Disposing of dirt might not be the top thing on your mind when you plan a project. However, once you’ve finished, whether you’re running a construction site or doing some new planting in the garden, you’re going to be left with a pile of dirt. Large or small, that pile of dirt has to go somewhere. Leaving it sitting there would be unsightly, plus, the next time it rains, you’d have a muddy mess on your hands.
What you need is an efficient, cost-effective way of disposing of dirt from your yard or work site. We’ll go over several common disposal methods and then you’ll be better able to decide which one works best for your situation.
One of the best ways to get rid of something you don’t need is to give it away for free. Dirt is no exception.
Now, who wants a bunch of dirt? You might be surprised at how many people do! Contractors, landscapers, and DIY homeowners are always on the lookout for free or cheap dirt for their projects.
The simplest thing to do is pile up the dirt at an easily visible and accessible location on your property and then put a “Free” sign out with it. Other options that don’t require much effort include making online postings on sites like Craigslist, local groups on Facebook and other social media sites, HOA resident forums, etc. If you want to improve your chances of getting rid of the dirt, you can also offer free delivery.
This is a convenient option that costs you little or nothing in money, time, and effort, and you also get the satisfaction of knowing the first will be reused instead of disposed of as waste. However, there’s one major drawback: What if no one takes it? Also, while you’re waiting for a taker, the dirt’s just sitting there looking ugly and maybe putting you at odds with HOA rules. Finally, this is not an option for contractors or when working on public property, as you won’t be allowed to leave the dirt.
Reuse or recycle it. You don’t necessarily have to get rid of that extra dirt. If you have the means to store it, then you can save it for another time and another use. That dirt could come in handy for something like building a DIY fire pit, creating a play area for children, replenishing the soil in a flower bed, making a raised garden bed, and other home projects.
To store the dirt, place it in a sturdy waterproof bin and keep it out of direct sunlight and weather.
You might also be able to take the dirt to a landscaping supplier. For example, some home and garden centers will accept soil and dirt and then either compost it or, if the soil’s quality is high enough, resell it. There’s also the possibility of finding a C&D recycler (Construction and Demolition) who will take your dirt. These options may come with a small fee, but at least you’ll be rid of the dirt.
The downsides: transporting the dirt (best if you have a pickup truck) and finding a taker.
If you live reasonably close to a landfill and own or have access to a pickup truck, then hauling it away yourself might be a good option. That’s also the catch, though: you need to be reasonably close to a landfill and have access to a pickup truck.
Now, if you can check those boxes, you have a guaranteed disposal option (still, always check ahead of time to see if the landfill accepts what you want to dispose of). Another plus is that you can do the disposal on your schedule.
Some drawbacks are that you have to go to the time and effort yourself and that for larger projects, you might have to make multiple trips to get rid of everything. In that instance, the gas money, time, and work start to add up.
Of all the options to dispose of dirt, this one is probably the most convenient. All you have to do is contact the company, and they’ll send some employees over to see what needs to be removed and quote you a price for it. If you accept the offer, then they take the dirt away and you never have to see it again. And you didn’t have to do a bit of work.
There are a couple of downsides to this approach. First, you have to be home when the workers come over since they have to give you a price and you have to choose whether or not to accept it. For most people, that’s only going to be a slight inconvenience, though. More significantly, this option can easily be the most expensive one because the company will charge based on volume. A small pile from a garden project? That probably won’t cost too much. But larger amounts of dirt from a construction site? That’s going to be pricey.
A fifth option for disposing of dirt is renting a roll-off dumpster. This is an open-topped rectangular bin delivered to your site. The relatively low tops make it easy to dispose of most items, and some bins have side access through a door, making disposal even easier. While there are things you can’t put into a dumpster, dirt and soil aren’t among them as long as they haven’t been contaminated by toxic substances. Plus, you can use the bin for getting rid of other allowable items you don’t need anymore.
There’s even more convenience. You decide how long you need the dumpster and then fill it at your own pace. When you’re done, the rental company comes back, picks up the dumpster, and disposes of the contents.
If you need a dumpster rental in Orlando, you can look to RGH Waste & Disposal for reliable service, professional customer care, same-day or next-day delivery and pickup, and fair, honest pricing.
Lisa is the General Manager of RGH Waste and Disposal LLC. After many years of working in waste management, Lisa has ‘seen it all’ and then some! She knows the 'ins' and 'outs' of waste disposal and has a wealth of experience from years of working with first-time dumpster renters to seasoned commercial clients.
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