We all know what a skip is: a large open-topped container for waste that is removed by lorry as opposed to being emptied into a lorry – but do you know where the word ‘skip’ comes from? Read our five interesting skip hire facts to find out more…
Five Interesting Skip Hire Facts
Read on to find out five facts about skips you didn’t know.
Where does the word skip come from?
The word ‘skip’ comes from the old Norse word ‘skeppa’ which meant ‘basket’. The North Germanic people in the Early Middle Ages began to emigrate in the 8th century. They brought their language and culture with them. The word ‘Skeppa’ was absorbed into English and eventually became the word ‘skip’.
Why are skips the colour they are?
When skips started to become popular, the Highways Act imposed regulations on them. They said that skips must be visible in the dark and the original colour (as it was easily visible in low light was yellow. However, these days, skip companies such as Martlands, with our iconic red skips, make our skips more visible using lights or reflectors.
What are the restrictions on placing skips?
To be placed on a public highway, skips must have a permit and the required safety lights and markings. Only an authorised Skip Hire Contractor can apply for this from the Local Highway Authority on your behalf, as required under section 139 of the Highways Act 1980. The permits last for a maximum of 15 days. Skips on private land don’t have these restrictions.
Why do skips exist?
Convenience and cost! It is easier to fill up a large container and have someone else take it away, and it is more economical to allow a company that specialises in waste recycling, like Martlands, to deal with your waste as they have the facilities to deal with it.
When were the first skips introduced in the UK?
Before 1960, some companies used wagons or carts. The introduction of the builders skip as we know it coincided with the widespread availability of portable machinery that could lift and shift so much weight.
Martlands Skip Hire
For more than a hundred years, Martlands skip hire has been helping local people with recycling, skip hire and rubbish disposal.
Burscough Skip Hire 01704 779345
Southport Skip Hire 01704 779345
Skelmersdale Skip Hire 01695 769123
Bamber Bridge Skip Hire 01772 364 399
Chorley Skip Hire 01257 752399
Leyland Skip Hire 01772 364399
