FREEPHONE 0800 083 7807

LSPS Ltd
61-70 Harrison Close ,
South Wigston ,
Leicester , LE18 4ZL
Email:

Helping Leicester District Council with fly tipping

clip_image002Fly tipping in Leicestershire is a common problem, however in April 2007, Leicester County Council were granted permission to seize vehicles used in fly tipping offences under the provisions given in the Cleaner Neighbourhood Act 2005.

“Fly-tipping costs Leicester City Council over £310,000 a year to investigate and clear up.”

Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of waste, from a single bag of rubbish to a lorry load, and can be found on footpaths, roadsides, lay-bys and private land.

Whilst it is the responsibility of the landowner to clear fly tipping from their own land, the District Council are responsible for clearing publicly owned land including roads and footpaths.

What you should do when you discover fly tipping

If you observe fly tipping in the area, here are the following dos and don’ts in order to report it:

Inspect the waste visually: be careful and stand up-wind to avoid any possible fumes. What does it consist of, what quantities are involved and where is the location of the load – in particular whether it is in or anywhere near water.

Do not touch the waste: fly tipping waste can sometimes be hazardous and may include toxic chemicals, such as asbestos, broken glass or clinical waste.

Do not disturb the site: there may be evidence that could lead to prosecution.

Contact the local authority or Environment Agency: they will arrange for a registered carrier of waste to remove the load and dispose of it safely. Photographic evidence can also help Leicester County Council in their ongoing investigation.

For further information on reporting a fly tipping issue, see How to report fly tipping on the Leicester County Council website. For more on fly tipping nationwide, read our article.

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips and sizes to suit your job here.

Source and image: www.leicester.gov.uk

Choosing the right bedding for your horse

clip_image001Choosing the right bedding for your horse isn’t necessarily a straightforward decision, and can dependent on a number of factors including cost, storage, transport and disposal. Here we look at some of the options available:

Wheat straw

One of the most popular bedding choices. Provided in bales, wheat straw is heavily compacted which can affect its durability, however it is cheap, warm and easily available. It rots down well and is easy to muck out and can be used as fertiliser; but wheat straw is not advisable for horses with dust allergies or respiratory problems. Another drawback is storage; bales need a lot of space and should be kept in a dry area.

Wood shavings

Wood shavings are very absorbent and easy to muck out. However, you must ensure that you buy wood shavings specifically produced for use as animal bedding, as alternatives such as a by-product of a saw mill might include shavings that can be sharp and may contain rubbish.

Horse bedding wood shavings are ideal for horses with dust allergies. They provide warmth in the winter, and keeps your horse cool in the summer. Buy wood shavings online now.

Shredded paper

This is becoming a popular choice of horse bedding as its one of the cheapest options out there. Newsprint has the same insulation qualities as wood shavings or straw, but the stables will require more cleaning and maintenance. A downside of shredded paper is disposal - whilst it can be burnt, on a windy day this could prove quite tricky; and the dye from the newsprint can sometimes mark the horse’s coat. clip_image002

Wood pellets

This is the result of white wood fibre products that have been heat treated and compressed into pellets. The absorbency of wood pellets is very good as when water is added the pellets expand in size, absorbing nine times more liquid than regular wood shavings. This dust free bedding also composts much quicker than straw or shavings; it is advisable to add water when initially laid to fluff it up to prevent slippages whilst in pellet form. Buy wood pellets online now.

Hemp

Hemp bedding is a natural fibre derived from the hemp plant, with good absorbency qualities and makes for soft bedding. However, hemp is initially expensive and could cause a horse’s stomach to swell if ingested.

Related articles:

Heating: wood and its benefits

imageWood is the oldest known fuel, and was the only source of heating for thousands of years. Replaced by fossil fuel  during the Industrial Revolution, it was not until the 1970s oil crisis that wood regained its popularity, albeit briefly. However, with the rise of solid fuels costs such as oil, gas and coal prices, as well as the increasing issue with global warming related to fossil fuel, wood has once again become a popular alternative for heating.

Fossil fuels are not renewable sources of energy, meaning that we will eventually run out of resources. Whilst alternatives such as solar panelling are available, this technology can be costly, which leaves wood fuel as the cheapest source of renewable energy out there.

But perhaps more importantly wood fuel is environmentally friendly and does not contribute to dangerous carbon dioxide emissions; wood releases carbon dioxide - the same as fossil fuels, however it is considered to be carbon neutral. When trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen, known as the carbon cycle. For this reason, wood is considered an environmentally friendly source for heating, whereas fossil fuels do not have a carbon cycle which has a negative impact on the greenhouse effect.

Many people associate wood fuel with logs, but there are now many more cost-effective alternatives out there such as wood pellets, wood briquettes and heat logs – all of which are made from compressed wood by-products which would usually be burnt or buried in landfill. Heat logs and wood briquettes are recycled into efficient fuel types that radiate more heat than coal or ordinary timber, and burn cleaner than any other wood products, leaving only a small ash deposit.

So why not switch your winter fuel options to a more recyclable alternative, and contribute to a reduction in the use of fossil fuels. Order heat logs and wood briquettes online now.

Related articles:

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips and sizes to suite your job

Solid fuel: coal and its benefits

clip_image001Solid fuel has been used by us for years to create fire. Coal was the major fuel source which assisted the industrial revolution, producing energy and providing heat to fire up furnaces and run steam engines.

Coal is a burnable solid fuel found underground across the world made largely from carbonised plant matter, and now commonly used as fuel to heat homes.

The formation of coal is produced by layers of plant matter up to 400 million years old that has built up through the years, and then compressed by water and soil coverings. Due to the limited air to the layers, the full plant decomposition was halted, so the subsequent heat and pressure produced chemical changes throughout the plant layers, forcing all the oxygen out and leaving rich carbon deposits behind. This resulting solid material became coal, and was found within the seams of the earth; the carbon is generally considered to be important as it gives coal most of it energy.

The composition of coal means that it is an ideal solid fuel to burn due to its temperatures and qualities. Between the 1800s and 1950s coal was the primary energy source for industry and transportation. Nowadays, despite alternative energy sources becoming available such as gas, coal remains an important fuel providing heating and hot water to households across the world.

Household coal is ideal for open fires, multi-fuel stoves and closed appliances. For your coal requirements see our range of doubles, trebles and briquettes, and buy online.

Related articles:

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips and sizes to suite your job.

Leicester gets recycling right

clip_image001Nearly a quarter of all rubbish thrown out from Leicester homes is now being recycled, following a recent initiative by the Leicester county council. The city council has confirmed that 23% of Leicester’s household waste is now being recycled instead of going to landfill sites.

This recent increase of 5% could well be down to the council’s revolutionary initiative of orange bag kerb side collection introduced three years ago, replacing the green recycling boxes. Last year, more than 16,000 tonnes of rubbish was collected in the orange bags. However it has been estimated that 2,100 tonnes of glass as well as 2,800 tonnes of recyclable cardboard are still being disposed of in general waste bins.

The introduction of the orange bag kerb side collection was designed to encourage people to recycle more. Following surveys that were carried out in the neighbourhood, people didn’t realise that cardboard could be included in the orange bag collection so Leicester council are constantly educating people on the importance of recycling.

Assistant city mayor for neighbourhood services, Councillor Sarah Russell, said: “The scheme is helping to revolutionise recycling in the city. The secret to its success is its simplicity. It’s so much more convenient being able to put all recyclable items in one bag.”

Leicester council stated that three quarters of the city’s waste is now being diverted from landfill and that much of what cannot be recycled is going on to be incinerated to create renewable energy, or being composted.

The orange bags are used to recycle glass bottles, mixed plastics including food containers, Tetra Pak, plastic film and carrier bags, all of which are not usually allowed in your average recycling bin. Tins, cans, empty aerosols, paper and cardboard can also be included in the orange bag collection.

For more information: www.leicester.gov.uk/orangebags

Related articles:

· Recycling scrap metal

· Recycling: are we doing our bit?

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips and sizes to suite your job.

The importance of recycling

imageOur environment needs as much as help as possible these days. Global warming is increasing which is having a knock on effect on our polar ice caps, one of the main regulators in our global climate. Carbon dioxide is one of the major greenhouse gases that is building up in our atmosphere, which is causing deforestation all over the world. What’s more is that the level of waste we have is at an all-time high and we have to now do our bit for the environment.

What is recycling?

Recycling is a process that contributes towards the preservation of the environment and its future; it’s all about collecting materials that are considered as waste and reprocessing it. Here are some ways that recycling helps our environment:

Recycling saves energy

Manufacturing new products from scratch uses a huge amount of energy, way more energy than recycling materials. We can also cut back and preserve the resources that provide these new products by recycling. Take ink cartridges, instead of just creating ink cartridges each time, there are now companies out there that recycle the cartridges to use again.

Recycling reduces pollution

Reducing pollution goes a long way to preserving the environment; minimising energy used in manufacturing reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Gasoline, coal and diesel emit harmful greenhouse gases, so any reduction in the consumption of these result in the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Recycling preserves natural resources

Instead of cutting down trees to produce paper, recycling used paper will help preserve natural and limited resources.

Recycling saves space for waste disposal

Landfill sites are becoming full, but a major proportion of what’s in landfill can be recycled. Hazardous waste that is emptied into landfill can leak corrosive or toxic chemicals into the environment. Reducing waste that needs to be discarded in landfills benefits the environment.

Related articles:

· Recycling scrap metal

· Recycling: are we doing our bit?

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips and sizes to suite your job.

Recycling scrap metal

image

Recycling metal is a £5.6 billion industry within the UK, processing ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal into important secondary  raw materials to smelt into new metals. Worldwide, over 400 million tonnes of metal is recycled each year which helps to protect the environment and save energy. Using secondary raw materials means that we are using fewer natural resources which could be used to make new metal compounds.

Metal can be infinitely recycled, which makes it one of the most desirable scrap commodities today. Like any other industry, recycling tends to be based on market need. So whilst all metals can be recycled, only a few actually are; these include aluminium, tin, zinc, copper, iron, steel and lead. Those metals that can’t be recycled are contaminated with radiation and subsequently handled as hazardous waste instead.

Once metal is collected, it goes through a sorter to remove any contaminates such as non metal items. The metal is then washed and further separated by type. The sorted metals are then sent to various foundries for smelting and reuse.

Recycled metal contributes more than any other product to the UK’s targets for waste prevention through recovering ‘end of life’ products:

  • Packaging: approximately two billion aluminium and steel cans are recycled each year
  • Vehicles: over 75% of a car is metal, around half the material processed by metal recycling shredders come from vehicles
  • Batteries: the metal recycling industry is recycling most lead acid vehicle and industrial batteries

LSPS recycle all grades of ferrous and non ferrous metals, in fact we recycle as much of the contents of our skips as possible, reducing the waste that gets put into landfill. Read our advice on skips to do your bit for the environment.

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips and sizes to suite your job.

What is landfill?

imageLandfill still remains the main method of dealing with our waste in the UK. Although many of us have now got the message about the importance of recycling and doing our bit, around half of all refuse is still being dumped into a hole and covered over.

Every year we produce about 3% more waste than the year before. 

Landfill remains an important disposal method for waste that can’t be recycled or disposed of by other means. Landfill sites are designed and operated to strict standards in order to reduce environmental effects, and with strict landfill directives - the amount of waste, particularly hazardous waste, is being reduced.

We produce and use 20 times more plastic today than we did 50 years ago

How does landfill work?


Waste is checked to make sure it is compliant with the landfill’s operating permit, the waste is then tipped into the site, compacted and covered. This is to minimise smells and pests.

Every day 80 million food and drink cans end up in landfill

Waste is then decomposed, resulting in gasses, particularly methane which has to be vented to safety. This methane venting process is the evolving of gasses that used to make landfill sites unsuitable for further development for some time.

Methane is around 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide

When the landfill site reaches eventually reaches capacity it is covered with clay and other soils to produce a ‘cap’ which will eventually allow the land to be reused for agriculture and other purposes.

An average of 40% of Britain’s methane emissions result come from landfill sites, however with the strict operations in place it means that increasing amounts of the UK’s electricity supply now comes from gasses recovered from landfill.

LSPS recycle as much of the contents of their skips as possible, reducing the waste that gets put into landfill. Read our advice on skips to do your bit for the environment.

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips and sizes to suite your job.

Skips for DIY waste

clip_image002DIY waste is classified as neither household nor garden waste according to the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In fact, DIY waste is classed as industrial waste, even if it generated from a home, which means that councils do not have a duty to provide free disposal for it. For this level of work it’s advisable to hire a skip and let us deal with the waste once the skip becomes full.

DIY waste, or construction and demolition waste, is generated through building or renovation work. Most of this waste is made up of hardcore or rubble – small stones and rocks used for building – or material left over following demolition of a driveway, wall or roof repairs, etc.

Examples of DIY waste are:

  • hardcore/rubble/bricks
  • paving slabs
  • plasterboard
  • roofing materials
  • soil/turf
  • bath, toilet or basin unit
  • central heating system components
  • tiles
  • door, window or frame
  • kitchen unit or wardrobe
  • shed/fence panels
  • laminate flooring
  • timber, MDF, hardboard

If you don’t have the space for a skip on your property and it has to go on a public access area such as a road or pavement, then a skip permit from your local authority will be needed. However we can handle this application process for you, freeing up your time to concentrate on your DIY project.

Once your skip is filled, LSPS pick up and transport your DIY waste back to our onsite waste transfer station in order to recycle as much as possible, avoiding landfill where we can.

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips and sizes to suite your job here.

Tips for garden clearance

clip_image002Any amount of garden clearance produces waste, so an ideal way of clearing this green waste as easily and as environmentally as possible is to start off with hiring a skip. This way you can put all the unwanted rubbish in one central place, removing the extra chore of taking it all down to the local tip yet doing your bit for recycling.

We want to give our customers a helping hand with their garden clearance, so here are some tips for you...

Tip #1 - tackle the trees

Target the larger jobs first; this includes trimming the trees back. Lay the larger branches in the skip first. Laying them flat on the bottom means that bulky items can sit on top, that way smaller waste can fill in the gaps around the bulkier items further on. Trimming the trees also encourages new growth as well as opening up the garden space in the meantime.

Tip #2 – shift the shed rubbish

This is the perfect time to tackle the garden shed or garage. Choose a nice day to clear out all the contents and identify what you need and don’t need. Put all the broken and unwanted furniture and garden equipment in the skip and reorganise the shed space with what needs to be kept.

Tip #3 – tidy the trimmings

Now the larger jobs have been done, rake up all the leaves and garden debris. Raking promotes growth in the grass and allows the sun to get to the ground. Decaying vegetation is a haven for slugs and snails so give your plants a fighting chance by removing debris to prevent them moving in! Birds can also help with the removal of slugs so encourage our feathered friends into your garden by hanging bird feeders.

Add all this debris rubbish to the skip after the larger items have been put in place as this will make the most of the space available in your skip, filling in the gaps.

Tip #4 – pristine pavements

Clear away the moss on your pavements, steps and patios. Special path cleaners are available, but moss can be easily removed using a sweeping brush or pressure washer also.

Mini or midi skips are generally suitable for garden clearance jobs; see our skip sizes here. Thinking of hiring a skip? See our ground rules here.

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips here.

What happens to skip rubbish?

clip_image002Recycling has moved from being an option to a necessity, backed by governments, local authorities and EU targets. We can no longer keep dumping our rubbish in the ground, instead we have to make the most of our waste materials and use them to our advantage.

All waste that is collected in LSPS skips is taken back to our waste transfer station where the skips are emptied into our waste recycling facility; this is then carefully separated into the various different types, such as wood and plastic. The waste is then recycled through shredding, screening or compaction. Finally the recycled materials are sent out to be reused for further treatment.

Wood: all wood that is collected in the skip is shredded and transformed into wood pellets which can be used for animal bedding. Find out how we recycle wood into wood pellets here.

Green waste: trees and hedges are mixed with biodegradable materials to form reusable compost.

clip_image003Soils and inert wastes: wastes such as excavated materials are screened in order to remove larger contaminants. These secondary soils can then be used for filling in old quarries to create new green land.

Hardcore and aggregate: brick, stone, concrete, glass, tile or any other quarried products are crushed to produce materials that can be used as sub base in building projects.

Metal recycling: recycled metal is in high demand; such is the demand that recycled metal is often exported overseas to places like China or India.

Mixed waste recycling: once all the above materials have been identified for recycling, a small amount of non-recyclable waste is left. Whilst this has historically been sent to landfill, which has serious consequences on the environment, such waste is now used in one of the most important resources we know – electricity – through modern waste to energy plants.

Skip hire is no longer about taking your waste to be buried in landfill; you’re doing your bit by simply filling a skip!

Packing a skip effectively, click here to find tips.

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips here.

Recycling: wood

Recycling has become an important part of our lifestyle thanks to an ongoing effort to save energy and conserve the environment.  One of the products we recycle most is wood; the UK generates around 4.5 million tonnes of waste wood a year with over 60% going on to be recycled*, a figure that is happily increasing due to rising landfill taxes.

One end product of wood recycling is wood pellets, compressed sawdust that can be used for a variety of things including animal bedding and heating.  The raw wood material goes through a stringent cleaning and sterilisation process which is followed up by duel dust extraction to produce the pellets, providing a warm absorbent bed for horses.

The process of making wood pellets is quite easy; the wood is first ground into a dust and then compressed and forced through holes, similar to a mincing machine.  This is a heated process and the pellets are held together by a natural lignin in the wood which makes up a quarter of dry wood, so no glue is needed.  The pellets are then left to cool and harden.

Wood pellets have a low moisture content so when small amounts of water are added to the pellets they expand and revert to sawdust making it absorbent and manageable, making mucking out so much easier and reducing the amount of bedding you require.  The ease of storage and transportation provide additional benefits over traditional bedding such as hay.

Wood pellets can also be used for cat litter and smaller animal bedding, such as hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs.

See more on horse bedding and wood pellets.

*Source: Wood Recyclers Association

Where can I put my skip?

imageSkips are seen all over the place; on the road to help ease of drop off, or on personal property in front or back gardens, but it’s important to bear in mind that the location must be suitable for the skip lorry to access as well as being in a convenient place for filling.

If you don’t have the space on personal property and only have the option of public land such as a road or pathway, then you will need a permit from your Local Authority. The permits will take around three to four days to be issued with a maximum duration of seven days, LSPS can organise these permits on your behalf, find out how here.

If you do have the space on personal property then you need to bear in mind that skips can be very heavy and may cause damage to tarmac or paved driveways, however we can advise you on the ideal location.

When your skip is delivered then the location needs to be at least 2.75 metres wide (9 ft.) to allow the skip lorry access. Make sure that the skip doesn’t block any other access.

Another important consideration is to not overload your skip as this will only have to be emptied to the legal limit. Read our advice on how to fill your skip effectively.

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips here.  For tips on packing your skip effectively, click here.

How to load a skip

imageYou want to make the most of the skip you’ve hired, but how can you pack it to use the space effectively, and get rid of all the waste and litter you need to.

If you have been busy refitting a kitchen or a bathroom, or even clearing out the garden, here are some handy tips to get the most out of the skip you’ve hired:

- Lay all flat items down on the bottom of the skip, such as table tops and cupboard doors.

- Load in larger and bulkier items next, making sure you manoeuvre them so they’re fully enclosed in the skip.

- Break up or crush any items such as furniture or wooden panels, these can then fit around the bulkier items.

- Pack the remaining rubbish around the above, as this will prevent any air space.

Don’t put items in the skip that the council can recycle such as glass and cardboard, this will free up more space for you to fill.

Remember that skips have a weight limit; skip drivers groan out loud when they see an overloaded skip as it means emptying the extra waste. Mini skips are usually used for household or garden clearance which will generally fall into the weight restriction required. For more guidance on finding the skip that’s right for you, click here.

It’s also important to remember that there are various items that can’t be put in a skip. These are a few examples:

  • Paint and cans of paint
  • Gas bottles, gas canisters
  • Asbestos
  • Batteries
  • Tyres
  • Fridges, freezers, air conditioning units

To see the full list of items to be kept out of a skip, click here.

Remember, if a skip looks overloaded, ask yourself one question: would you want to be driving behind the lorry that is carrying an overloaded skip?

Thinking of hiring a skip? Read our additional tips here.

Latest Articles

Follow us on Twitter

Like us on Facebook