How big is a cubic metre?

If you’ve ever wondered how much space a cubic meter actually takes up, don’t worry – you’re not alone. (Spoiler alert: it’s bigger than you think)

Knowing what a cubic metre is (or m3 if you prefer), how to calculate one, and how many you need will be a game-changer in planning your junk collection.

So let’s get started!

What is a cubic metre?

A cubic metre (m3) is a unit of volume that represents a cube in space with a height, width and depth of 1m and a volume of 1m3.

It’s a form of measurement used to calculate how much space an object takes up.

Moving Boxes

Looking at a standard moving box with the dimensions 50cm x 50cm x 45cm, you can fit 8 standard moving boxes into 1 cubic metre.

This can be a useful indicator, as you know that for every 8 boxes, you need 1 cubic metre of space in the truck.

Household Furniture

Comparatively, we can also look at the typical volume of furniture items in terms of their volume in cubic metres.

The best way to do this is to imagine the item wrapped in a box. Any extra space can be filled with small boxes or rubbish bags etc.