7 Crazy and Creative Uses For A Skip

Whenever you stroll past skips in Sheffield, do you ever wonder what their future destinies might hold? Here at JustHire, we absolutely love the idea of our trusty skips going on to live second lives after they retire. So we did a little digging (or should that be diving?) to discover some of the best repurposing ideas from the UK and beyond.

As experts in affordable waste management, we know how important recycling is to our customers and are dedicated to helping them dispose of a range of unwanted materials in a responsible and eco-friendly way. However, until we came across these amazing stories, we hadn't even imagined the possibility of recycling the containers too. As you'll soon discover, when it comes to human ingenuity, the sky truly is the limit.

Before we get into the good stuff, it's worth mentioning that JustHire skips are built to last and have important work to do before they become something new. So, during your next epic and exciting renovation project, keep in mind that our rental skips in Sheffield are still only supplied for waste disposal. For now, at least, this article is just for fun!

Think of These Amazing Ideas When You See Our Skips in Sheffield
We're sure you'll agree, that in a creative city like Sheffield, it makes sense that skips could inspire some playful and community-focused projects. After all, we have a thriving arts culture, plenty of DIY enthusiasts, and have even seen skip graffiti art in the past.

If creativity and upcycling are right up your street, the following imaginative uses for the humble skip are sure to make you smile. Read on to discover the Just Hire team's favourite quirky skip-centric repurposing stories.

#1: Skip Coffee Shops

Designers Rikkert Paauw and Jet van Zwieten had the bright idea of asking local communities to help them transform disused skips into tiny and unique community hubs. Their project, titled Straatlokaal, served the dual purpose of creating cosy places to chill out in urban neighbourhoods while also encouraging people to think more deeply about their waste footprints and the importance of recycling.

The clever Dutch design duo placed reclaimed skips in a range of city locations and asked local residents to fill them with unwanted materials. These were then used to transform each skip into a miniature bar or coffee house, with enchantingly varied results!

#2: Skip Swimming Pools

If you haven't seen a skip swimming pool yet on the streets of Sheffield, it could just be a

matter of time. This zany idea can probably be traced back to London-based artist and designer Oliver Bishop-Young, who created a skip pool for the V&A museum in 2008, putting an entirely new spin on the concept of skip diving!

Soon afterwards, news of this trend involving taking watery refuge inside a refuse container reportedly made its way all the way from the UK to New York, ultimately sparking an international craze. More recently, according to Skip & Waste magazine, the entertaining idea gained fresh traction when a waste management company in Teeside hit the headlines after deciding to transform one of their skips into a swimming pool for staff in a heatwave.

#3: A Skip Garden

These days, up-cycled gardens are all the rage, with everything from old car tires to wooden palettes being used to create eye-catching and space-saving planters. But, for the seriously green-thumbed, why stop there? If your eco-friendly style of horticulture is go- big-or-go-home, the scale of a skip garden is sure to have you reaching for your mightiest fork and trowel!

JustHire's specialised skips are no strangers to garden waste, so it makes sense that they might go on to greener things after loyally serving our landscaping customers. Without a doubt, the strong structure and generous size of even the smallest refuse skips mean that they would make excellent planters for flowers, vegetables, and even trees. A brilliant example of this verdant concept can be seen in action in Bankside, London, with the Metal Box Garden.

#4: Skip Ping-Pong

Alright, Sheffield, are you ready to grab your ping pong paddles? Here's a dynamic idea that might yet make its way to our fair city. The energetic and kids-friendly idea of skip table tennis was first introduced as part of the Ping Pong London project, which saw 100 different tables spring up across the capital in a variety of unusual forms.

If someone you know finds the game of table tennis a bit too tricky, a skip ping-pong setup could be just the remedy. With a gaming surface and net stretching across the opening of the skip while its higher sides serve as friendly barriers to keep the ball in play, this sporty concept for a skip conversion gives the popular tabletop game a whole new dimension!

#5: A Skip Speed Boat

Ahoy there mateys, are you ready for a water-bound adventure? While most of us tend to think more about filling skips with heavy things than setting them afloat, marine engineers Jake Harris and Sam Newstead were determined to think outside the refuse box.

The pair decided to grab a 12ft skip, seal up its drainage holes, and kit it out with a 5hp outboard motor. After lowering their modified vessel into the River Medway in Kent, they were delighted to discover that it was surprisingly buoyant and perfect for cruising around in. Apparently, the two-man crew now have their sights set on sailing their skip across the channel!

#6: Skip Art Installations

For the creatively minded, just about anything can be transformed into art, and skips are no exception. Lee Baker and Catherine Borowski realised exactly this before launching

SKIP Gallery, an ongoing art project that has seen the sturdiest of refuse containers transform into all kinds of art installations and pop up in an array of unexpected places around the world.

Drawing involvement from a talented group of international artists, SKIP Gallery projects not only allow viewers to see roadside skips in an entirely new light, but also help deliver inspiring and proactive messages about waste, consumerism, mental health, and more. The works continue to appear in exciting locations, so far including Bristol, Brighton, Harwick, London, Milan, and New York.

#7: A Skip Skate Ramp

Of all the things you might expect to find inside a skip, a tiny half-pipe probably isn't one of them! However, aforementioned artist and designer Oliver Bishop-Young decided to fix that when he crafted what might be the smallest functional skatepark ever inside a reclaimed roadside receptacle.

To create his small and portable skate ramp, Bishop-Young actually gathered materials from skips in use and combined them to form the necessary internal structure. The resulting half-pipe was such a hit that professional skateboarder Pete King came along to try it out.

Using JustHire For Your Next Creative Project
While it's true that the vast majority of skips in Sheffield don't enjoy quite as much of the limelight as the ones above, they still play a pivotal supporting role for the creativity and vision of local residents and professionals. You see, whenever our customers dream of reinventing a home or business or plan a big construction project, one of their first ports of call is contacting the team here at JustHire to get a skip delivered. That's how dreams become reality!

If you are gearing up to express yourself with a bold DIY project, garden redesign, or dazzling renovation, we are ready to bring you the perfect skip, making disposing of unwanted materials easy. With affordable prices, a range of sizes available, comprehensive support, and fast delivery guaranteed, we'll make sure that nothing holds you back as your project gets up to speed.

Your Go-To Supplier for Skips in Sheffield

We began our mission in 2021 with the simple goal of streamlining the equipment and skip hire process, making it easier and cheaper than ever for handy individuals and professionals alike to make their brilliant ideas a practical reality. Today, our team works tirelessly in Sheffield and beyond to ensure that the process of waste disposal is as smooth sailing for every customer as riding in a stylish skip boat!

To that end, we can assist you with requesting permits for placing skips on public roads and even identifying the right size and skip type for your needs. Not only that, but we have handy skip size guides, informative articles, and a range of other convenient resources in our knowledge centre. Whatever you need to know about skips, consider JustHire a trusted ally.

Before we go, we have to ask, have you spotted or heard about any other strange or wonderful skip recycling projects? If so, we'd love to hear about them, so join the

conversation on our social media pages or drop us a message. Alternatively, if you are ready to get started with a bold new DIY adventure, begin your journey with JustHire via our user-friendly skip hire booking system, or reach out and chat with our team today!