Skips have been around for longer than you might think. The first recorded use of a skip was in 1922 in Southport where one Edwin Walker, an employee of the Pagefield lorry company, devised a system to winch a container on to a lorry whence it could be taken off to a dump. The word “skip” comes from “skep”, meaning a basket.
If you are thinking of hiring a skip there are several things to consider. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is the size of skip that you need. They come in different sizes, and it is best to over-estimate what you need rather than the opposite, when you would finish up with one not big enough to accommodate all your waste.
You also need to consider where you are going to put it. If you have space on your own land, that’s fine, but you also need to consider access. Are there overhanging trees? Is the gate too narrow to let the skip truck in?
If you cannot get the skip on to your own land, you will need to park it on the verge or the road. For that, you will need a permit from the council. These can vary, depending upon the council’s requirements. Of course, it goes without saying that you will have to pay a fee.
Other People’s Rubbish
Some items are not allowed in skips for health and safety or environmental reasons. These may include asbestos, batteries, electrical appliances, flammable substances, and chemicals. An additional problem with parking a skip on the public highway is that Joe Public may very well decide to dump his rubbish in it in the dead of night. It then becomes your problem because you are in charge of the skip!
Do you need more than one skip? If you have a considerable amount of rubbish to dispose of, even the largest one may not be big enough. It can all get very complicated.
However, there is a better way in many instances and that is grab hire in Berkshire. At Top Mix we provide grab lorries that can hold huge amounts of waste. You don’t need any permits because the lorry arrives and collects all your waste using the grab crane on the back, and then goes off to the tip.
Our grab lorries can also reach over fences and walls, so you can pile all your waste in one place, and it can be loaded easily. It saves filling wheelbarrows and running backwards and forwards to the skip.
Think about it carefully. Grab hire in Berkshire may well be the best way to get rid of your rubbish.