There’s no doubt that generators are useful and versatile – maintaining operations in a power cut, powering equipment off-site or at outdoor events, for example – but they can be very damaging to the environment. Oil and fuel can leak from the unit and cause untold ecological damage, and even land you with a fine or health and safety risk warning.

The best way to prevent these issues is to use a drip tray for generators: here is our guide to the three most popular options currently on the market.

Basic Drip Trays

These are a very cost-effective option, and are simple to set up and use. Basic drip trays are essentially strong plastic walled surfaces – the generator sits in the tray and any spills, leaks or overflows are contained and prevented from entering the ecosystem.

Some drawbacks: if it rains your drip tray is liable to fill up with water and could overflow. Similarly, when you move or empty the tray, there is a strong possibility of the contents of the tray spilling, due to the fact that the liquids are free-flowing and are not absorbed into anything to hold them away from the surroundings.

Plant Nappy

Plant Nappy is the most expensive of the three options that we are discussing, due to the construction and materials. The Plant Nappy lets water flow freely through its permeable sides but retains fuels and oils – minimising the risk of an overflow. These drip trays are also built with the outdoors in mind – they are ultraviolet light-resistant, usable in a large range of temperatures (-20 to +107 degrees Celsius) and have flexible walls so you can drag or wheel your generator into place easily. You can extend the life of your Plant Nappy trays by using replaceable absorbent mats when yours become saturated.

On the downside (along with the cost), Plant Nappy products are not available in larger sizes, so if you are using bigger equipment then you will struggle to use a Plant Nappy tray effectively.

Spilltector

A relatively new entrant into the drip tray market, Spilltector combines some of the best features of both the basic drip tray and the Plant Nappy. These products essentially consist of a tray that is packed with absorbents and hydrophobic materials so water flows away while oils and fuels are retained effectively. There are several layers to a Spilltector tray – a rigid mesh for the generator equipment to sit on, a water-repelling layer, an oil-retaining Evo layer, and a base layer that is made up of hydrophobic fuel and oil pads.

Spilltectors are more expensive than the basic drip tray, but the benefits far outweigh the extra costs and they are still more budget-friendly than the Plant Nappy. These trays are also reusable, with the absorbent pads replaceable as and when needed. You can also find Spilltector trays in a large range of sizes, suitable for different sized equipment. As with the Plant Nappy option, Spilltector products have flexible side walls so you can pull your equipment over them with no issues.