Skips and fireworks: what to look out for

New Year's Eve is almost here, and that of course means fireworks. If you want to hire a skip or have already hired one, it is important to bear this in mind. A skip can be dangerous in combination with fireworks, which is why some municipalities don't allow waste skips on public land. Sometimes they are allowed during the day, but not in the evening. You can't easily move a 6 m3 skip full of rubble indoors, though. Fortunately, there are things you can do.

Some municipalities ban open waste skips around New Year's Eve because of the fire risk. If fireworks end up in the skip and it contains highly flammable material, that is obviously dangerous. Even if you have a skip for garden tiles, it can still be dangerous if, for example, heavy bangers are thrown in. That is why there is usually a ban on all open skips. Sometimes the ban only applies around New Year's Eve, sometimes it starts well before, and sometimes it only applies in the evenings. So check with your municipality what applies to you.

If there is a skip ban where you live, check carefully what the ban involves. Often the ban applies to open skips. If you want to hire a skip, you can often still get a 10m3 enclosed skip hire. Sometimes there are other measures you can take, or the rules mainly apply to certain waste types. This isn't always mentioned on the website. If you call the council, they can tell you more.

If your council only allows skips to stand on the street during the day and not in the evening, this usually only applies to open skips, so you can hire an enclosed skip instead. You may need to lock it in the evening, so make sure you have a padlock. If you can't hire an enclosed skip, there's little you can do about the ban. Sometimes, though, the haulier can drop the skip off during the day and collect it again at the end of the afternoon. You can then fill the skip straight away. It helps if your waste is easy to get to, so you might want to put it in the garden beforehand, for example. Just get in touch with us and we can check this for you and set it up.

If the skip is on your own property, it can simply stay there, but there's still the risk of fire. Even if the skip is in your garden, someone could throw fireworks into it. Depending on your waste, this is something you may need to bear in mind. In that case, too, a 10m3 enclosed skip hire is recommended, and it's a good idea to lock it with a padlock.

If you already have an open skip or can't order an enclosed one, you can cover the skip, for example with a tarpaulin. Make sure it's properly secured so that fireworks can't still be pushed in. A tarpaulin isn't completely vandal-proof, of course, but it does reduce the risk. If possible, it's also a good idea to have the skip placed somewhere less accessible, for example beside the house rather than at the front, or in a sheltered spot that's hard to see. If someone has to walk some way through your garden, they're also less likely to throw fireworks into the skip. Good lighting helps too. If you have an outdoor light, switch it on in the evening, or put up a temporary one. Some people think throwing fireworks into a skip is fun, so don't make it too easy for them.