Bins and Lorries

There are a variety of different types of Bins and skips for storing waste and recyclables in the UK that require different types of lorries to collect and empty them. This page summarises the main combinations of Bins and Lorries and refers to other pages on WikiWaste that delivers greater detail on each.

RCV Commercial Collection emptying 1100 litre Wheelie Bin, all rights reserved Veolia

Summary

There are a variety of different types of Bins and skips for storing waste and recyclables in the UK that require different types of lorry to collect and empty them. This page summarises the main combinations Bins and Lorries and refers to other pages on WikiWaste that delivers greater detail on each.

Household Systems

There are two primary systems used which either rely on the collection of waste in an RCV lorry and compaction of the material to aid efficiency in the logistics of the collection, or the collection of recyclables in a Kerbside Collection Lorry which relies on the sorting of materials into separate sections of the lorry to ensure removal of any contamination in the material collected. In the latter case an RCV is still used for residual waste/black bags and for the collection of green waste. In communal/multi-occupancy locations some of the systems set out below are used due to the large volumes concentrated and aggregated in one place i.e. at a block of flats.

Industrial and Commercial Compressible Systems

There are three primary systems for the collection of compressible waste from businesses via either Wheelie Bin, an FEL Skip or REL Skip. The choice can be determined by the volumes produced and in the case of the latter two options may be a function of the types of system preferred/used by a waste collection company in a geographical area. In all cases separate bins/skips are used for separate materials (i.e. residual waste, cardboard, DMR) which are in turn collected by separate lorries. In some cases, where the volumes are significant, businesses choose to have a Static Compactor on site for compressible waste and then use the lorry system below for heavy waste to move it

RCV Commercial Collection emptying 1100 litre Wheelie Bin, all rights reserved Veolia	Scania FEL Lorry with FEL Skip in process of being lifted, all right reserved Bakers Waste	REL Lorry lifting REL Skip for emptying, all rights reserved CSH
Example of RCV	Example of FEL Lorry	Example of REL Lorry
1100 Litre Wheelie Bin image from WheelieBin Warehouse (all rights reserved)	Picture of FEL Skip, all rights reserved Biffa	REL Skip, all rights reserved Hills
Example of Wheelie Bin	Example of FEL Skip	Example of REL Skip

Heavy Waste and Return Systems

The primary system for the collection and return of primarily heavy waste (such as construction and demolition waste and DIY waste from construction sites, businesses and households which are Skip based. There is a split in the system into smaller 'Builder's Skips and Larger Ro-Ro Skips that rely on a different lorry system. These systems also allow for flexibility and the collection of Bring Banks and Static Compactors and are also used extensively at Household Waste Recycling Centres.