What can and can't go in a skip?

Hiring a skip is the easy part. Knowing what you can legally throw in it is where people trip up, and getting it wrong can mean extra charges or a skip that cannot be collected. Here is a straightforward guide to what is allowed, what is banned, and what needs special handling.

What you can put in a skip

Most everyday waste from homes, gardens and building work is fine to load into a general skip:

• General household waste (non-food)
• Garden waste: soil, turf, hedge trimmings and branches
• Building and renovation waste: bricks, rubble, concrete and tiles
• Wood and timber
• Metal and plastics
• Packaging and cardboard
• Old furniture (see the note on upholstery below)

Heavy materials like soil and rubble are dense, so they belong in a smaller 6-yard builder's skip rather than a large maxi skip, where weight limits are easy to exceed.

What can't go in a skip

Some items are banned because they are hazardous, harmful to the environment, or need specialist recycling:

• Fridges and freezers (they contain regulated refrigerant gases)
• TVs, monitors and other electricals (WEEE)
• Fluorescent tubes and light bulbs
• Batteries
• Paint, liquids, oil, fuel and solvents
• Tyres
• Gas cylinders
• Asbestos
• Medical or clinical waste

Putting any of these in a general skip can lead to the whole load being rejected, so always keep them separate.

Items that need special handling

A few common items are not strictly banned but need care:

• Plasterboard must be kept separate from general waste, as gypsum has to be disposed of on its own. Many providers supply a separate bag or skip for it.
• Mattresses and upholstered furniture (sofas, armchairs) are often charged separately because of rules on persistent organic pollutants, which require them to be handled and incinerated correctly.
• Electricals should go to a household waste recycling centre or a dedicated WEEE collection.

What to do with restricted items

For anything that cannot go in the skip, your options are a local household waste recycling centre, a manufacturer take-back scheme, or a separate collection. If you mention these items when you request a quote, the provider can advise on the best route and arrange collections where possible.

Not sure which skip suits your waste? Compare skip sizes or get a free quote and a local provider will help you load the right one.