Skip Hire: Do’s and Don’ts

Before you hire a skip for your project, whether it be at your home or for your office, have a look at these Dos and Don’ts to help you make sure you choose the perfect skip for your needs.

DO think about what you are going to put the skip. If there are very heavy items you made need a skip with a drop door for easy loading.

DO think about how long you need the skip for. Again, don’t underestimate the time you need. If you are doing a large renovation project or just a clean out, you will be surprised with how long the process can take.

DO get a skip license if you cannot store the skip on your personal property. If the skip will need to go on a public road or pavement, you will need a skip license. If you fail to do this, your skip can be removed (sometimes even before you have managed to use it) and you may even be fined.

DO put the following in a skip: Bricks, soil, garden waste, metal, sand, timber, plastic, general waste.

DO you have any access restrictions? If so, you will need to consider this before hiring a skip.

DO think about whether you have any overhead cables of obstructions that could get in the way of the skip.

DO think about what the weather conditions will be when you are hiring the skip. It’s best not to have a skip on tarmac drives during really hot weather.

DO make sure your drive is suitable to take the weight of the skip. They can weigh a lot, especially once they are full.

DO let your neighbours know you are having a skip, especially if you share a driveway with them or if it will be a nuisance to them when they are trying to park, or if it is directly in front of their house.

DON’T put the following things in a skip: Asbestos, tyres, aerosols, paint and paint tins, hazardous waste, electrical equipment, household appliances.

DON’T underestimate how big a project you are undertaking. It’s easy to think you will have enough space, but you will be surprised with how much rubbish you will probably end up having. If you are unsure, always go for the next size up.

DON’T leave it too late to hire a skip. If you know when you need the skip for, it’s always best to hire it ASAP so you are more likely to get the skip you want.

DON’T start any fires in the skip.

If you’re looking for more advice on what to consider before hiring a skip then speak to LSPS today on 0800 083 7807. LSPS is an established, family run firm in Leicestershire offering skip hire, waste disposal & recycling services.

What can and can’t be recycled when cleaning out your home

Clearing out your home can be very stressful at the best of times, but trying to figure out what can and what can’t be recycled can make it even worse.  With everything from electronics, cardboard or even old furniture to handle – it’s important that you know what can and can’t be recycled.

How to recycle
First, you need to know how to recycle and where to do it before you even start to sort your rubbish out. Most cities and towns often now have some sort of recycling plant. This is where you can take the things you want recycling and it is sorted into the correct areas e.g. garden, wood etc.

It is as easy as driving/walking to the sorting centre and dropping off your rubbish into the correct areas, almost like a ‘sort and drop’ service making it very convenient and time effective so there are no excuses about not doing it.

You should also read up about the rubbish that can be recycled as most of it needs to be clean, for example most cans, bottles etc. need to be rinsed out fully and dried as the liquid that is inside of them can contaminate the plastic itself making it unrecyclable.

Recyclable household items
Now you know how to recycle, you need to know what you can recycle. Here are just some of what you can recycle when clearing out your home:

Junk mail, cards, bills etc. are all forms of rubbish that you have in your home which can be recycled. Instead of just leaving them around in drawers etc. around the house which causes more clutter, you should bundle it all together and recycle it.

Cardboard is another great asset to recycle in your house, from things such as cereal boxes, pizza boxes or any other type of paper packaging.

CD’s, DVDs are not the first thing that springs to mind when someone mentions recycling, I know. But yes, they are recyclable, only if the recycling centre allows them and approves. If they are not then there are many other ways you can dispose of or reuse them, for example making a collage of your CD’s on your wall.

Old Televisions: TV’s hold many dangerous chemicals, so they are a bit hard to recycle yourself, but a lot of TV stores are happy to trade in your TV when you buy a new one and they often recycle them in a professional manner that is needed.

With all this in mind you may be wondering where you can put all of your unwanted rubbish? Well that is where we can help, by offering you affordable and convenient skip hire right to your door. Find out more here or call us today on 0800 083 7807

How paper straws are saving the planet

As the world is becoming more and more environmentally friendly there are new inventive ideas emerging every day for saving waste. The latest trend on the eco-scene that is being heavily adopted is the use of paper straws.

What is so bad about plastic straws?
Firstly, plastic straws are not recyclable, meaning that large amounts of waste end up in landfills or oceans. The biggest waste patch is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which is reportedly twice the size of Texas. It may not look it on the surface, but it is because most of it ends up on the ocean floor. Since these plastic straws are not biodegradable, it can take up to 200 years for them to decompose.

This then has a domino effect on marine life as they often mistake it as food, and when they try to consume it, it can become lodged in their stomach. It is estimated that up to 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles end up ingesting plastic to their stomachs.

Apart from affecting sea life, there is another reason as to why plastic straws are bad. It is because they release toxic chemicals when they start to break down which in turn pollutes the ocean waters.

The benefits of changing to paper straws
 
•    Safer for marine-life: of course, this is the first positive, but it is a major one as it can save the lives of many animals and maybe even prevent some species from going extinct. This is proven as paper straws are supposedly meant to breakdown within six months, which is a whole lot better than that of 200 years for a plastic straw.

•    Less time to decompose: linking to the previous benefit, paper straws only taking a short amount of time to decompose will be very beneficial for our oceans as it will also reduce the amount of toxic chemicals being released into the ocean waters.

•    They’re affordable: although plastic straws are cheaper, the rise of demand for paper straws is only going to increase the production meaning eventually the price will go down again even though they are already cheap enough as you can pick them up in bulk for as little as two pence each.

Businesses cutting out plastic
Many large-scale companies and businesses are cashing in on cutting out or limiting plastic straws. Some of these include Disney, Starbucks and McDonalds. This is a wake-up call to you and how you should be trying to limit how you use plastic on a day-to-say basis for your business.

Here at LSPS, recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state-of-the-art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807 or visit our website for further information.

Tips for reducing office waste

Much is spoken of about how we can improve recycling rates at home, however, much less so is commented on how we can reduce the impact of waste from our places of work. Recycling is often low down the priority list for our businesses but doing so can not only help the environment but can also save you money and give you something to brag about to your clients and customers.

Here are some simple and easy to adopt tips that you can use to reduce wastage in the workplace.

1 – Turn off all of your electronic items at the end of the day rather than leaving them on standby overnight

2 – Set your computer monitors to switch to standby during periods of inactivity

3 – Switch to energy efficient lightbulbs

4 – Take advantage of natural light and leave artificial lighting off for as long as is possible without impacting on your work

5 - Recycle paperwork but try and move towards electronic communications wherever possible through online systems, phone calls and emails. Paperless is the way forward.

6 – When you do have to print try and use products like recycled paper, refillable ink printer cartridges and opt for manufacturers that use non-toxic chemicals. Better yet use one communal printer rather than several around the office.

7 – When ordering food or sourcing food for your office try and shop locally. Not only are you supporting other local businesses, but you’ll also be reducing your carbon footprint.

8 – Be flexible with working. If an employee can work from home, car pool or use public transport to begin their working day then you should try and encourage it to reduce emissions

9 – Allow casual attire during the summer. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in stuffy suit and tie during a baking summer’s day. Allowing more casual clothing during the summer can not only keep your employees happy but also reduce the need for expensive and resource intensive air-cooling systems.

10 – In the bathroom opt for recyclable products such as non-single use plastic handwash and paper towels.

11 – Retain packaging such as boxes and mailers for reuse later down the line

12 – Waste sorting is essential but in a big workplace this can be time consuming. Delegate up tasks between several members of staff to even out the workload.

13 – Enquire about recycling and green policies with suppliers carefully before choosing to strike up a relationship – otherwise all your efforts could be of no use

If you’re looking for advice and help with creating a thrifty and eco-friendly waste policy then speak to LSPS today. We offer a complete waste disposal management package to businesses and offices in Leicestershire to help them meet their needs and adhere to regulations. We also have a secure shredding service to dispose of confidential waste. To find out more please contact us on 0800 083 7807.

24-hour plastic-free challenge – could you do it?

According to research from the environmental charity Greenpeace – nine in ten people asked admitted that they were concerned about plastic waste and the effect that it has on our oceans.

Single-use plastics are often dubbed an ‘unavoidable’ part of our everyday lives. However, from coffee cups and plastic straws to single-use carrier bags there have been plenty of victories in recent years to help curb the mountains of plastic making their way to our oceans, polluting water sources and harming marine life.

Environmental charity Friends Of The Earth is encouraging people to go one-step further and take on a new challenge called Drastic On Plastic. This experiment asks those taking part to take a pledge to avoid single-use plastics for a 24hour period, or as long as they can.

The idea is to start your timer on your phone and leave it running until you use your first piece of single use plastic such as a packaging on food. Once this happens you stop your timer and record your findings on their website. These findings will help to highlight the difficulties people face in reducing plastic waste and where stronger action is needed. Those interested in taking part can register here: foe.uk/0702-timer-challenge.

Friends of the Earth’s plastic-free campaigner Julian Kirby said:

“Lots of companies have made proud claims about reducing plastic - but just how easy is it to avoid plastic bags, cups, bottles and packaging in our everyday lives?

“Take the plastic challenge and find out how long you can go before you have to use an item of throw-away plastic.

“And by letting us know which bit of unwanted plastic ended your challenge, it will help us put pressure on retailers and manufacturers to reduce the waves of pointless plastic pollution that blights our environment and harms our wildlife.

“It’s time for the government to get drastic on plastic - and that’s why we need a new law to ensure tougher action to end the plastic pollution crisis.”

Here at LSPS, recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state-of-the-art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807 or visit our website for further information.

Tips for a greener bathroom at home

From toothpaste tubes and wet wipes to shampoo bottles – lots of our household waste originates from the bathroom. However, with less than 10% of plastic products ever being recycled, it’s important to brush up on exactly what can and cannot be recycled from our homes and the bathroom is no exception.

1 – Bulk buy

One key way to reduce your plastic waste in the bathroom is to bulk by products. Rather than buying a new bottle of shampoo once a month you should buy a larger bottle that will last you longer. Some brands even use recycled plastic for their packaging so be sure to study the packaging closely.

2 – Try alternative dental products

Dental products like toothbrushes and tooth paste tubes are perhaps the biggest offender when it comes to plastic waste. The complex makeup of these products and varying materials make it hard to recycle so a large proportion end up in landfill each year. To try and combat this trend there are many new products appearing on the market that use simple materials that are easy to recycle. Look out for Bamboo and other wooden toothbrushes which are compostable and biodegradable.

3 – Switch to solids

While you may want to make your bathroom greener – this doesn’t mean you have to compromise on your beauty regime. There are ways of making slight adjustments to your daily habits that can have a profound impact. Take shampoo for instance. Shampoo bottles are often made from single-use plastics that are hard to recycle. A much eco-friendlier option is to use sulphate-free bars of soap. You can even buy soap bars made specifically for washing and nourishing your hair.

4 – Dual bins

While having two bins in our kitchens has become a common practice in the UK – helping to raise household recycling rates, many of us are yet to adopt this same system in our bathrooms. This means that in the rush of daily life we often lump all our waste in together and end up with no time to separate out the recyclables and non-recyclables. Having two bins takes away this headache.

Here at LSPS, recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state-of-the-art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807 or visit our website for further information.

Recycling symbols for packaging explained

One of the biggest barriers to improving recycling rates in the UK is an understanding of the often-complex systems, schemes and signage involved. Most people are keen to make a difference by recycling their household and daily waste – but the actual methods of doing so can be confusing and misleading.

Here are some of the most commonly used symbols on products you’ll see in shops and in the supermarkets to help point you in the right direction.

Widely recycled

This green symbol with a clockwise arrow means that the item you are looking at is easily and widely recycled. This means you can be confident that your purchase will go on to be reused after it’s served its purpose for you.

There are several variations of this symbol – some may have extra instructions and caveats attached such as ‘rinse’, ‘rinse/lid on’ or ‘flatten’. Be careful to follow these instructions as often forgetting to remove a cap or wash out a jar for instance can lead to the item being rejected from the recycling process.

Check locally

This symbol featuring the same clockwise arrow but with a black background means that between 25-75% of local authorities will collect and recycle this form of packaging but that there may be a chance they don’t – so you should check on your local authority website for clarification before putting it in your recycling bin.

Not Yet Recycled

The Not Yet Recycled symbol is a sign that (as the name suggests) this particular item can not yet be recycled. This might include a form of packaging like crisp packets. However, just because the item is not recyclable doesn’t mean that you can’t reuse it yourself. So, try and think of a creative or useful way that you can avoid sending the item to landfill.

Other variations

Other variations of the symbol include ‘Widely Recycled at Recycling Centres’ informing you to take the item to your local recycling centre, ‘Recycle With Bags At Larger Stores’ which means some supermarkets will take in the item (wrapping from toilet rolls, magazine wraps, etc) and often some items won’t yet feature any recycle information. In those circumstances you should seek clarification either with the product manufacturer or your local authority for details on what to do.

Here at LSPS, recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state-of-the-art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807 or visit our website for further information.