Skip hire is entering a new age.

The way consumers use services has evolved exponentially. Amazon, Deliveroo, and Uber, have redefined consumer habits by demonstrating ease and convenience, setting new benchmarks for consumers. These household names are forecast to skyrocket what’s known as the “on-demand delivery market” to an estimated 115.94 billion by 2032.

A market that skip hire is becoming familiar with…

From one generation to the next.

As a Director of a skip hire and waste management company, the transition two-years ago from exiting a business I founded within the education industry was a cultural shift.

Education relied on technology playing a fundamental role to up-skill a generation to meet the demands of society. Technology has advanced how we do things, and any professional who navigated the impact of the global pandemic will have learned a new way of working - stepping into the skip hire and waste industry required a fresh perspective.

A skip hire industry transition seems imminent. Understanding that consumers' needs are changing, but yet to fully commit to new ways of working. Still operating with paper practices, heavy processes with little technological or systematic input yet with significant operational overheads.

It’s an industry that has accelerated through owner-operated baby-boomers. This context is relevant because a generational shift is evident, and as consumer expectations transform, the industry must see this as an opportunity to evolve.

In today’s society 58% of consumers prioritise service over price. This figure rises to 62% among millennials and 60% among gen-z, compared to just 46% of baby-boomers. 

These trends give us a factual representation of where our industry is heading. It underscores the importance of adapting our businesses to meet the demands of the next generation who over the course of the next decade, will become increasingly integrated into our businesses as our employees, and as our customer base.

We are accustomed to receiving what we want, when we want it, with minimal effort. This instant gratification is driven by technological advancements and new ways of living, creating an environment where rapid and efficient service delivery is the norm.

Yes, today’s society expects services instantly, but it is willing to pay a premium for exceptional service. 

There lies an opportunity. 

The skip hire industry deserves credit for how quickly it has adapted to waste legislation, but has it neglected the consumers' demands in the process? 

Since entering the skip hire industry there have been a number of highlights due to recent economic shifts. 

During the pandemic fuel costs soared, interest rates escalated and we are just about to encounter a significant landfill tax rise of 21.6% from April 2025. Another milestone for change.

The skip hire dial has slowly shifted over time to waste management. Investment in back-end recycling and recovery processes is non-negotiable and enables companies to continue to operate competitively and compliantly.

Industry legislation will always be the cause of adaptation for companies. Constant regulation changes that come with ambiguous guidance lacking somewhat contextual and operational nous will continue to be a challenge. But regulation isn’t optional, and with every bit of guidance comes an opportunity to become future-proof. It’s a challenge for every business, but those who adapt, evolve, and those who don’t, will pay the price.

Service costs are also being compromised. Brokerage is deemed common practice in skip hire, but our service is a need, not a want, so what is the benefit? Ultimately, the consumer pays more and the company profits less.

Compromising prices for volumes has a short-term impact on the top-line, but is not so sustainable on the bottom-line. Technology has leveraged the broker to this point, but modern digital platforms that increase transparency and connect companies direct to consumer will short this circuit, putting the power and the profit back where it is required most.

Our industry doesn’t seem to regulate the unregulated.

Legislation regulates waste management, but there are no benchmarks for skip hire. A service in the depth of battle with companies that cut prices but ultimately increase public costs - £1bn every year in the form of tax evasion, environmental and social damage, and the negative impact on legitimate businesses.

With bad-practice tainting the trade the challenge of standing out from the competition becomes increasingly difficult. Sustainability statistics; diversion from landfill rates, permits, licences, accurate skip sizes, segregated waste types and additional charges are all signs that a skip hire company is responsibly ‘doing the right thing’. 

Great, but does the waste producer really care?

This leads us to the start of a systemic problem - the waste producer. Significantly cheaper skip prices are seen as cost effective, unsegregated waste is an easier job and overloaded skips must be better value. 

It’s a near impossible task to educate waste producers individually as a skip hire company, we know, we’ve tried. Company stipulations are taken as a punishment for their lack of education on waste regulations, of which skip hire companies must abide.

If regulations don’t cover this, then what does?

Systemic problems always start with education, and that too is where skip hire and responsible waste management must start. But this seismic shift cannot be achieved alone.

So where are the opportunities in our industry?

In the midst of a generational shift and evident industry pain points, there are opportunities that exist.

We live in a world where 80% of customer journeys start online. Where convenience, ease and service trumps all, and how we operate is constantly striving to keep up with consumer behaviour. 

My vision for the industry is one where good-practice stands out; consumers are connected to companies directly and with full transparency, with reputable skip hire companies recognised as the industry gold-standard. 

So, let’s GRAFTT.  

Uncovered from within the industry, GRAFTT is the first digital marketing platform setting an industry gold-standard by skip hire, for skip hire. 

Focused only on legitimate and responsible companies, the platform is built to connect the consumer directly with your company without taking any commission - your prices are your profit. Our model is designed to repurpose a fraction of your marketing spend as a fixed fee, as opposed to being an additional business cost. 

Our success will be significantly maximising your company’s return on investment whilst being recognised as the industry benchmark along the way.

Onward Agency, working with GRAFTT on our mission stated:

“GRAFTT is targeting a market with over 93,000 monthly searches, primarily driven by key non-brand terms. This significant potential in the UK indicates the absence of a dominant nationwide aggregator. Notably, some queries have shown 300-600% growth over the past five years, according to Google.”

We exist to elevate skip hire, and will strive to achieve this by creating unity in our industry. By working together, we will mitigate industry pain-points and put legitimate and responsible business at the forefront of a new age. This is the modern era of skip hire, so join us by heading over to graftt.co.uk and registering your interest ahead of our launch later this year.

Technology advances companies, but innovation advances industries.

GRAFTT - Let’s elevate skip hire.