Waste Management Benefiting From The Housing Boom

The boom in the UK housing industry has resulted in a massive increase in the use of skips for both private and commercial use. The Skip Hire business has never been busier, although with increased exposure comes an increase in regulations, with Health and Safety as well as Waste Management being at the forefront.

Insurance companies have also become more involved in the day to day operations, demanding increased spending on safety aspects, including Skip locks, Skip lights, Skip nets and Skip ramps. All of these are designed to protect both the customer, workers and the general public with a number of high profile compensation claims causing concern in the industry.

While this added expense to the Skip Hire companies is not welcome, with many turning to Commercial Mortgages to raise capital, it is better than the alternative of increased claims and compensation payments, for what are normally avoidable accidents and mishaps.

Increased safety at work regulations now ensure that all Skip Hire personnel are clearly recognisable, with many companies introducing their own form of employee branded Safety Clothing - a surprise to many bearing in mind the industry’s negative public perception.

We have also seen great strides in the treatment of actual waste materials, due in the main to an increase in “green” issues, dictating what can and what should be recycled. Many waste management companies are now investing in their own Screen Trommels, which are massive rotating cylinders designed to sort and divide various types of waste. This can then either be recycled or sent to land fill (as a last resort).

There are few who would argue that the waste management industry was not in need of some form of re-organisation, but the cost of implementing the various changes has been a step too far for some. The industry is now dominated by a number of larger companies, with many smaller groups either merging or going out of business.