If you’ve never hired a skip before then there are a few things to know before doing so. Hiring a skip is a fantastic, cost-effective and easy way to have a good old clear-out and make your home feel fresher and more spacious! Did you know that skip companies are charged for each run to landfill that they do? That is why, skip companies like to encourage recycling and re-using as much as the rest of us. Before you throw items in the skip, think about whether they are in good enough condition for someone else to benefit from their use. Could you reuse for a different purpose or gift to a local charity shop instead?

There are some items that you most definitely can’t dispose of in a skip and these include items like medical waste, fridges, solvents, televisions, tyres, batteries (household or vehicle), bleach, asbestos and any type of oil. You also can’t dispose of compressed gas cylinders, computers, microwaves or plasterboard. For more information about skip hire, contact Swansea Skip Hire

It is possible to overfill a skip so make sure you get one that you feel confident will fulfil your waste disposal needs. Your skip must have a ‘level load’ or the hire company could refuse to remove it all and charge you more for it.

Some people try to put very odd items into skips. Skip collectors have found a complete caravan perched on top of a skip, letters from the Second World War, wedding dresses, expensive ceramic vases, ashes in urns and even a coffin! Thankfully it was empty. Some people’s idea of junk can definitely be another man’s treasure but maybe not the coffin!

Some individuals even take part in an activity known as ‘skip diving’ and are able to salvage hundreds of items ranging from clothing, furniture and laptops to packaged food, shoes and toys. Just about anything might turn up in a skip and often it’s in pretty good condition. While skip diving is legal, it can be frowned on and if you want to take something from a skip, it’s always polite to ask first. It’s not stealing as the person has relinquished ownership of the item but you could still fall foul of the law for trespassing.

It’s also important to remember that skips can be dangerous and are often filled with broken glass, nails and other possibly sharp pieces of metal so it’s not wise to enter one in case of injury and infection.

If you don’t have the access required for a skip lorry to place a skip right in front of your home then you will have to place it on the road. Before doing this, you will need to obtain a skip hire permit and if it’s being placed in a controlled parking area, you will also require a parking suspension. Be aware that both of these take a few days to arrange and will cost extra.