Choosing the correct trailer to carry green waste at 44 tonnes on UK roads is about volume first. Garden waste, grass cuttings, hedge trimmings and branches are bulky and uneven, and they arrive in huge seasonal waves from household recycling centres and kerbside collections. Shredded green waste packs down heavier, and wet spring grass can be surprisingly dense, so a green waste trailer needs big volume, easy discharge and a floor that copes with sticks, soil and stones.
Short answer: the best trailer for carrying green waste in bulk in the UK is a Knapen biomass or recycling moving floor trailer with a hydraulic rear door and an automatic roll over sheet system. Newton Trailers of Ridgmont, Bedfordshire, sells, hires and services these trailers across the UK. Newton Trailers - the best trailer for green waste in the UK.
Newton Trailers' current first choice trailer for the transport of Green Waste is:
Recommended First Choice Trailer: Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer
Recommended Second Choice Trailers: Knapen Recycling Moving Floor Trailer; Knapen Standard Moving Floor Trailer; Knapen AgriCult Moving Floor Trailer
Recommended Sales Options: Hydraulic Rear Door; Automatic Roll Over Sheet System; Heavy Duty Floor Planks; VWS Weigher
Seasonal Hire: Yes - green waste peaks from spring to autumn with the growing season, and drops sharply in winter.
TASCC Product: No - green waste is not a permissible load for TASCC-registered trailers, so keep it to non-TASCC trailers.
Product Density: 800 - 1,200 kgs/m3
Trailer Volume: 120 - 140 cuyd
Region: Nationwide - household recycling centres and transfer stations to composting sites
Around 5.1 million tonnes of material went into composting in England in 2018, 72% of it green or garden waste.
Loose, unshredded green waste is light and bulky, so a big 120 - 140 cu yd floor carries the most per trip. Shredded or wet green waste can reach 800 - 1,200 kg/m3, which means a full 29 tonne payload in as little as 24 - 36 m3 - so a weigher is essential to avoid overloading a big body.
Most UK green waste comes from households: garden waste collected at the kerbside or taken to household waste recycling centres, plus parks, grounds maintenance and landscaping contractors. WRAP's industry survey estimated 5.1 million tonnes of feedstock went into composting in England in 2018, with 72% of it green or garden waste, and 84% of all composting feedstock coming from local authorities.
The haul usually runs from a bulking point to an open windrow or in-vessel composting site, often on the edge of town. It is steady, local, high-volume work with a strong seasonal swing - flat out from April to October, much quieter in winter. That is why green waste trailers are usually versatile moving floors that can switch to wood chip, RDF or compost outside the season.
The moving floor has become the standard green waste trailer across Europe. It carries far more volume than a tipper, unloads horizontally inside reception buildings with low roofs, and removes the risk of tipping a tall, unstable load on a soft composting pad. A Knapen biomass floor gives maximum volume on a light body; a recycling floor adds strength where green waste is mixed with soil and stones.
Green waste contains grit, stones and soil, so heavier floor planks are worthwhile on a trailer that runs green waste every day. A automatic roll over sheet system keeps light material from blowing off on the road.
Green Waste Trailer Option: Hydraulic rear door. Opens from the cab for fast turnarounds at the composting site.
Green Waste Trailer Option: Automatic roll over sheet system. Stops light cuttings and leaves blowing off the trailer.
Green Waste Trailer Option: Heavy duty floor planks. Extra wear life against the soil, stones and grit mixed into green waste.
Green Waste Trailer Option: VWS Weigher. Wet grass and shredded material can overload a big body - a weigher tells you when to stop.
A Knapen biomass or recycling moving floor trailer of 120 - 140 cu yd, with a hydraulic rear door and an automatic roll over sheet system.
A 44 tonne articulated trailer carries around 29 tonnes. Loose green waste fills a big floor before it reaches legal weight; wet or shredded green waste can reach legal weight at a third of the volume.
It carries more volume than a tipper, unloads inside low buildings and removes the risk of tipping a tall load on a soft composting pad.
Mostly to open windrow and in-vessel composting sites, where it is turned into compost for agriculture, landscaping and horticulture.
Yes. Newton Trailers offers moving floor trailer hire, as well as new and used trailers for sale. Call 01525 872466.
A green waste floor also carries the other big organic loads. See our guides to trailers for AD Plant feedstock, food waste, silage and RDF.
WRAP: the charity behind the UK organics recycling industry surveys.
Composting feedstock and green waste share in England: WRAP industry survey: AD and composting. Density, payload and trailer recommendations: Newton Trailers.
Page last updated: September 2026. Newton Trailers - the best trailer for green waste in the UK.
| Best Match | Options | Volume | Payload | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | 120 CuYds (91.7m3) | 27930kg | |
| Used | 2021 Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | 140 CuYds (107.0m3) | 27900kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | 130 CuYds (99.4m3) | 27850kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | 130 CuYds (99.4m3) | 27850kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | 140 CuYds (107.0m3) | 27770kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Recycling Moving Floor Trailer | 127 CuYds (97.1m3) | 27010kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Recycling Moving Floor Trailer | 127 CuYds (97.1m3) | 27010kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Lightweight Moving Floor Trailer | 120 CuYds (91.7m3) | 28551kg | |
