time I go to the tip is when I have a garden job or a clean up on.

Just interested what other contractors do? Do you have bins? Do you go to the tip every day?

Cheers
Dean

[St George]

I've had my business for 6 months and never gone to the tip but now it's coming to summer I may have to.

[AJD Mowing]

that are picked up every day.
Sorry I mean every 2 weeks picked up...

[BeetleJuice]

Ours is once a month.I only have one customer where i take away the clippings the rest go in bin.

[Redlandsguy]

I am changing my operation because of green bins and tip fees. Until now the tip has been allowing me to dump at domestic rate, but they are introducing green bins and looking to catch commercial operations at the commercial rate. Customers have the choice now, get a green bin, pay astronomical tip fees or be mulched. I want it all mulched, able to do it with the ZTR, less work for me emptying catchers and pushing mowers, faster and better return for me.

[Bluey]

I push for the customer to have green bin and use it. If thye don't I take it away and charge them per bag. I don't lose money on tip fees and unless we are doing a big clean up rarely go to the tip. I have a couple of roughies I mulch but most are caught.

[Fred's mowing]

When the green waste bins were introduced, it was a god send!
You'd be amazed at what u can get in a green waste bin if u try!
Only downside is sometimes if too full the truck fails to empty it & it gets left full:doh
Cheers Fred.

[Bluey]

My Council allows us to have as many green waste bins as we like. They have to be registered with them and cost $53 brand new delivered and registered. I have two at my place and if I get an odd bag of grass plus my own goes in them. Nothing to stop you having 10 or 20 if you had the room. They get emptied every 2 weeks free.

[BeetleJuice]

When the green waste bins were introduced, it was a god send!
You'd be amazed at what u can get in a green waste bin if u try!
Only downside is sometimes if too full the truck fails to empty it & it gets left full:doh
Cheers Fred.
There is one council here in Adelaide that had set the hydraulics up to only lift a certain amount of weight.The residents complained when certain seasons made the bins more full and heavier.
The council no longer leaves any bins full due to the new green management trend where everything is now recycled.

[AJD Mowing]

I think I have developed a slight problem. I have this pet hate I hate the handle of the green bin facing the wall so when it goes back after mowing I always have to have the handle facing out.. I am now taking to turning the red and yellow bins so all handles are facing out before leaving as it looks untidy LOL I am waiting for a customer to say something to me.
Am I the only one with this mental problem or does anyone else have it? :i dunno:

[BeetleJuice]

Yes you have a problem

[Stump]

Look for hippys into permaculture and some of those will take it. I found a guy with 20 acres to dump on. His soil is crap, so he buries long rows of it under soil from his river flats, then plants fruit trees ontop of the rows. Bonus is seasonal fruit and veg when I want it.

[brettly]

I think I have developed a slight problem. I have this pet hate I hate the handle of the green bin facing the wall so when it goes back after mowing I always have to have the handle facing out.. I am now taking to turning the red and yellow bins so all handles are facing out before leaving as it looks untidy LOL I am waiting for a customer to say something to me.
Am I the only one with this mental problem or does anyone else have it? :i dunno:

I have the reverse, i like the handles on the wall side because (usually) the numbers on the bin are on the face side (front) and it looks the part. I try not to lose any sleep over it tho :)

[imoww]

You guys are all lucky you have green bins..... The Suthern highlands in NSW doesnt have them at all. Everyone has to go to the tip with their station wagons full of green waste.
Us contractors have no option but to either mulch or take it away. Most of them want it taken away.....

[luketud]

You guys are all lucky you have green bins..... The Suthern highlands in NSW doesnt have them at all. Everyone has to go to the tip with their station wagons full of green waste.
Us contractors have no option but to either mulch or take it away. Most of them want it taken away.....

Yes its bad and the tip charges more then a wounded bull i dont miss that part. You need to find a regular with land and dump it there work out a deal with them thats what i had.

[imoww]

Yep. I agree. Ive looking for someone for ages. No luck yet..... Also, the council charge contractors more for the tip fees. They caught onto us for collecting everyones garden waste removal.....

[luketud]

Yep. I agree. Ive looking for someone for ages. No luck yet..... Also, the council charge contractors more for the tip fees. They caught onto us for collecting everyones garden waste removal.....

Yeah is it still $66 a tonne for contractors and only like $33 for resi. just before i left i had to go there and dump builders waste and it was like $70 a load up here its only $13 a trailer load i love it and people complain about that

[GardenGuy]

I hear you AJD - I do the same. The missus scolded me for it until I explained she can take the darned things out when they're full and hard to manoeuver the handle away from the wall. No more argument.

We're lucky up this way to have nice big green bins that are taken weekly or two weekly (depending on which LGA I'm working). When customers see how much the waste transfer stations bill for green waste, they're ever so keen to use their green bins, mulch, start compost bins and piles... :)

Stump is spot on about permaculturists. A mate is fully into it and lived around here until recently. Even the smaller land holders (i.e. regular housing lots) seem to have a rapacious demand for green and brown waste to make the perfect compost and mulch. He needs heaps but he's up in Lisarow now. Grrrr.

Cheers - GardenGuy.

[ian]

see if you can find someone with a wormfarm ie:google worm farms and your area then ring them and see if they are interested in clippings also any hobby/pet farms

[Scooby Steve]

Bins have been great for us saves a lot of hassle.

Just one thing you have to be careful with your older customers as some will say its ok to fill the bin but then struggle to move it when bin day comes.

[sterlo]

Bins have been great for us saves a lot of hassle.

Just one thing you have to be careful with your older customers as some will say its ok to fill the bin but then struggle to move it when bin day comes.

+1........and when u come back the bin is chockers and stinks to high heaven, and u have to take it away

[Blaktop]

We have a 45kg weight limit for green bins. I have one little old lady who walks with a walking frame who tells me to fill the green bin up.......I have visions of her dragging a 45kg bin down to the gate.....and generally take the clippings with me. I use two local dumps.......one charges $3 for a ute load and $15 for a trailer, the other charges $10 for a ute and $27 for a trailer.....guess which one I use. My neighbour told me the other day he'll try and organise for me to be able to dump grass clippings at the local motor cycle track for garden mulch.....for nothing.....still waiting for the go ahead.