Is Skip Diving Legal in the UK?

Understand the Law

It is crucial to familiarise yourself with the UK laws. Before you start the process, we recommend you to know the risks associated with skip diving. First, you need to get permission from the owner or the local authority.

Most often, trash is not regarded as private property in the UK, which means there are reduced chances of getting charged with theft. However, a property owner or local community can sue you for offenses like trespassing and privacy breach.

Therefore, before you skip dive in your local area, you must determine whether or not there are signs of warning, locks, fences, and trespassing. If you find signs of trespassing, don’t breach the property. It is a wise decision to stay away from such areas.

Locate Skip Containers in your Local Area

Usually, it is easy to find skip containers in your local area. For instance, you can find them outside of large buildings, churches, schools, parks, and beaches. Again, skip diving in the UK is legal, still, we suggest you look for containers that are not in plain sight.

Figure out trash pickup times in your local area. It will help you approach the skip on time and take as many times as you can. If you don’t do this, you may find the skip is emptied by the trash collecting company. The rule of thumb is that one should do skip diving early in the morning or evening. It is the time when most people are busy working. So, you can easily take out items without getting caught.

Make a List of Items You Need to Search For

Undoubtedly, skip containers in public areas contain a wide range of items. If you are a smart skip diver, you can find valuable items, such as designer clothes, old electronics, and other high-end products. You can also get your hands on valuable scrap materials like batteries, which you can sell for some quick cash.

Anyway, you have to make an informed decision by making a list of items that you can sell for more money. For instance, it is wise to look for cosmetic products, small electronic gadgets, and household appliances. Sometimes, you also find unwanted furniture, which usually has a higher price than other items.

Prepare Yourself for Skip Diving

Skip diving is not an easy task. Jumping into the skip container to pick things can harm your health. First, you have to prepare yourself mentally because skips are the smelliest containers that contain piles of filth and garbage.

On the other hand, you are not only taking out valuable items but also playing a key role in reducing the amount of waste. It is extremely messy to get into the skip. It is not for people who are prone to filthy smells and bad odours.

If you are wearing normal clothes, diving into the skip will make them dirty right away. Experts recommend wearing old clothes, but it should be comfortable enough so that you can move around freely. We suggest wearing a pair of closed-toed boots to protect your feet from harmful contaminants and sharp objects that can lead to injuries.

Make sure you wear long-sleeved tops to reduce the risk of exposure to the garbage. If you don’t want to dive into the skip, it is wise to wear leather, nylon, or denim clothing to cover your body. If you are wearing a chain, bracelet, or watch, remove it before getting inside. There is a high chance that you may lose the accessory inside the skip.

Equip Yourself with Necessary Gear

Skip diving is a daunting task, which can’t be done without proper equipment or gear. For instance, it is essential to bring a pair of think gloves, a milk crate or small stool, torch, headlamp, flashlight, stick, laundry bags, and other things.

Heavy-duty plastic bags are useful in terms of transporting items from the skip container to your home. You can likewise use a long stick or pole to keep sorting items inside the skip. If you can do this smartly, you can avoid getting into the skip.

Moreover, flashlights become necessary when you are diving into the skip at night. Remember, sometimes, you will spend hours inside a 40-yard skip with a lot of trash, but you may not find valuable items. It is crucial to stay vigilant and focused. If you couldn’t find anything in the skip, move to the next one and continue searching for valuable items.

Final Words

The legality of skip diving has enabled thousands of people in the UK to carry out skip diving. Skip diving being legal does not mean that you trespass or breach a private property. If you want to find valuable items in the skip placed outside a school building, talk to the authority about it and get their consent.

When you get the permission, you are legally entitled to carry out skip diving and take whatever you like. Some people search for food items in the skip. We don’t recommend looking for food items in the skip because they can cause significant harm to your health due to the accumulation of microbes on them.