NSSW Launches with a Song and Dance for Credit-Crunch-Beating Communal Waste

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 23, 2008 -
National “Share-A-Skip” Week Launches with a Song and Dance for Credit-Crunch-Beating Communal Waste Disposal

We’ve all heard of recycle bins, energy monitors and recycled toilet paper put forward as ways to help save the planet. But have you ever heard of sharing a skip as a responsible way to dispose of your waste?

National “Share-A-Skip” Week is an idea to help people hire a skip for less through a community based skip-sharing scheme. It runs from the 10th to 17th November in 2008, as an initiative to encourage people to hire a skip and dispose of unwanted waste with their neighbours or friends.

It encourages communities to get together and beat the Credit Crunch; it’s a great way of saving money without compromise.

National “Share-A-Skip” Week is the brainchild of Mark Attwood, who has appeared numerous times on the BBC and in the Daily Telegraph as a skip hire expert. Mark said: “The objective of National “Share-A-Skip” Week is to prevent fly-tipping, reduce waste to landfill and save people money.”

“The first half of November is a great time to run the scheme as there’s always an increase in waste with the debris leftover from Bonfire Night and also to encourage people to correctly dispose of household items rather than burn them on a bonfire”.

“Because of the Credit Crunch people are looking to dispose of their waste in irresponsible and sometimes illegal ways because they perceive it as being cheaper than hiring a licensed skip, but the increase in fly-tipping actually ends up costing our society more because it’s the councils’ that have to clear the waste up, not to mention the environmental damage it creates.”

To launch the scheme and the website www.NationalShareASkipWeek.co.uk Mark has also commissioned a song called “Skipjacking Jerk” by local Manchester band “The Skipjackers” to put a bit of fun into the proceedings. It got 35,000 views in the first 24 hours of launch! You can watch it here: http://tinyurl.com/57t2dt

“We put the video on YouTube and on our site on 22nd October and it’s such a good song that if people want to download it for their iPods they can do that also. I’m sworn to secrecy as to the identity of the made-up band “The Skipjackers” – suffice to say they are a very talented Manchester outfit and we’re very grateful for their input to this project.”

The scheme will highlight the opportunity to make it cheaper and easier to recycle and aims to prevent half filled skips being driven around by skip wagons. It also tackles the issue of ‘skip jacking’ (the unauthorised use of your skip) as research has shown that it’s often neighbours who are responsible for the illegal use!

The website launched on 22nd October at www.NationalShareASkipWeek.co.uk. It features a downloadable leaflet that people can fill in, print off and deliver to their neighbours letterboxes encouraging them to join in. There are also details of how they can order their skip via a national freephone number or online via PayPal, Google Checkout or with any major credit or debit card. All skip orders placed through the site will go to reputable and licensed local waste carriers (no cowboys!) and there is a commitment to recycle at least 70% of all the waste collected wherever possible to minimise landfill.