Rubble removal glossary
Plain-English explanations of the terms you will come across.
- Bulk bag
- A woven polypropylene bag, also called a dumpy bag or FIBC, usually rated to carry about one tonne. Commonly used to store rubble and soil for collection.
- Bulking factor
- The increase in volume when soil or rubble is dug or broken up, typically around 20 to 30 percent for soil. It means a pile is larger than the hole it came from.
- Coal tar
- A substance found in some older tarmac, usually laid before the 1980s. Tarmac containing coal tar is classed as hazardous waste and needs testing and special disposal.
- Duty of Care
- The legal duty on anyone producing or handling waste to keep it safe and pass it only to someone authorised to take it. Householders must check that waste collectors are registered.
- European Waste Catalogue code
- A six-digit code describing a type of waste, used on waste transfer notes. Rubble usually falls under construction and demolition codes, such as mixtures of concrete, bricks and tiles.
- Grab lorry
- A lorry with a hydraulic grab arm that scoops loose waste straight off the ground. Suited to large piles of rubble or soil within reach of the road.
- Hand-ball
- Trade term for moving waste by hand, shovel and wheelbarrow rather than by machine. Used where a skip, grab lorry or crane cannot reach the waste.
- Hardcore
- Broken brick, concrete, stone or crushed aggregate used as a compacted base under patios, paths, driveways and floors. Old hardcore dug out from under a patio is removed as rubble.
- Inert waste
- Waste that does not significantly break down, burn or react, such as clean brick, concrete, stone, tiles and uncontaminated soil. It is cheaper to dispose of and can usually be crushed and recycled.
- Landfill tax lower rate
- The reduced rate of landfill tax charged on qualifying inert materials such as rocks and soils. In England and Northern Ireland it is £8.65 per tonne from April 2026.
- Recycled aggregate
- Crushed and screened brick, concrete and stone produced from rubble at a recycling site. Used for sub-bases, pipe bedding, backfill and temporary roads.
- Skip permit
- Permission from the local highway authority to place a skip on a public road or pavement. Usually arranged by the skip company and not needed for a loaded collection.
- Wait-and-load
- A collection where the vehicle stays on the road while the crew loads it, then leaves the same visit. No skip is left on site and no skip permit is needed.
- Waste carrier registration
- Registration with the environmental regulator that a business needs to carry waste. Upper tier registration is needed to carry construction and demolition waste or other people's waste.
- Waste transfer note
- A document recording a transfer of waste from one party to another, including a description, quantity, waste code and both parties' details. Businesses must keep them for at least two years.
Last updated 6 November 2026