Topic: Skip scavenging

[Beer_Belly]

Ozzy mentioned skip skanking? a while back so this morning as I went past Gamma (a dutch DIY) place I saw a skip. It was 06:25 so I couldn't see very well but I stopped and had a look. I'm glad I did ! I'm now the owner of a large rubber builders bucket, a plastic storage box and a shovel !
Thanks Oz for the tip  ;D

[LynneA]

With the exception of the shed and perimeter fence posts, I think all the wood used on our plot was scavenged.  We've also rescued huge amounts of roof slates, bricks, 4 water butts and countless other stuff that may be useful.  Add to that some lovely terracotta pots we saved from a house clearance and all the internet connection cd's and plastic bottles we make our housemates give us rather than throw away.

My grandfather was pretty bad - he used to save all sorts of things for the garden - plastic drinking cups for seedlings, offcuts of this that and the other were left all over the house.

A couple more skips and you'll start twitching when you hear the chains clank on the lorry!

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Hey you lot, be careful.   Taking things from skips without permission is theft.   Sorry to be devil's advocate, but I don't want to hear of you getting into serious trouble.    :o :o :o  

[Mrs Ava]

One mans rubbish is another mans treasure.  I can't imagine anyone would mind you taking their rubbish, however....I guess they could charge you for it! :o  

My dad used to come home with alsorts to use in our family lottie, the mind boggled!  Even now, mum has a bath in her garden as her pond, sinks as planters, and all sorts of odd things dotted around....like an alladins cave! ;D

[Beer_Belly]

Hey Colin - Any idea what the penalty is for rubbish theft ?

[Ceri]

didn't some tabloid get its hand smacked for delving through people's rubbish bins - they'd know!

[LynneA]

I do ask - honest!

I normally knock on the door of the nearest house and check the contents of the skip are to be disposed of.  Then I explain I have an allotment and like to recycle as much as possible, and would they mind if we reused some stuff?

Never been refused - some people may think we're strange, others feel guilty to think of what they were going to waste.  Builders in particular welcome our attentions as they have less to cart off!

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

BB - I believe that the penalty for theft is something like £400 or 6 months, or both.   However, I am not an expert, so don't quote me please.

When I studied Commercial Law many years ago, I vaguely recall that once items are put in a skip, the property in them passes to the skip owner.   As the skip owner can sort over the items in the skip with a view to recycling them to make a sale and thus a profit, taking items from the skip is removing from him the opportunity to do this, and is thus theft.

I'm not quite sure how the law stands if (say) you put some rubbish into someone else's skip.

Boring ain't it.

[teresa]

Hi BB,
When we lived in Germany years ago once a month everybody would put out things on the street for collection which would not go in the weekly bins.
This was collected by lorries the following day, so in the evening everybody would be out walking round the streets to see if there was anything interesting and you would just pick it up and carry it home. ;)
Do you have this in Holland?
It was a good night out and you always found something to bring home oh happy days :D
Teresa

[Beer_Belly]

We don't have a regular day but yes you call the council and arrange a collection date then put your junk on the street. There are guys that drive arounf looking for the bset stuff (mostly on scooters with big trailers on the front) so it's rare to see anything worth having.

[busy_lizzie]

:D  Skips are fantastic!  My husband and I have become obsessed with them since we got the allotment, particularly those with pallets in them.  We always ask and people seem only too glad to get rid of stuff, and seem interested in what we are going to do with them at the allotment.  It is amazing what bits of wood people throw away, and awful to think that they would just be buried or burnt, when they could be providing a pathway, be part of a compost heap or the side of a raised bed.  I am all for recycling, but within the law of course.  Lizzie

[teresa]

Skips are amasing things I remember a program I watched where they loaded a skip and vidioed it and in 24hrs the skip was empty. ;)
The old saying one mans rubbish is a nother mans treasure and its true.
Today my neighbrough and friend were amiring my wall baskets. Being plastic the sun has buckled them so I said next year I would get metal wall baskets. :)
Oh said my neighbrough the compost will come through the gaps( some people) no say I line it with a jumper and inside some plastic and fill compost. ;)
Oh says neighbrough you would have to find a green jumper no says I any colour to match the plants hee hee. ;D
Why throw away jumpers and buy basket linners some people make me laugh. 8)
Teresa