Builders' Skips
Skips have been used in the UK primarily for Construction and Demolition Waste since the 1960s, but these containers are also used as a versatile system for heavier, non-compressible wastes. This page captures Builders' Skips and smaller Miniskips.
They are constructed of metal and are delivered, collected, emptied and then returned (or sent to a new waste producer) via a dedicated Skip Lorry.
WikiWaste has separate pages for Builders' Skips, Ro-Ro Skips and Speciality/Adapted Skips. REL Skips are distinct from these three types, have their own page, and are typically used for lighter-weight compressable wastes.
Background
In the UK the size of a Skip is still traditionally referred to in cubic yards rather than cubic metres (for example an 8 yard skip).
Builders' Skips can be split into two categories:
- Smaller skips up to around 4 cubic yards moved by a small Skip Lorry (3.5 tonne lorry) - Miniskips
- Medium size skip from 6 to 16 cubic yards moved by a standard Skip Lorry (18 tonne lorry) - more traditional Builder's skips
Bin Sizes
The most common sizes and types of Builders' Skip are listed below. The information in the table is a compilation of data in the public domain. The maximum weight in a Builder's Skip is roughly equivalent to the size in cubic yards (i.e. an 8 cubic yard skip would have a maximum weight of around 8 tonnes).
The small 2 and 4 cubic Miniskips can include 3 cubic yard options.
Builders skips can go to 14 and 16 cubic yards, especially for Speciality/Adapted Skips.
Size (cubic yards) | Size (cubic metres) | Dimensions (ft in) | Dimensions (m) | No. of Black Bags | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 1.5 | 2'6"(H) x 4'0"(L) x 3' 0" (W) | 0.76m(H) x 1.2m(L) x 0.91m(W) | 15 to 20 | small house/garden/garage jobs |
4 | 3 | 3'2"(H) x 6'0"(L) x 4' 3" (W) | 0.97m(H) x 1.83m(L) x 1.29m(W) | 30 to 40 | larger house/garden/garage jobs |
6 | 4.6 | 4'0"(H) x 8'6"(L) x 5' 0" (W) | 1.22m(H) x 2.6m(L) x 1.52m(W) | 50 to 60 | small builder's works, Soil, Rubble, Hardcore |
8 | 6 | 4'0"(H) x 12'0"(L) x 5' 6" (W) | 1.22m(H) x 3.66m(L) x 1.68m(W) | 60 to 80 | large builder's works, largest for Soil, Rubble, Hardcore |
12 | 9.2 | 5'6"(H) x 12'2"(L) x 5' 10" (W) | 1.68m(H) x 3.7m(L) x 1.78m(W) | 100 to 120 | large builder's skip and used for bulky materials i.e. Wood Waste |
References:
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