If you’re due for a declutter or looking to get started on a home improvement project such as a new kitchen or bathroom, then skip hire offers the perfect solution.
Although we’re able to deal with the vast majority of waste materials here at Staffordshire Waste Recycling Centre, there are a number of items that pose a health or environmental risk and require specialist disposal, so let’s take a quick look at the items that you won’t be able to throw in your skip.
Asbestos
Asbestos requires the services of a specialist expert removal company due to its highly hazardous to health nature, so its most certainly not a material that you’d want to remove yourself and place in a skip!
Not only could you be putting your own health at risk, but those who could potentially come into contact with the asbestos could be harmed by the asbestos fibres making it dangerous to wellbeing and leaving you open to potential large fines and legal action.
Batteries
Batteries contain a plethora of harmful chemicals and metals, so you’ll need to look for an alternative to placing them in your skip.
There are several companies that specialise in battery disposal, so if you’ve got a few old car batteries knocking around in the garage, then don’t be tempted to chuck them into your skip as this could lead to your waste not being collected until any prohibited items have been removed.
Freezers
Getting rid of old freezers requires separate removal as they contain refrigerant gases which are harmful to health, so it’s a good idea to find a licenced waste carrier who is able to take the item away and ensure that it will be dealt with correctly rather than throwing it in a skip and hoping for the best.
Freezers can be pretty tricky to hide under other general waste too, so be sure to deal with freezer disposal separately to avoid problems when your skip comes to be collected.
Fluorescent tubes
Fluorescent bulbs contain mercury and often shatter into tiny fragments when the glass makes impact with another solid surface, so you have two potentially harmful to health problems all rolled into one.
As your skip waste is taken away and sorted to ensure materials are recycled where possible, skip hire companies can refuse to accept skips with fluorescent tubes for the reasons above, so it’s best to seek out a specialist company who can collect and dispose of the tubes correctly.
mercury, so find a company that will be able to collect and dispose of them safely instead of throwing them in a skip where they will often shatter and need removing before the waste can be taken away.
Paint tins, solvents and oils
Although empty paint tins can be skipped, it’s a good idea to give them a quick rinse as those that still have some paint, solvent or oil still present aren’t allowed to be disposed of in a skip.
Having tins and bottes that aren’t completely empty can be messy too, so be sure to check paint tins, solvents and oils before you sling them in the skip!