Local Traders News » Skip Hire

Basingstoke Skip Hire Company Employees Bin Their Clothes

Danny — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:00:37 +0000

A Basingstoke skip hire company have gone all out in their attempt to raise money for CLIC Sargent a charity for children with cancer and neonatal unit for premature babies at Basingstoke hospital. The eleven employees aged between 23 and 53 have had photos taken posing naked, carrying out their daily activities in order to sell copies of a calendar to raise money for the local charity. The terrified staff at the skip hire company, were all nervous about having their photographs taken in the nude, but if posing naked was not bad enough, the photographer was their female boss.

Lee Meyrick, the 33 year old sales manager at the skip hire company, also took part. He was persuaded by his wife, Leah, who came up with the idea to make the calendar to raise funds for the local charity. Lee said,

“I had to take part in the day to encourage the other members of staff to agree to such a thing and take part.”

All the staff at the company said that the day turned out to be a laugh for a good cause. The skip hire company is hoping that their bare bottoms and hairy chests will boost the sales of the calendar. The calendar is due to go on sale on the 01/10/2010 for £12. The Basingstoke company is hoping to sell 300 copies of the calendar which will hopefully make a whopping £3200 for the charity.

If you are renovating your home this summer, having a new driveway installed or even having a house, garage or garden clearance and you are looking for a local skip hire company why not go online and get fast free quotes from localtraders.com.

Home Improvements are not a Waste

Danny — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:00:12 +0000

Construction Excellence director of the waste project Paul Jennings has stated that Welsh homes are to be incorporated into the district’s waste management project. The ongoing commitment for creating a world class housing stock in Wales is sustaining its movement forward, at the same time; George Osborne is putting housing bodies under a lot of ongoing pressure, throughout England.

Energy efficiency is a major drive throughout Wales, with the Welsh government are announcing a £30 million scheme aimed at improving homes in the region. These are just a handful of projects created to hit the low carbon footprint targets and along with other similar projects, will meet Welsh Housing Quality Standards. Also throughout Wales, the (EST) Energy Saving Trust are well on the way to meeting their targets in teaching people the benefits and above all important values of wasting energy – or not wasting energy in this instance., and how a few simple instructions can make a great deal of difference to everyone.

This scheme is being backed by UK government schemes, like the (CESP), which is the Community Energy Saving Programme, and major energy providers such as British Gas, which are there to help home owners in social housing, to refurb their houses and flats. The above project is looking at a target of 200,000 homes, which are on the social housing register to refurbish by 2012. To give people an idea of the amount of waste within people’s homes, an average home kitchen that’s ripped out accounts for 65% of the waste of every house being refurbished. The majority of this is made up of timber, which only a small percentage qualifies for reuse or recycling.

The bathrooms only account for a small percentage of the waste, around 25-30%, with windows accounting for 7% but it all boils down to careful preparation and planning. Waste can be controlled and limited and the construction industry sector can save money in the process, which should be of particular interest to companies affected by the recession.

Wiltshire Woman Victim of Wheely Bin Theft

Danny — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 08:00:36 +0000

A lady from Wiltshire has now had to resort to locking up her wheelie bins after hers has been stolen, the mother of 3 was refused a replacement bin by the council unless she paid the sum of £40.79. The lady called the council and explained that her bin had been stolen but the Wiltshire council said that the wheelie bins are property of the home owner and any replacements need to be paid for by the occupier of the property like any other property that goes missing.

The mother of 3 is a multiple sclerosis sufferer and was forced to leave her job after the diagnosis of her illness in 1999. She currently claims disability living allowance which is around £80 per week and was unable to pay out half of her weekly income for a new bin. Luckily her brother stepped in and gave her one of his spare bins otherwise she would not off been able to have her rubbish collected. She said she would have just put her bin bags out but the council authorities refuse to collect rubbish unless it is in a wheelie bin.

It has come to light that this is not the first time that bins have gone missing in the Wiltshire area; Westbury police have had other reports of missing bins in the area and home owners are now conscious that their bins may go missing. It makes you wonder if things such as wheelie bins are not safe and we have to resort to locking them up then what is next!

Safe Guards Put In Place For Waste Management

Danny — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 07:44:56 +0000

Following the fine for a fatal accident to waste management firm Biffa and a punishment to Electrical Waste Recycling Group for exposing its workforce to toxic fumes during this year the HSE have announced a number of inspections on waste management and skip hire companies throughout 2010 – 2011.

The two industries are reported to be responsible for a high level of accidents and a fatality rate around nine times the average of any other industry. The HSE have already put in 5 basic steps for risk assessments as there are major difficulties waste and recycling companies face in order to avoid incidents or even fatalities but they now feel that in order to raise full awareness to the everyday risk they will be carrying out operations throughout the next year.

A HSE spokes person said “The waste and recycling industry has an overall accident rate which is around four times the UK average, with a fatal accident rate around nine times the average for all industries. Feedback from recent inspections in the waste and recycling industry indicates that there are often poor standards of traffic management including inappropriate site layout, issues with reversing vehicles and the failure to properly segregate vehicles and pedestrians.”

Local business are welcoming the inspections as they see the value to a safe workplace and vehicles but the general consensus is as long as they are carried out in the right manner.

Sercurity In The Work Place

Danny — Sat, 22 May 2010 09:20:47 +0000

Theft, vandalism and arson are the most likely crimes to affect your business and the only way to stop these threats is to maintain standard security checks within your business premises. Firstly you need to assess the risk like what are areas most vulnerable to thieves gaining access, if somebody does manage to get into your property how secure are the items in the premises and what risk are items like packaging or waste to causing fire damage? By assessing all of the above you can prevent your business being disrupted as ultimately it is going to cost your business financially.

Take for example Mr Steve Wordley, a Co-Owner of a Skip Hire Company in Westbury, whose business has been targeted by thieves 5 times in less than 12 months. Various crimes have it his business ranging from copper and lead being stolen through to an eight wheel truck being taken. The later was purchased only months earlier for £6,500. Police working on the case outlined that there was CCTV in operation within the premises but without sufficient security lighting they cannot get clear images to help them catch those responsible. This again outlines the importance of making sure your business premises are as secure as possible as not only has Mr Worldey’s business lost £6,500’s worth of property they have now have to outlay more costing in order to replace it.

So whether it is electronic deterrents such as CCTV or alarms or physical security i.e. security guards dogs etc you will need to make sure you get the relevant advice and take the necessary steps to ensure you keep your business as secure as possible.

Waste Management Course Can Help Businesses Reduce Waste Disposal Costs

Sarah — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:20:48 +0000

A training academy has received accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Waste Management for a new course that will run for the first time in May.

The course will offer businesses the chance to find out how to reduce waste produced by their companies to enable them to save money on services such as waste collection and business skip collection. In addition to this, those on the course will learn about waste regulations so companies know they are complying with any necessary waste legislation that could affect their business, and will also help them find methods of reducing their company’s carbon footprint by being greener.

The organisation running the course is called the Polymer Training and Innovation Centre, a training academy that offers training to the polymer industry. Places on the course cost £170 with options for the academy to deliver the course itself either at the company’s premises, at the PTIC training centre or on campus at the City of Wolverhampton College.

Graham Pickwell, one of the technical advisors at PTIC said that the organisation is very pleased to receive the accreditation from the CIWM. He continued,

“This course is applicable to almost every type of organisation and can help to significantly reduce costs – something which in today’s economic climate is crucial.”

With waste removal costing most companies and businesses a significant portion of their annual expenditure, at around 4.5% of turnover, cutting waste bills can make a big impact and by implementing waste reduction plans and policies, it can be easy to cut the cost by 1% according to Mr Pickwell.

As well as saving money for your company or business, the reduced commercial waste that is no longer sent to landfill or using energy being recycled helps reduce your company’s carbon footprint making waste reduction and waste management initiatives a substantial part of an environmental policy or sustainability policy.

Sheffield Skip Firm Removes Dumped Tyres

Sarah — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:51:06 +0000

When fly tippers dumped car and lorry tyres illegally at Shiregreen Cemetery in Sheffield on Easter Monday it wasn’t only local residents and mourners who were disgraced with the fly tippers. Having seen the incident in the local newspaper, The Star, a skip hire company owner from Killamarsh took it upon himself to remove the tyres at his own expense.

Richard Pillinger sent one of his trucks to retrieve the huge pile of dumped tyres from among the gravestones in the cemetery and take them to a local recycling point where they will be reused and made into products such as flooring for children’s play areas. The cost of the clean-up job for Mr Pillinger was around £400, but he was concerned that the tyres weren’t left as a blot on the landscape. He said,

“[I] felt I had to act. I couldn’t let such abysmal behaviour go. It will cost us, but it’s nothing. When people are struggling with grief, the last thing they want to see is fly tipping, it’s disgusting.”

He was keen to ensure action was taken against environmental degradation such as this and that Sheffield was not allowed to become a dumping ground.

Two local residents who had also set up the Friends of Shiregreen Cemetery were among those who discovered the tyres and having spent time and effort trying to improve the area of the cemetery, were dismayed to see the dumped waste illegally left by the fly tippers.

One, 51 year old Shirley Jeffcock, was on the brink of giving up being part of the group because of the blatent disregard for the sacred area displayed by the offenders but Mr Pillinger’s kindness had given her reassurance that there are people in the community who care about the area. She said,

“It’s good to know there are people who believe in what we do, my thanks go to Mr Pillinger.”

What Can and Can’t be Disposed of in a Skip

Sarah — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:28:21 +0000

If you decide to tidy up the garden and have a large amount of garden waste and rubbish that has been hanging round waiting for this very opportunity to throw it away, hiring a skip may well be the most practical option, rather than piling dirty bags overflowing with garden waste and soil covered bricks, rubble and concrete slabs in the back of the car for multiple trips to the local tip.

Similarly if you’re clearing out the garage, attic, kids bedrooms or maybe moving house and have come across all sorts of broken items, outdated and beyond repair pieces of furniture or things set aside to ‘do something with’ one day, you may decide to call on your local reliable skip hire company to come to the rescue and deliver a skip to take away your unwanted junk. Or you may be having building work done, fitting a new kitchen or bathroom or replacing fencing or paving in your garden and need the old items out of the way to make room for the new. Whatever you need to hire a skip for, there are a number of items you may not realise cannot be dumped in a skip along with normal domestic household waste.

The following items cannot be thrown away in a skip and have to be disposed of following the proper environmental agency guidelines:

asbestos
WEEE – waste electrical and electronic equipment
paint
florescent lamps and light bulbs
plasterboard
tyres
solvents and liquids including waste oil and fuel

Asbestos

Asbestos is known to be a dangerous and carcinogenic substance. It was used for insulation and as a fire proofing material between the 1950s and the mid 1980s in a large number of public buildings such as hospitals, universities and schools, as well as in domestic properties. Buildings built since 2000 won’t have any asbestos content however.

Asbestos is dangerous when it is damaged as the fibres that can cause diseases that are nearly always fatal or at very least are very debilitating, and therefore has to be removed by a licensed contractor. There have been a number of reports recently of tradespeople such as electricians and builders who have been exposed to asbestos when working in properties, as the fibres are dispersed into the air when the asbestos is disturbed, so it is important to take care when work is being carried out in a property that could contain asbestos.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

WEEE includes all electrical items from white goods such as fridges and freezers, to computers, televisions and hard drives and even smaller items like kettles, toasters and camcorders. There are a number of dangerous substances that can be contained in old electrical items, from CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) contained in old fridges and freezers, to phosphorus coating that needs to be removed from the inside of screens on TVs, computer monitors and other items with screens like digital cameras, and lead that is contained within CRT’s (cathode ray tubes) such as those in old computer screens and TVs. It is important that these chemicals are removed prior to disposal, partly to comply with waste disposal legislation, but also to ensure the chemicals don’t damage the environment and leak into ground water supplies.

Some retailers offer take back schemes for WEEE, but there are also over 1500 designated collection facilities for waste electronic equipment.

Paint

Paint must be disposed of responsibly and should never be emptied into water courses or drains. Most local authority tips or recycling centres have paint collection points where you can take old or unwanted paint. This is often used for community repainting schemes.

Florescent Light Bulbs

The main hazard with light bulbs is that they contain mercury which if disposed of in landfill sites can find its way into ground water and rivers and can build up cumulatively in the food chain.

Plasterboard

Plasterboard cannot be disposed of in skips and taken to the same sites as other biodegradable waste because of the high levels of sulphates it contains, therefore this must be disposed of either through a recycling plant or within a specific plasterboard cell at a landfill site.

Some skip hire companies may be able to arrange disposal of the items that cannot be thrown away in the skip with your other rubbish, but if they do not offer this service, either the skip hire firm or your local authority should be able to advise on where your local recycling or disposal site is. Most local recycling centres do now collect computer and TV screens, fridges and white goods, paint, oil and light bulbs as well as most other unwanted items.

What Are Roll On Roll Off Skips?

Sarah — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:43:17 +0000

A ‘roll on roll off’ skip is for the use of a large quantity of waste. The majority of people hire a roll on roll off skip when they have a large quantity of waste so they do not have to hire out a lot of smaller builders skips. Roll on roll off skips are often used by people having an office or shop refurbishment or are having a clear out of unwanted waste.

If you’re looking for roll on roll off skip hire, you can get them from the majority of skip hire companies. All you need to do is state what size skip you need, which range between the sizes of 18 – 20 cubic yards (this size container would be more for the domestic waste right through to much heavier waste) or you have the 35-40 cubic yard container that would be much better for heavy duty waste.

Roll on roll off skips can be hired from the duration of a couple of days to a couple of months dependent upon your needs. The prices for a roll on roll off skip will vary dependent on the skip hire company you use, so my advice to you is shop around and get a couple of quotes to see what the best deal is for yourself and your needs.

By using a site such as localtraders.com you can get up to 6 quotes to your mobile phone from 6 different skip hire companies which will save you taking time out of your day to ring the skip hire companies for the quotes. They will ring you or text you directly to give you the quote which makes the process of getting a skip hire quote hassle free.

More Helpful Hints on Hiring A Skip

Craig — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:38:43 +0000

Yesterday I discussed loading your skip whilst you wait and what not to put in your skip to avoid extra charges from your skip hire company. Following on, this post provides a few more hints and tips on how to get the most for your money when hiring a skip.

So you’ve searched around and got a few quotes for hiring a skip and you’re now ready to order it. Don’t worry about taking time off work to be home when your skip is delivered as most companies will take payment over the phone and will deliver the skip during the day. This means you can save valuable time not having to be there when its dropped off.

One common mistake to watch for is access for the loading and unloading the skip itself. Not only do you need sufficient space on your drive or road for the skip to fit, (remember if your skip will be positioned on the road, you must have a license – see earlier news stories regarding skip hire licenses). You will also need access on either side of the skip to enable it to be dropped off. Always speak to the skip hire company if you are unsure about skip delivery and access, and they will discuss your needs and provide helpful advice. The last thing you want is for the skip arrive only to find it cant be successfully unloaded from the lorry.

If you’re in need of a skip in a hurry, most skip hire companies offer same day delivery so if your home improvements create more waste than expected, a calls to a reputable skip hire company can easily result in a skip being delivered on the day so you can carry on with your building or renovation project. As always, shopping around is key, as prices will and do vary depending on the type of skip you’re looking to hire. Not all companies have all sizes and models of skips, but by submitting details of your skip hire requirements to localtraders.com, you will receive bespoke quotes for your needs and you can be sure you get the right skip for the job in hand.