Whether you are throwing away your old furniture or want to dispose of waste from garden clean ups, skip hire can be an affordable and easy solution to remove the rubbish from your property. There are a lot of companies that offer skips of different sizes and deliver it to your location for a certain period so that you can dump the rubbish in it. After you are done, they take it to a landfill to empty the contents of the skip.
Although skip hires are very convenient for getting rid of rubbish and waste, there are limitations regarding the items you can and cannot put in the skip. Some people are surprised when the skip hire services provider gives them a list of things that they cannot put in the skip. This is mainly because some items are restricted according to health and safety regulations, as they hazardous to the environment. That is why, it is recommended that before you request a quote for a skip and make arrangements for waste disposal, you know what items you can put in the skip.
Items you can put in a Skip
Generally, all those items that are not harmful or hazardous to the environment can be put in a skip. Here is a list of majority of such items, just to give you an idea.
- Wood
- Solidified paint
- Soil
- Rubble
- Polystyrene
- Plastic
- Metal
- Gas cookers
- Garden waste (leaves, clippings, etc.)
- Furniture
- Food and food packaging
- Fittings (non-electrical)
- Empty tins
- Domestic waste
- Cardboard
- Bricks
If the items you want to dispose of are not in this list, you should contact your skip hire services provider or local council to confirm whether you can put them in the skip.
Items you cannot put in a Skip
According to waste disposal rules and legislation, items that are harmful or hazardous cannot be put in a skip. It is important to know which items come under this category, because if the skip hire company finds those items in their skip, they may refuse to remove the skip off your property or ask you to pay extra for the correct disposal. Below is the list of items you cannot put in a skip and the right ways of their disposal.
Electrical Equipment and Appliances
Some electrical equipment and appliances that are restricted include computers, dishwashers, televisions, freezers, electric cookers, microwaves, and fridges. Waste electrical items can be disposed of by taking them to a registered WEEE recycling centre. You may contact your local council to know the location of the nearest WEEE recycling centre to you.
Large Batteries
Large batteries, whether they are of your car or any other equipment, are not allowed to be put in a skip. This is because they are full of harmful chemicals, like lead, and should be recycled using collection boxes that are easily available at supermarkets. You can also take them to a recycling centre.
Fluorescent Bulbs
Since fluorescent bulbs contain materials such as mercury, which are very harmful, you cannot put them in a skip. Again, you may have to call your local council to guide you about the recycling centres where you can recycle your old fluorescent bulbs.
Asbestos
Asbestos is a highly hazardous material, as it can cause cancer and other diseases. You cannot recycle or reuse materials containing asbestos. There are several rules and regulations imposed by the government regarding its disposal. In order to properly remove asbestos from your property, you will have to hire an asbestos removal contractor. There are several factors that can affect the total cost of removal, such as the type and amount of asbestos.
Plasterboard
You cannot put plasterboard in a skip if there are other waste materials in it too. However, there are chances that the skip hire company will accept it if plasterboard is the only waste you want to dispose of. You may think that there is nothing hazardous or harmful about plasterboard, but the Environment Agency has researched its relationship with sulphate-based waste materials, and found that it gives off hydrogen sulphide gas, which is very harmful. You can use plasterboard bags available in the market that are commonly used for this purpose, so that it can be kept separate from other waste materials.
Medical Waste
Medical waste ranges from surgical needles to biological waste that can prove be hazardous for skip operators. That is why it requires specialist disposal, and cannot be put in a skip. You can easily find several licensed medical waste disposal companies around the country.
Gas Cylinders
No matter whether a gas cylinder is empty, half full, or completely full, you cannot put it in a skip. This is because there are high chances of residual contents to be present in the gas cylinders, and skip hire companies are not licensed to handle such a waste. However, you have several options at your disposal for this purpose. You can return the gas cylinder back to where you bought it from, as they can refill and reuse it. In addition, there are many companies in the UK that recycle and take care of gas cylinders.
Tyres
Disposing tyres requires a lot of work, which is why skip hire companies don’t allow their customers to put them in their skip. You can ask your tyre changer or fitter to dispose it off for you, or you contact the Tyre Recovery Organisation to help you find a tyre collector. They may recycle it to produce different kinds of things such as rubber floors for playgrounds and gyms, plant pots, and many other things.
Fuel, Solvents, and Paints
All of these materials contain dangerous chemicals, and skip hire services provider don’t have the ability and license to handle this hazardous waste. These materials are combustible and can cause severe chemical burns. You will have to take these materials to a licensed disposal centre, about which you can information from your local council. However, you can put dried paint in the skip, as it doesn’t pose any risk.
