Skip or tip?

It’s the dilemma we all go through every time we take on a home or garden project – skip or tip? We have to decide if we’d rather pay for a skip or have the hassle of trudging back and forth to the tip?

By investing in a skip, you’ll be making the job a lot easier all round as it guarantees that the waste disposal is taken care of and easy to carry out. If you opt for the tip – otherwise known as Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) – you may save some money, but remember that when you’ve finished the job, you’ll have the tip trips to contend with!

And what about the effects that the coronavirus pandemic is having on the waste disposal process? Social distancing will have to be observed at HWRCs and during skip deliveries, so keep this in mind.

TIP

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

It’s largely free of charge

There is no lump sum to pay out to use your local tip and no admission charge, so it is a cheap way to dispose of your waste. The only items that are chargeable are soil and rubble and some hazardous wastes.

Essential waste only

Due to the pandemic, HWRCs are currently only accepting essential waste, so you should only visit if you cannot store your waste safely at home. At this time, not all waste streams are being accepted – they are not taking soil, rubble, plasterboard or asbestos (chargeable materials).

Appointment only

When HWRCs first reopened on 11 May, they were extremely busy and the first month saw long queues and lots of frustrated people! A booking system was introduced on 15 June to combat these queues. You are now only permitted to visit a HWRC if you have booked an appointment ahead of time. Appointments are released 48 hours ahead of time and you are not able to book further ahead.

Reduced opening times

Hampshire’s HWRCs are currently open between 10am and 6pm, which may be limiting as you won’t be able to do early morning or evening drops. In addition to this, only one visit is permitted per week, which may make home and garden projects tricky if you have a lot of waste to dispose of. You’ll need to plan this into the project schedule and make sure you plan weekly visits to the tip throughout the project timeline.

Great for small amounts of waste

If you only have small amounts of waste to dispose of, the tip is great! You can book your appointment, go along and deposit your items and you’re done!

Social distancing

Social distancing must be observed at all times at the HWRCs. You must maintain a 2m distance at all times, meaning that staff are unable to assist customers at the moment.

Petrol and time costs

Although HWRCs are free to use, remember to factor in your petrol costs and the time trips to the tip will take you.

Your car will need a clean!

Getting rid of waste is dirty work! Bear in mind that every time you take a load to the tip, you’ll have to clean your car – it will need a good wipe down and hoover inside and possibly a wash too!

SKIP

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

Upfront payment

Skips are chargeable. However, when you weigh up all the advantages that come with skip hire, you will see that it is extremely good value for money!

Convenience

Having a skip delivered to your driveway or curbside provides an easy, convenient and versatile solution to your waste disposal requirements. It will allow you to simply place your waste into the skip, rather than endure endless loading and unloading of the car if you opt for trips to the tip. Please note, if you plan to store your skip on the road, you will need a permit – TJ can arrange this for you but it will take 5 working days to obtain, so factor this into your planning.

Timing

You can hire one of TJ’s skips for up to 14 days, so you’ll have plenty of time to fill it. If you will only create one skip-load of waste during the project, time the skip right – make sure you have it when the majority of the waste is going to accumulate so it can go straight in and you will be finished with it by the end of the two-week period. Remember too that your skip can be delivered as quickly as the next working day if you need it in a rush!

What can and can’t go in?

There are a range of materials that can go into a skip and a few that can’t – read our blog What can you put in a skip? to discover the details so you’re fully prepared.

Hazardous materials

Hazardous materials such as plasterboard and asbestos are not permitted in a standard skip as it would not be safe – however, you can opt for a plasterboard or asbestos-only skip if that’s what you need it for.

Take your pick

Skips come in a range of sizes to suit every project. TJ’s skips range from 2 yard mini skips to 12 yard jumbo skips and there are also 17 yard and 35 yard containers for larger or commercial projects. You can check each skip’s dimensions on our individual skip pages and you can also find guidance on the size of skip that may be most suitable on these pages too.

Safety first

We have put safety measures in place since the coronavirus outbreak to ensure that our skip deliveries are contactless and safe. We will no longer ask you to sign to accept delivery and if you wish to instruct the driver on the positioning of the skip, you can do this at the time of booking or on the day as long as the 2m distancing is adhered to.

Find out more about the skip hire service we offer and get in touch if you’d like to discuss your needs. You can get an online quote now and read our blog: Skips – your questions answered if you’d like to know more…