Balfour Beatty – The Krizevac Project
Read More about Balfour Beatty – The Krizevac ProjectMuck Away Services
Muck away is the removal and responsible disposal of excavated material and waste from a site, usually by grab hire lorry. It covers soil, subsoil, clay, rubble, hardcore and broken concrete cleared during construction, groundworks or landscaping. Reconomy provides muck away services across the UK through a network of fully compliant supply partners, with an instant quote on request.
What is muck away?
Muck away is the process of removing excavated materials and waste from a site, typically in construction, groundworks, housebuilding and infrastructure. It usually involves a grab hire lorry that attends the site, loads the material in bulk and transports it away for responsible disposal or recovery.
The material removed, often called spoil or muck, can include soil, subsoil, clay, rubble, hardcore and broken concrete. Removing it clears the site and keeps a project moving on to its next phase.
Reconomy has provided muck away services for over 25 years. Working with a dedicated in-house team and a large pool of fully compliant supply partners, we handle muck away removal efficiently and accurately, so you get a fast, reliable and compliant service wherever your site is in the UK.
Muck away vs grab hire: what is the difference?
The two terms are closely linked and often used together, which is why people search for both.
Grab hire is the vehicle and the method. A grab lorry has a hydraulic arm that reaches over walls and obstacles to scoop material directly from the ground, without the need for a wheelbarrow or manual loading.
Muck away is the service and the outcome. It is the removal and disposal of the excavated material itself. In practice, muck away is usually carried out by grab hire, so when you book muck away with Reconomy you are getting both the grab lorry and the compliant disposal of what it carries, managed as one service.
For larger volumes, a grab lorry is often more cost-effective than skips, because one vehicle can clear in a single visit what would otherwise take several skip collections.
Get an instant quoteMost inert and construction materials can be handled as muck away. The right approach depends on the material type and its classification.
| Material | How it is usually handled |
|---|---|
| Clean and inert soil and subsoil | Removed for reuse or recovery, often the lowest-cost option |
| Clay | Removed by grab lorry, with disposal or recovery based on classification |
| Rubble and hardcore | Frequently recycled into recycled aggregates |
| Broken concrete | Crushed and recycled where possible |
| Mixed excavation waste | Sorted, with recoverable material diverted from landfill |
| Contaminated or hazardous soil | Tested and classified first, then handled through specialist compliant disposal |
Where soil may be contaminated, it should be sampled and classified before removal. Reconomy offers soil sampling, testing and classification to confirm how material must be handled, which protects you under duty of care and avoids incorrect disposal.
Reconomy manages muck away end to end, so you have a single point of contact from quote to completion.
- Request a quote: Tell us your location, the material and the approximate volume, and we will provide an instant quote tailored to your site.
- Site assessment: Our Site Liaison Officers can attend to confirm the volume, material type and site access.
- Classification if needed: Where material may be contaminated, we arrange soil sampling and classification first.
- Grab lorry attends: A grab hire lorry arrives and loads the material in bulk, clearing large volumes in a single visit.
- Compliant transport and disposal: Licensed carriers transport the material to the nearest suitable licensed disposal or recovery site.
- Documentation: You receive the waste transfer documentation you need to meet your duty of care.
How many cubic metres are in a muck away lorry?
The capacity of a muck away grab hire lorry varies by supply partner and vehicle, but it commonly ranges from around 10 to 20 cubic metres. A typical eight-wheel grab lorry carries roughly 16 tonnes in a single load.
That capacity is what makes grab hire efficient. One lorry can collect a large volume of material, such as mixed concrete or spoil, in a single service, removing the need for multiple skips and reducing disruption on site.
How much does muck away cost?
The cost of muck away depends on several factors, so it is quoted per site rather than as a fixed price. The main things that affect the price are:
- Volume of material, which determines how many grab loads are needed.
- Material type and classification, as contaminated or hazardous soil costs more to handle than clean, inert material.
- Distance to the nearest licensed disposal or recovery facility.
- Site access, since easy loading is quicker and more efficient than restricted access.
- Additional services, such as combining the run with an aggregate delivery on the return journey.
A practical example: because a single grab lorry can carry around 16 tonnes in one visit, clearing a large volume by grab hire is usually more cost-effective than booking several skips. Combining your muck away with an aggregate delivery, so the lorry arrives loaded and leaves loaded, can reduce cost further.
Reconomy provides an instant quote tailored to your site. Get in touch with your location, material and volume for a price.
Get a quote from our expertsMuck away coverage across the UK
Reconomy provides muck away across the UK. Through a network of over 1,000 fully compliant regional supply partners, we can source the nearest available grab lorry and the closest suitable disposal or recovery facility to your site.
That national coverage with local fulfilment means a fast response wherever you are working, with the rates and reliability that come from a managed, pre-approved supplier network rather than a single local operator.
Duty of care and compliant disposal
When you remove waste from a site, you have a legal duty of care to ensure it is handled and disposed of correctly. Reconomy manages this for you.
We use licensed waste carriers, provide the waste transfer documentation you need, and dispose of material in the most compliant way possible. Wherever we can, we divert material from landfill by directing inert soil, rubble and concrete towards reuse and recycling, so muck away supports your sustainability and zero-waste goals as well as clearing your site.
Learn about duty of careWhy choose Reconomy for muck away
Reconomy is one of the UK’s leading muck away providers, with the scale and compliance of a managed national service:
- Over 25 years of experience in muck away and site services.
- A network of more than 1,000 fully compliant supply partners for UK-wide coverage.
- Licensed carriers, full waste transfer documentation and duty of care covered.
- A focus on diverting material from landfill towards reuse and recycling.
- A single point of contact, with Site Liaison Officers on hand and one invoice for the job.
Our muck away service is delivered through Reconomy’s specialist brands and our compliant supply partner network, giving you reliable removal and responsible disposal in one managed service.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Muck away is the removal and responsible disposal of excavated material and waste from a site, usually by grab hire lorry. It typically covers soil, subsoil, clay, rubble, hardcore and broken concrete cleared during construction, groundworks or landscaping. The material is loaded in bulk, transported by a licensed carrier and disposed of or recovered in a compliant way.
Grab hire is the vehicle and method, a lorry with a hydraulic arm that scoops material directly from the ground. Muck away is the service and outcome, the removal and compliant disposal of that material. In practice muck away is usually delivered by grab hire, so booking muck away gives you both the grab lorry and the responsible disposal of what it removes, managed together.
Most inert and construction materials can be handled, including soil, subsoil, clay, rubble, hardcore, mixed excavation waste and broken concrete. Clean inert material is usually the lowest-cost option and is often reused or recycled. Contaminated or hazardous soil can also be removed, but it should be sampled and classified first so it is handled through the correct compliant disposal route.
A muck away grab hire lorry commonly holds around 10 to 20 cubic metres, depending on the supply partner and vehicle. A typical eight-wheel grab lorry carries roughly 16 tonnes in a single load. That capacity lets one lorry clear a large volume of spoil or concrete in a single visit, removing the need for multiple skips.
Muck away is quoted per site rather than as a fixed price. The cost depends on the volume of material, its type and classification, the distance to the nearest licensed disposal site, site access, and any additional services. Clearing large volumes by grab hire is usually more cost-effective than multiple skips. Reconomy provides an instant quote tailored to your site.
Yes. Removing waste from a site carries a legal duty of care to ensure it is transported and disposed of correctly. Reconomy uses licensed waste carriers, provides the waste transfer documentation you need, and disposes of material compliantly. Contaminated soil must be classified before removal so it follows the correct disposal route.
Material is taken to the nearest suitable licensed disposal or recovery facility. Wherever possible, Reconomy diverts material from landfill: inert soil, rubble and broken concrete are often reused or recycled into recycled aggregates. This responsible approach supports your sustainability and zero-waste goals as well as clearing your site.
Reconomy provides muck away across the UK. Through a network of more than 1,000 fully compliant regional supply partners, we source the nearest available grab lorry and the closest suitable disposal or recovery site to your location, giving national coverage with a fast, local response.
Get in touch