More and more people need a safer and more secure way of removing their waste than hiring a regular skip. To ensure that your waste material is kept safe from prying eyes or that no one else throws items in it, you may want to consider hiring a lockable skip.
But what is a lockable skip, and why is it useful? In this article, we’ll try to give answers to these and other similar questions related to lockable skips.
What Is a Lockable Skip?

It’s a fully enclosed skip that allows you to lock it so that no one else has access but you. It’s perfect for preventing someone else’s waste from being added to the skip that you’ve hired, and also for ensuring that the items you’ve thrown in it are not removed without your permission. Hiring a lockable skip is especially recommended for those living in infamous neighbourhoods where these situations are likely to occur. They are used for both domestic and commercial waste and are an excellent choice for longer skip hires.
What Size Is The Lockable Skip?
Lockable skips throughout the UK come in different sizes, shapes, and dimensions, offering a wide range of capacity. Therefore, it’s hard to provide exact dimensions. Usually, the size of an open or standard skip matches the same size of the lockable skip. For example, an 8-yard standard skip has a similar size to an 8-yard lockable skip. It’s best to ask your local skip hire companies for more information.
Items to Put in a Lockable Skip
Lockable skips are a good choice for any waste material, including domestic, commercial, and industrial rubbish. However, you shouldn’t throw in hazardous waste and prohibited items. You can use them to get rid of:
- General waste
- Heavy and bulky items
- Recycling material
- Inert materials from demolition and construction operations
- Excavated soils
- Dry, non-hazardous wastes
Items You Shouldn’t Put in a Lockable Skip
Don’t use your lockable skip to dispose of hazardous waste and prohibited items such as:
- Household and car batteries
- Fluorescent bulbs
- Electrical equipment
- Asbestos
- Tyres
- Medical waste
- Chemicals
- Oil
- Paint
- Fuel
- Fridges
- Compressed gas cylinders
If you have hazardous waste, contact a skip hire company that offers hazardous waste removal service. They will help you dispose of your rubbish in a safe and effective way.
Advantages of Hiring a Lockable Skip
Some of the most important advantages of hiring a lockable skip are the following:
It keeps your waste safe – it doesn’t allow anyone to remove your waste without your approval, at the same time protecting it from all the elements that may cause a dangerous chemical reaction.
Ideal for places with high volumes of traffic – you can never know what may happen if you leave your waste unprotected in busy roadsides and locations with plenty of traffic. So put the risk of danger to a minimum by considering hiring a lockable skip.
It prevents your waste from being stolen
It doesn’t allow others to use it without your permission – this is really important as during the hire period, it’s your responsibility what’s inside the skip. If someone puts a prohibited item in your skip you may be charged with additional fees.
It’s weather proof – this can be really convenient for waste that needs to stay dry, like plasterboard.
It’s available in different sizes and shapes – you can find a lockable skip in the size and shape that’s perfect for your waste.
What Is The Cost of Lockable Skips?
Hiring a lockable skip is more expensive than hiring a standard, open skip as you might have expected. If you think about the advantages that this type of skip offers, you’ll understand the reason for the higher price. What’s more, the very purchasing of these skips is costlier, so that’s a reason plus. However, the difference between the cost of hiring a standard skip and a lockable skip is not too drastic.
The price of lockable skips depends on factors such as:
- The location
- The size
- Existence of drop down gates for easy access
- The number of doors
It’s best to ask several skip hire companies before you decide the right lockable skip for your needs and budget. In that way, you’ll make a great value deal and prevent overpay for a skip.