A skip’s journey…

Most people have hired a skip or thought about hiring one in the past. If you have the need for one, now is a great time to do it as we can’t really do much else so we may as well use this time to do something productive! 

Whether you’re taking on some DIY projects, redoing the garden or clearing out the loft or garage, a skip will definitely make the job a lot easier! But what goes on behind the skip hire scenes? Where do they come from, how do they get here and where does our waste go after the skip is collected? Discover the journey a skip takes from start to finish and exactly what’s involved…

Pre delivery

All TJ’s skips are stored across their Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) located in Southampton, Portsmouth, Yapton and Avonmouth. When they come back here after use they are emptied, cleaned out and stacked ready for the next outing.

Skip lorry

Each day, skip lorries come into the MRFs and load up to four skips at a time. The number of skips that the lorries can carry will vary, depending on the size of the skip. The skip lorry driver will have a list of jobs for the day – some deliveries and some collections so they will have to plan their tasks to ensure they’re doing things in the most time-effective way to ensure efficiency.

Delivery to customer address

When the lorry driver arrives at the customer’s address for drop off, he will have delivery instructions to follow to ensure that the delivery goes smoothly and that it takes as little time as possible. The skip will either be dropped at the front or rear of the property, depending on where the customer’s driveway or off-road parking is. When booking the skip hire, the customer will need to consider access to ensure that there is sufficient space for the lorry to manoeuvre to unload the skip.

They will also need to think about where they’d like the skip to be placed to make filling it as easy as possible for them. If the customer does not have any off-road space, they will need to let TJ know this at the time of booking so that we can organise a permit for them. Please note that permits can take up to a week to arrange so be sure to book your skip at least a week in advance.

Duration of hire

The duration of the skip hire can be anything from a weekend, up to two weeks and the customer can specify how long they need it for. They can select a pick-up date at the time of booking, or get in touch with TJ during the hire to specify a collection date. If no date is chosen, TJ will collect it after 14 nights of hire. If you are undertaking a longer project you can select your skip size and then simply exchange it every time it is full.

Read our blog How to fill a skip to glean some top tips on making your skip-filling more efficient. It’s also important to know what waste is and isn’t permitted in a skip, so check out our blog What can go in a skip? If you have materials to dispose of that are not allowed in general skips, such as plasterboard or hazardous materials, please get in touch as we can arrange secure skips to accommodate some such materials.

Collection

Our skip delivery driver will come and collect your skip 14 nights after you received it unless you have requested an alternative date. Please keep in mind that the collection could take place any time of the day, even early morning, so make sure you’ve finished filling it by the evening before. You do not need to be present for the collection; the driver will just come and take it away.

Materials recovery facilities

After collection, your full skip will be taken to one of our MRFs. Once there, the skips will be emptied and our operatives will carefully sort through the waste to divide it up into categories for recycling. You’d be surprised how much of your waste is recyclable – TJ manages to recycle up to 100% of the waste that comes into the MRFs!

The waste will be taken to the site that is best placed geographically or the most appropriate for the type of waste that is in the skip. For example, skips from the Hampshire area containing spoil waste may be taken to one of the two Portsmouth MRFs and then onto Butser Quarry, where it will be made into TJ’s own recycled aggregate Type 1 Reclamix. This aggregate is mostly used as a sub base for small to medium construction projects such as block paving and asphalt driveways, pavements and roads.

Energy from waste

Although TJ endeavours to recycle up to 100% of the waste that they receive, there is a small amount that is not currently recyclable. With this waste, TJ opts for incineration in support of their commitment to divert all waste from landfill. This has a second advantage too – that by incinerating this waste, TJ are able to produce refuse-derived-fuel (RDF), which in essence is helping to contribute to a circular economy. For example, the fuel that is produced in this way may be converted into the energy that ends up boiling your kettle!

Top 5 things to consider before booking your skip:

Decide what size skip you’ll need

Check out the options and click on the individual skip pages to see how much waste you can fit in each and which will suit your needs.

What type of waste will you be disposing of?

Check that the type of waste that you need to put in the skip is permitted to avoid problems and delays upon collection.

How long will you need the skip for?

If you return the skip within 4 days, you can get a 5% discount, but you can opt to keep it for up to 14 days. Book collection for a day of your choice or arrange an exchange for longer projects.

Have you got space for it?

Make sure you measure up your driveway or off road space to ensure the skip you’d like to go for will fit and that you’ll have space to move around it whilst filling it.

Accessing your property

You might have room for the skip, but can TJ’s lorry access your property adequately? It’s a good idea to forewarn us if you think the lorry may need to block or partially block the road to unload so we can come prepared.

Find out all you need to know about our skip hire service and the different size skips available. Read our blog: Skips – your questions answered to find out how to prepare for your skip’s arrival. You can also get an instant online quote today!