Five Things You Shouldn't Put In Skip Bins & Why

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Hiring a skip bin and seeing a big empty metal box sitting on your front lawn for days on end can make it tempting to throw anything and everything you don't need any more in there, but it's important that you heed any warnings of the supplier and not put any prohibited goods in the bin. While there is a long list of things you probably shouldn't put in skip bins, there's a shorter one of things that you shouldn't put in skip bins. While the reasons for each may vary, common sense should often prevail when filling up the skip bin. Here are five things you absolutely should never put in a skip bin.

Asbestos

Even the word itself is tainted now after its severe health dangers were discovered some years ago. When removing asbestos from any property the utmost care must be taken, and it is advisable to recruit some professionals so as to keep both yourself and anyone in your vicinity safe from loose airborne fibres.

Oils & Chemicals

While not as immediately dangerous as asbestos, oils and chemicals still pose a harsh environment threat if not disposed of properly. Putting them in a skip bin means that they're going to be crushed and thrown around, spilling their contents all over everything else in the skip bin and making the job of sorting it nearly impossible. Like asbestos, there are proper professional avenues for removal of oils and chemicals. 

Batteries

This means everything from tiny AAA batteries to car and automobile batteries. They all function in a similar manner, and they all contain dangerous acid which can pose a serious environmental threat. When placed in a skip bin, batteries are likely to rupture and cause damage to the environment, as well as the people tasked with sorting through the contents of the bin once it's taken from your property.

Foodstuffs

Food doesn't seem dangerous, right? We can eat it after all! While food is all well and good while it's stored properly in our kitchen, it can promote disease when left unchecked. Any foodstuffs, including scraps, put in a skip bin are left to rot and once that process begins it seeps into everything around it, encourage disease and making the contents of the entire skip bin contaminated. There are many easier and safer ways to get rid of foodstuffs, such as through regular household recycle and in-home compost regiments.

Human & Animal Waste

Similarly to foodstuffs before it, any human or animal waste placed in a skip bin will provide perfect conditions for disease and infections throughout the entire skip bin and possibly its surrounds. Even in situations where you might think that it is appropriately and safely contained within itself when putting it in the skip bin, human and animal waste is a dangerous addition to a skip bin.

The rules and regulations of using a skip bin should always be adhered to, in some localities their proper use is even enshrined in law. Other rules like not filling past the top of the bin, not including white goods, and additional fees for certain items are there for the safety of everyone and should be respected.

When used responsibly and within the regulations, skip bins are an incredibly powerful asset to have at your disposal when removing large quantities of almost anything

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17 January 2017