By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy

Soil removal with spade
4 minutes

A guide to Soil Removal

How to dispose of soil from garden borders

When considering how to get rid of excess soil from garden flower beds, or how to get rid of mud from garden borders, you might want to think about using the soil elsewhere in your garden before removing it altogether. If the pile of excess soil is on the smaller side it could be used to top up other areas of your outdoor space. Perhaps some other flower beds look a little flat and could benefit from being ‘plumped up’.

Another good use before you start to think about how to throw away soil is to check whether your lawn needs to be levelled. Over time natural dips can appear in your lawn. These unsightly spots can be solved by sprinkling a little topsoil over the affected areas followed by grass seed. If you still have soil left over, keep reading for our suggestions on how to dispose of soil UK.

Where can I dump soil for free?

Under dumping soil UK laws, unfortunately, you cannot just leave soil anywhere. If you’re looking up ‘where to dump dirt for free near me’, you probably won’t find too many options. Garden waste dumping is illegal as it leads to things like a heightened risk of fire and disturbance to biodiversity.

Where to dispose of soil safely and legally

When embarking on a new outdoors DIY project, many gardeners might wonder where to throw soil and which coloured bin it should go into. Soil cannot go in the general waste wheelie bin because it is classed as garden waste and not domestic waste. However, using the garden waste bin is only suitable if you’re dealing with a small amount of soil that will fit along with other normal amounts of garden materials.

Before turning to paid options for waste disposal you could look for people that might want to take the soil off your hands for private property or an agreed-on public project.

  1. Neighbours

Start by thinking about garden soil removal near you. When considering how to get rid of turf and soil, your first port of call would be to check with neighbours. It’s possible they are working on garden projects and could take some or all of the soil off your hands. Your neighbours are likely to have the same type of soil as you so wouldn’t have to worry about inconsistency in quality.

  1. Farmers and community projects

Further afoot, enquiring with local farmers and community projects, you may find someone who has a need for your soil and who has the equipment to come and pick it up.

  1. Classified ads

Other places to get rid of soil for free are classified ads sites like Freecycle and Gumtree. Consider posting on local or other relevant groups on social media too. Favours such as top soil removal aren’t unusual on Facebook and Twitter if it means getting some free material.

Your soil could be of low quality, and people need to know if it is. It’s worth spending a bit of time determining the type and quality of the soil because this could be the difference between no one wanting it and someone willing to pay for it.

Nevertheless, don’t forget that people who want your soil for free will be happier to come and collect it than people who expect to pay.

What’s the cheapest way to get rid of soil?

If you’re not able to dispose of your soil for free and you want to know how to get rid of soil cheaply, then either a skip hire service or recycling centre is the next best thing.

Soil skip hire

The most convenient and affordable solution to dealing with soil removal is to arrange a domestic skip hire in Kent. There are lots of benefits to hiring a soil skip when you’re about to embark on a landscaping or gardening project, for example:

  • You can load the skip at your own pace, as you carry out your work.
  • You’ll have the benefit of being able to store the soil somewhere tidy while you work
  • The skip will be removed when you need it to be without the hassle of transferring soil into a new container
  • You can have a full skip replaced with an empty one to immediately continue your work on garden soil removal
  • The high walls of the skip mean the soil is out of bounds to children and pets where possible

Taking soil to the tip

Find out if your local recycling centre accepts garden waste. The majority of recycling centres will but it’s a good idea to check beforehand. You should also find out if there are any volume restrictions. If you have a particularly large volume of soil you might be expected to pay a fee to the tip.

Make sure the soil is in robust sacks to keep transportation easy for you and those dealing with the soil at the other end.

TW Services skip hire service

If you’ve been searching ‘soil removal services near me’ or ‘soil disposal near me’, you’re in the right place. We’ve been helping people searching for soil removal by providing efficient and affordable waste management for over 25 years. Contact our team today to find out options for dirt removal.

We can provide the optimal skip size for soil for whatever project you’re working on. Our skip sizes range from three to 12 cubic yards so there’s something to fit every situation.

It’s useful to know how much soil will be generated throughout your work as this will help you book the right size or number of skips. Alternatively, speak to us. We have lots of experience in dealing with garden waste and can work out the estimated volume of your soil similar to a soil removal calculator. UK laws prevent us from putting a skip on the pavement and there is an extra charge of £42.00 per week for skips positioned on the road, so you should consider where your skip will go beforehand too.

Fill in our contact form or call us on 01304 626364 to get started.

Share article