Friday 29 November 2013

Making life easier with a skip

By Geoge Linen


Most people, at some point in their lives, will need to hire a skip. These large, open topped containers can be used either by businesses or by individuals to deposit waste where the quantities are too large for the usual refuse collection services to remove. The skip is normally dropped off by the hire company, left at the customer's disposal for a certain number of days, then picked up again by a purpose built wagon. This should then dispose of the contents in a responsible manner.

Skips are particularly useful if you are planning any sort of home improvement project, such as replacing your roof, putting in new windows or stripping out a central heating system. They can also be used for garden clearances, providing a solution to the question of what to do with awkward garden sheds or greenhouses.

It's important to choose the right size of skip for the purpose. If in doubt, go for the larger size; you don't want the wasted time and expense of leaving a job half-done and having to reorder a second skip. Bear in mind that there is often a fill level on the skip over which you must not go. This prevents the load from becoming unstable in transit.

If there's no possibility of putting the skip on private land, then a permit from your local council will be necessary. Whilst many councils are happy for the skip company to apply on their customer's behalf, some only issue permits to the end user. It is illegal to park a skip on the public highway without a permit, and it's also illegal to park it on the pavement.

If you do have a skip on the road, you will usually be required to put safety lights and cones around it. You must also ensure that the name and contact details of the hire company are visible. In addition to these statutory guidelines, each council will also have local procedures with regard to skips.

There are certain household items that are deemed hazardous and which must not be put into a skip. These include refrigerators, freezers, electrical appliances, tyres, batteries, asbestos, gas bottles, fluorescent light tubes, solvents, fuels, aerosols and medical waste. If you are unsure about anything, contact the skip provider for confirmation.

There are many skip hire companies in the phone book, but how do you know which one to choose? Personal recommendations are always helpful, but you can also get the measure of a company by the way that they handle your enquiry. They should also be clear about how they intend to dispose of your waste. If possible, check that they hold a valid waste removal licence. In the eyes of the law you are responsible for your rubbish, and if it is not disposed of properly then you are liable.

A good waste management company should be able to recycle around 80 per cent of your waste material. Wood, for example, may be converted into chipboard or MDF, plastics reprocessed into new plastic items and metals into new metal items. Soils can go to landscapers, bricks and rubble to road building projects and glass can also be used in the construction of road surfaces. Green waste can be composted or converted into gas. The little that is left will either be burnt or go into landfill.




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