Whether you’re hiring a skip for domestic or commercial purposes, it’s a good idea to ensure that you are properly educated in all the considerations you should take before your skip arrives.
You should follow all safety procedures and local legislation to ensure that everything is done properly and that you are not risking your firm facing trouble or additional costs.
If you follow these do’s and dont’s, put together by the REMONDIS team, you can be confident that you’re keeping within the terms of your skip hire agreement.
When Should I Hire A Skip?
If you’re looking to carry out a project that requires waste management, you’ll likely benefit from a skip. Skip hire is ideal for:
- Building,
- Decorating,
- Gardening,
- House clearances,
- Home renovations.
If you’re looking to get the most out of your skip hire, take a look at our beginner’s guide on how to hire a skip, or similarly, read through our tips for a seamless skip hire experience.
What Can I Put In A Skip?
It is important to be mindful of what you put in your skip. Some items cannot be put in a skip and may require more specialist removal methods.
Items you can put in your skip include:
- Household waste (such as non-upholstered furniture, old carpets, etc.)
- General rubbish (such as cardboard, paper, plastics and glass)
- Garden and landscaping waste (should your skip be predominately filled with soil, let your skip provider know)
- Renovation and building waste (such as rubble, old tiles, wood and kitchen/bathroom renovation waste)
You should never put the following in a skip:
- Upholstered furniture (unless agreed in advance),
- Hazardous waste,
- Flammable waste,
- Liquid waste,
- Powdered waste,
- Asbestos,
- Oil,
- Clinical waste,
- Tyres (unless agreed in advance),
- Gas/pressurised canisters,
- Lighting/fluorescent tubes,
- Hazardous (treated) wood,
- Plasterboard (unless kept in a separate skip for plaster only)
These guidelines are in place not only to keep you compliant and safe, but also the general public who may come into contact with your skip, and the team members who will come and collect your skip and deal with the waste. Failure to follow these guidelines could result in additional charges.
Ordering The Right Size Skip
A key part of skip hire is ordering the right-sized skip. Choosing the wrong skip could result in further charges to hire additional skips or paying for a skip that is too big.
If you’re unsure what skip size is needed for your project, take a look at our handy skip size guide on our skip hire form. This will help you understand the various skip sizes available and how many black bin bags will fit into each.
Choosing The Correct Skip Placement
Your next consideration should be where the skip is going to go.
You can place a skip on the road if you have the right permissions and a skip-hire permit. A good rule of thumb as to whether it is a safe place to put a skip is whether or not you could park a car there.
A skip can also be placed on your driveway, however, before you book, think about the following:
- Is there sufficient space to take a skip?
- Are there any trees in the way that may be damaged?
- Are there low-level telephone cables in the area?
If you are concerned about damaging your driveway, wooden planks can be used underneath the skip to protect the surface but the safest thing to do if you’re worried about damage is to ask for a permit and to have the skip put on the road.
Never Overfill A Skip
Overfilling a skip and exceeding the maximum permitted weight is dangerous. All skips must only be level-filled, to ensure that other road users are not at risk when the skip is picked up. An overfilled skip can cause waste and debris to fall onto the carriageway during transportation.
You will likely be charged for a wasted journey or for the removal of excess waste should you overfill your skip.
How Long Am I Renting The Skip For?
Before hiring your skip, consider the project you’re carrying out and how long you will need the skip. The standard rental period may be too short and this should be discussed with your skip-hire provider.
Never Burn The Rubbish In The Skip
Never use a skip to burn rubbish or materials. This is incredibly dangerous and breaks safety guidelines for renting a skip. You could damage the skip itself and the paintwork, and will likely face additional charges for this damage. You could also risk being reported to the Environment Agency and the Fire service, with serious repercussions.
Here at REMONDIS, we are proud to have offered exceptional skip-hire services for many years and with many happy customers, we’ll be more than happy to provide additional advice you need to book a skip. We can undertake all the planning for a successful skip hire so that you can focus on the finer details of the project at hand.
Book a skip online today, or speak to our experts at 01670 468 945.
