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A skip (or skip bin) is a large open-topped
waste container A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can is a type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" a ...
designed for loading onto a special type of
lorry A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
. Typically skip bins have a distinctive shape: the longitudinal cross-section of the skip bin is either a trapezium or two stacked trapezia. The lower trapezium has the smaller edge at the bottom of the skip bin, and a longer edge at the top. The smaller edge on either end is lower which makes it easier to load. Where there is an upper trapezium, it has the smaller edge at the top. There is a sloping floor or wall at each end. There are usually two lugs on each side of the bin onto which chains can be attached, permitting the heavy skip bin to be lifted onto and off a skip
lorry A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
or skip truck. A special skip-carrying lorry or crane is used. One end of the skip sometimes has a large door that hinges down to allow manual loading and unloading, these skips are called 'drop-door skips'. Skips are usually durable and tough, made to withstand rough use by tradespeople and labourers. The size of skip bins can vary greatly depending on their use, with sizes ranging from small 2 m mini-skips to the very large 40 m roll-on/
roll-off Roll-off is the steepness of a Transfer function, transfer function with frequency, particularly in network analysis (electrical circuits), electrical network analysis, and most especially in connection with filter (signal processing), filter cir ...
skips. Even though these large bins can store many tonnes of waste, most lorries are limited to carrying around 7.5 tonnes of material in the container. A typical small skip, when empty, weighs about 187kg.


Types

There are several types of skip containers: * Open skips allow easier loading of waste materials and are commonly found on construction sites. * Closed skips are more secure and prevent unauthorised use. They ensure that the volume of waste does not exceed the maximum limit. * Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) skips are similar to open skips, but instead of being lifted onto a skip loader wagon by chains, they are rolled onto a wagon with a hook. They are more common as industrial containers and are not suitable for domestic use (see:
roll-off Roll-off is the steepness of a Transfer function, transfer function with frequency, particularly in network analysis (electrical circuits), electrical network analysis, and most especially in connection with filter (signal processing), filter cir ...
). * Mobile skip bins are usually set on a trailer with four wheels. A lifting mechanism is used to load and unload the skip from the trailer. Normal sizes used in Australia are 3 m3, 4 m3, and 6 m3. However, sizes ranging from 8 m3, 10 m3, and 12 m3 are also available for larger waste management jobs.


Uses

Skips are commonly used to hold open-topped loads of
construction and demolition waste Construction waste or debris is any kind of debris from the construction process. Different government agencies have clear definitions. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA defines construction and demolition materi ...
, garden waste or other waste and litter types. The construction debris may originate from a building, renovation, or demolition site; building supplies can be delivered to a site in a skip that is later used to remove waste. Skips are also used for various cleaning-out jobs that need much material to be taken away, and at factories producing large quantities of
scrap metal Scrap consists of recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has monetary value, especially recovered me ...
. The material in the skip may be taken to a
landfill A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the waste ...
, recycled or recovered/disposed of in some other way. There are wide range of uses of skip bins including construction building, home renovations, handyman maintenance or repair projects, garden or green clean up. Skip hire companies typically print 'level fill' on the sides of skips to instruct users that the contents should not fill or have contents showing above the height of the sides of the skip. This is in part for safety so that contents do not fall out posing a risk to passers-by, and is also aimed at maximising revenue for the skip hire company. Many tradesmen and builders will make use of what are termed 'greedy boards', old doors and other scrap sheet based material, to artificially heighten the sides of the skip and thus get more value for money for tradesmen or builders. If they do that, the skip bin hire provider will charge them an extra fee as the skip will be overloaded.


Domestic skip sizes and uses

2 m – miniature skip * Approximately 25-35 black
bin bag A bin bag, rubbish bag (British English), garbage bag, bin liner, trash bag (American English) or refuse sack is a disposable bag used to contain solid waste. Such bags are useful to line the insides of waste containers to prevent the insides ...
s * Perfect for small kitchen refurbishment * Economical choice for garden/household waste * Fits on most drives and gardens 4 m – medium skip
3 m3 * Approximately 45-55 black bin bags * Perfect for small kitchen refurbishment * Economical choice for garden/household waste * Fits on most drives and gardens 6 m – builders skip
5 m3 * Approximately 60-70 black bin bags * Perfect for refurbishment projects * Ideal for house/attic clearances * Fits approximately 6 kg of soil and stone or
hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
8 m – large builders skip
6 m3 * 80-90 black bin bags * Size of large
family car A family car is a car classification used in Europe to describe normally-sized cars. The name comes from the marketed use of these cars to carry a whole family locally or on vacations. Most family cars are hatchbacks or sedans, although there are ...
* Ideal for all construction jobs or large hour or garage clear-outs * Fits approximately of soil & stone or hardcore


Prohibited waste

*
Asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
* Human or animal waste * Hazardous liquids, such as oil, paint or pesticides *
Tyres A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...
, as they are difficult for the waste company to process and should instead be taken to a tyre recycler. * Batteries * Gas bottles *
Electronic waste Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for refurbishment, reuse, resale, salvage recycling through material recovery, or disposal are also considered e-waste. Informa ...
: CRTs, TVs,
monitors Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West Vir ...
, etc. * Fluorescent tubes * Food waste Refrigerators and other white goods can be put in skip bins, as long as they have been degassed and the doors are removed. However it is better to take white goods to a dedicated recycling facility, as they take up significant room in a skip bin. Plasterboard is also prohibited, as it can contaminate the entire contents of the skip. Sometimes, with permission, small quantities of plasterboard are permitted by skip hire companies if placed on top of the skip and wrapped to prevent contamination. In the event that the waste management company discovers prohibited waste in a skip bin that has been collected, the bin may be taken back to the customer for them to sort out the waste, or the hazardous waste may be disposed off at a different, specialist site at the cost of the customer.


Etymology

The origins of calling a rubbish cart a ''skip'' (most often found in Australia, New Zealand and the UK) come from the word ', used to refer to a basket. ''Skep'' itself comes from the Late Old English , from the Old Norse 'basket'.Macdonald, A. M. (ed.) (1972). ''Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary''. Chambers. ; p. 1266 While the first recorded use of a rubbish skip dates back to 1922, the practice of using skips to dispose of residential and commercial waste became mainstream over the following century, culminating in the modern skip waste disposal system that is used today.


See also

*
Shipping container A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes. In the context of ...
*
Waste container A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can is a type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" a ...
(dustbin, etc) *
Waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring ...
*
Skip wagon A minecart or mine cart (also known as a mine trolley or mine hutch) is a type of rolling stock found on a mine railway, used for moving ore and materials procured in the process of traditional mining. Minecarts are seldom used in modern operat ...
, a train car


References

{{Reflist Waste containers