Councils deal with a lot of waste that never goes into a normal bin lorry. Think of soil dug up when a park is improved, rubble left after a footpath is mended, old furniture in an empty council flat, or a pile of rubbish dumped in a lay-by. All of it needs to be collected, carried away safely and dealt with in the right way.
That is where a council waste contractor comes in. Clearaway is a family-run waste management company based in Basildon, and we have been collecting and recycling waste across Essex for over 20 years. We already help Basildon Council with fly-tip clearance, and our fleet of skip lorries, grab lorries and roll-on roll-off lorries can support many other council jobs too. This guide explains what we offer, which service suits which job, and what happens to the waste once it leaves the site.
What does a council waste contractor do?
A council waste contractor is a company that a council pays to collect, move and deal with waste for it. Councils run lots of services, from housing and roads to parks and schools, and every one of them creates waste. Rather than owning every type of lorry and skip, many councils use a local contractor that already has the vehicles, the licences and somewhere to take the waste.
The work can be a one-off job, like clearing a single fly tip, or a regular arrangement, like swapping a large skip at a depot every week.
Council jobs we can help with
- Fly-tip clearance: collecting dumped waste from roads, verges and open spaces
- Empty council homes: clearing old furniture and rubbish so a property can be let again
- Parks and open spaces: removing soil, green waste and old fencing during improvement works
- Roads and footpaths: lifting rubble, concrete and broken paving after repairs
- Depots and council buildings: regular collections of large amounts of mixed or bulky waste
- Building and refit projects: skips for schools, libraries, offices and community centres
- Community events: wheelie bins delivered, emptied and collected around the event
Grab hire, skips and RORO: which one fits the job?
| Service | Size | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grab hire | 32 tonne grab lorry carrying up to 16 tonnes per load | Soil, rubble, concrete, muck and clay | The grab arm can reach over walls and fences, so nothing needs to be left on site |
| Skip hire | 2 to 16 yards | Smaller clear-outs, refits and empty homes | Enclosed skips from 8 to 16 yards have lockable lids |
| RORO skip hire | 20, 30 and 40 yards | Depots, large clearances, demolition and long-running works | 30 and 40 yard skips cannot take mud or hardcore because of weight limits |
| Vehicle and driver hire | 3.5 to 18 tonne skip lorries, plus 32 tonne grab and RORO lorries | Extra lorries for busy periods | The price includes the driver, lorry, fuel and insurance |
Grab hire for heavy and hard-to-reach waste
A grab lorry is a large lorry with a strong mechanical arm on the back. The arm scoops waste straight off the ground and drops it into the lorry, so nobody has to lift heavy materials by hand. That makes it safer for workers and much quicker than filling a skip with a wheelbarrow.
Our grab hire in Essex is a good choice for council jobs that create heavy, loose waste, such as:
- Soil and turf dug out when a park or play area is improved
- Brick, concrete and broken paving from road and footpath repairs
- Muck and clay from drainage or groundworks
- Mixed building rubbish from a demolition
One grab lorry can carry up to 16 tonnes of waste in a single trip. Fewer trips means less traffic, lower fuel use and a site that is cleared faster. Our grab lorries can also deliver materials, such as Type 1 MOT, crushed hardcore and topsoil, which is useful when a job needs the ground built back up.
Skips for smaller council projects
Not every job needs a lorry with a crane. For a refit at a school, a clear-out at a community centre or emptying a council flat, a standard skip is often the simplest answer. Our skips range from 2 yards for small jobs up to 16 yards for bulky, lighter waste.
Enclosed skips have a lockable lid, which keeps the waste dry, stops it blowing about and makes it harder for other people to add their own rubbish. This is handy in public places such as car parks or near housing.
RORO skip hire for depots and large sites
RORO stands for roll-on/roll-off. These are very large open containers that a special lorry rolls on and off its back. They are much bigger than a normal skip, which makes them ideal for council depots, large clearances and building projects that run for weeks or months.
Our RORO skip hire comes in three sizes:
- 20 yard: 6m long, 2.5m wide and 2m high
- 30 yard: 6.5m long, 2.5m wide and 2.5m high
- 40 yard: 7m long, 2.5m wide and 2.5m high
A RORO skip can be swapped when it is full, so a depot or large site always has somewhere to put its waste. Bigger, lighter loads such as wood, cardboard, plastic and general mixed waste suit the 30 and 40 yard sizes. Heavy waste such as soil and hardcore should go in a 20 yard skip or be cleared with a grab lorry.
Fly-tip clearance for Basildon Council
Fly tipping is when someone dumps rubbish illegally, for example on a grass verge or down a country lane. It looks awful, attracts pests and can be dangerous, so it needs clearing quickly and safely.
Clearaway helps Basildon Council with this work. We send the right vehicle for the size of the job, load the waste safely and leave the area clean. You can follow the whole process in our guide to fly-tip clearance for Basildon Council, which also shows what commonly dumped items like mattresses and sofas can become.
What happens to the waste we collect
Every load we collect comes back to our own recycling centre in Basildon instead of being sent straight to landfill. Our site can process over 200,000 tonnes of waste a year, and we aim to reuse, recycle or recover 100% of the materials we receive.
- Each lorry is weighed, and its load is checked before it is accepted
- The waste goes through a large shredder, which breaks it into pieces no bigger than 450mm
- Our picking team pulls out larger items that can be recycled
- Metals are separated and sent on to be made into new metal
- Bricks and concrete are crushed so they can be used in foundations and building blocks
- Wood is graded so it can be made into new wood products or used as fuel
- Light waste that cannot be recycled is made into fuel for energy plants, helping to generate electricity
Our site takes non-hazardous waste only. We do not accept items such as asbestos, fridges and freezers, gas bottles, tyres, lithium-ion batteries, clinical waste, or paint and solvents unless the tins are empty. These need to go through specialist routes.
Paperwork and rules councils can rely on
When a council pays someone to take its waste away, it still has a legal responsibility to make sure that waste is handled properly. The government’s waste duty of care code of practice explains this. It even names local authorities as an example of organisations that arrange waste collections for others. The code says records describing non-hazardous waste must be kept for 2 years.
Clearaway makes this part simple. We hold:
- A registered waste carriers licence
- Environmental permits for our recycling site
- ISO 9001 for quality management
- ISO 45001 for health and safety
- A Carbon Reduction Plan setting out our commitment to Net Zero
We are also BSI certified and approved by the Environment Agency, and every collection comes with the correct paperwork.
Why councils choose a local contractor
- We are close by. Our base in Basildon means short journeys across Essex and a quick response when a job is urgent.
- We offer same-day delivery. Skips, RORO skips and grab lorries can often be on site the same day.
- We have our own recycling site. You always know exactly where your waste is going.
- We have the right vehicles. From small skip lorries to 32-tonne grab and RORO lorries, one contractor can cover every type of job.
- We are trusted locally. We are family-run, have over 20 years of experience and have more than 600 five-star Google reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a council waste contractor?
It is a company that a council pays to collect, move and deal with waste for it. This could be anything from clearing a single fly tip to supplying large skips for a depot all year round.
Which areas do you cover?
We are based in Basildon and cover the whole of Essex, as well as parts of East London.
What is the difference between grab hire and RORO skip hire?
A grab lorry uses a mechanical arm to scoop up waste and take it away in one go, so nothing is left on site. A RORO skip is a very large container that stays on site while it is filled, then gets swapped or collected.
How much can a grab lorry carry?
One of our grab lorries can carry up to 16 tonnes of waste in a single load, which makes it ideal for heavy materials such as soil and rubble.
Can you take hazardous waste?
No. Our site takes non-hazardous waste only. Items such as asbestos, gas bottles, fridges and chemicals need to be dealt with by a specialist.
Get in Touch
Clearaway is a family-run waste management company that has been based in Basildon for over 20 years. Whether you need a grab lorry for a single job or regular RORO collections at a depot, our team can help you find the right service. Call us on 01268 520166 to talk through your council’s waste needs.
