Skip hire is a popular choice for many businesses and householders who are looking to clear large amounts of waste from their site. These huge containers are capable of taking literally tonnes of your rubbish and have it disposed of properly. But what are the limitations of skip hire?

The short answer is that there isn’t a great deal that isn’t covered when you come to hire a skip. However, different needs and requirements can certainly poser their own unique issues – some of which may be beyond the realms of the humble skip.

Size Issues

So what could these be? Well, first and foremost is size. When you come to hire a skip, you may find that you can’t get one large enough to fit everything you need. I say ‘could’, although this is actually highly unlikely.

The reason why this is unlikely is because traditional style skips can have a volume of between 2 and 16 cubic yards and everything in between. So whether your job is small or large, there’s plenty of choice out there. Of course for anybody with huge waste removal demands – perhaps when clearing an entire store or quickly renovating an office block – it might be necessary to employ more than one. Although there is a second option.

If you need to step up from a mere 16 cubic yards, there is the option to employ the much larger roll on roll off skip. This hefty container sized skip has a capacity of between 20 and 40 cubic yards, providing ample volume for most waste management requirements.

Hazardous Materials

Some skip hire companies may have restrictions on what you can actually put in their containers. Many stipulate that they are only for general waste, which includes everyday site waste, furniture and garden rubbish. However, problems might occur if you are looking to dispose of hazardous goods.

There are differing definitions of what a hazardous product is, but in general they include:

Electrical products – including fridges, freezers and televisions
Solvents – such as glue, paint or varnish
Asbestos

So if you are hiring a skip that is solely for general waste you might first want to ensure that you discuss any potentially harmful products with the skip hire firm. More often than not they will be able to provide a specialist waste removal service to ensure that it is safely removed and doesn’t contaminate other items.

Your Site’s Location

Location can also be a factor. If you are looking to hire a skip and live in a secluded or difficult to access area, you may find it difficult to have the container left where you require or indeed get one at all. Unfortunately, due to their size and weight (both before and after use) skips need to be transported by large trucks, which can often make delivery and collection challenging.

Make sure before hiring you check your location thoroughly and ensure that access is possible for a large vehicle. If it is likely to be a challenge it’s probably best to discuss it with the hire company first and see if there are any alternatives or indeed if they are happy to deliver it as requested. This will save you a whole lot of time and money if issues do arise further on down the line.

Obtaining a Local Authority Permit

Quite often you won’t actually have the space on your property for one of these rather large containers. Therefore it may need to be situated on a public road or other space away from your property. In this instance you will have to discuss it with the skip hire firm and ensure that they are happy to do so and to get a local authority permit secured.

In the most part local councils are fairly relaxed about providing permits; however, if you are going to be using public highways you should make sure that you do first obtain one and avoid any future issues.

So, as you can probably already see, there are some limitations when it comes to hiring a skip, but in the most part it is a straightforward waste management solution. All you really need to be concerned about is finding one of the right size, ensuring that your property is accessible, all permits are obtained and that you don’t try to throw away hazardous materials. If these are all in line, you should have no issues whatsoever when you come to hire your skip.

Author Bio: Vincent Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For professional waste management services, plant hire and UK Skip Hire he recommends Nationwide Hire.

Category: Business Management
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