What you can and can’t put into a skip

If you’re completing a DIY project or construction work at your home or business, you will likely need to hire a skip to dispose of the waste. However, before booking a skip, it’s helpful to know what waste you can put into it to stay safe and legally compliant.

Many people think that anything can be put into a skip, but as a skip hire company, there are waste laws that we must adhere to, which means some materials cannot be thrown into a skip. Some materials and electricals are very hard to recycle, so most skip hire companies will require you to notify them of these when you hire a skip so they can make special arrangements – which may sometimes come at an additional cost.

Why is skip hire the best choice?

When you’re doing a clearout or spending a lot of time on a construction project, the last thing you need to think about is how many trips to the tip it will take for you to get rid of your waste. That’s why skip hire is the best choice, as you can throw your rubbish away as you go, and it only needs to be collected once when you’re ready.

What can you put into a skip?

Below is a breakdown of what waste you can put into a skip; if you have waste that isn’t listed here, then please get in touch with us, and we will advise you on whether it can be accepted or if there is an additional charge for us to dispose of it safely and responsibly. 

Garden waste, soil and stone

When you’re filling a skip with garden waste, which includes anything from soil, grass, leaves and turf, an 8-yard skip is the biggest skip we recommend putting garden waste into, especially soil and rubble. This is because the skip becomes very heavy and is difficult for our wagons to lift. Please speak to us about how much garden waste you will dispose of, and we will advise on weights.

Mattresses 

This is a tricky waste type to recycle, and whether you can put one into your skip will depend on where you are in the UK. It’s essential that you tell us you have a mattress before booking your skip. It is sometimes possible to dispose of one, but it will be an extra charge. If you have not made us aware, the driver may not be able to take your skip as the additional cost has not been paid, and arrangements will not have been made for this collection. To avoid this being the case, please always speak to our team about how many mattresses you have so we can work together to collect them safely.

Wood, furniture, glass, plastics, metals, toys, clothing, cardboard, paper and UPVC Windows

White goods

White goods, including washing machines and dishwashers, can go into a skip but may incur an extra charge. Fridges can go into a skip but only domestic household fridges, not commercial larger fridges. Any white goods that have a compressor cannot go into a skip.

Household appliances

If you have the odd small household appliance such as a kettle or a toaster, they can go into a skip, usually without an extra charge. But an additional charge will apply if the skip is filled with only appliances. If you have TVs, these will incur an extra cost, and we cannot accept old box-back TVs or computer monitors as these are now classed as hazardous waste.

Car parts

Car parts can go into your skip but will incur an extra charge or may only be accepted if you have small quantities. Please contact us, and we will be happy to discuss this with you.

Carpets

Like mattresses, carpets are difficult to recycle, and not many skip hire companies will accept them. We are happy to accept small off-cuts, but if your carpet takes up over 5% of the skip, we may not be able to collect your skip. Please get in touch with us before booking your skip if you know in advance that you will be putting carpet into it. 

What waste can’t you put into a skip?

The below items cannot be put into a skip due to being hazardous waste. If you do have any of them to dispose of, please contact us, and we will be happy to advise you of the most sustainable disposal method for you. If any of these items are found in your skip when we collect them, there will be a charge. 

Asbestos – Asbestos can never be put into a general waste skip and is extremely hazardous. It must be treated by professionals, and asbestos-only skips can be delivered if discussed with our waste management specialists.

Batteries. Clinical, medical, or human waste. Fridges/Freezers and electrical items.

TVs – Box-back TVs are classified as hazardous waste and cannot be put into your skip.

Computer monitors, laptops, fluorescent light bulbs, WEEE Waste

Food waste – Did you know that roughly one-quarter of man-made greenhouse gas emissions are produced by food waste? When food is put into landfill, it begins to rot and then produces methane which is a harmful gas. 

Gas tanks or cylinders, aerosols, liquids, gasoline, glues and solvents, hazardous/toxic materials.

Paint or paint cans – Paint is now banned from landfill due to the hazardous chemicals it contains. 

Plasterboard – Plasterboard is made of Gypsum, which contains harmful gases when disposed of. This means it cannot be mixed with your general waste skip, and we do not allow it in our domestic skip hire.

Tyres – Tyres are tough to recycle, and most skip hire companies will not accept this type of waste in skips.

Tree roots and stumps – Due to how heavy this waste can be, we cannot always accept them in skips. Please contact us if you have tree roots or stumps to dispose of.

How much can you put into a skip?

There are 6 skip sizes for you to choose from, and each size will hold a different amount and type of waste. 

The smallest skip you can hire from us is a 4-yard midi skip. We’ll be honest; this is best for a very small house or garden clearance. It will hold roughly 40 rubbish bags. We always recommend contacting us if you’re unsure what size skip you need, as we can recommend the best size for the amount of waste you need to dispose of. Below are all our skip sizes and how much waste can go into them. 

Midi Skip (4-yard) 40 bin bags

Midi Skip (6-yard) 60 bin bags

Builder’s Skip (8-yard) 80 bin bags

Maxi Skip (10-yard) 100 bin bags

Maxi Skip (12-yard) 120 bin bags

Maxi Skip (14-yard) 140 bin bags

Maxi Skip (16-yard) 160 bin bags

Roll-On Roll-Off (20-yard) 200 bin bags – Usually only hired for commercial use.

Roll-On Roll-Off (40-yard) 400 bin bags – Usually only hired for commercial use.

What’s a level load?

When you fill your skip with waste, we ask that you fill it to a level load. A marker on your skip will indicate the max level it can be filled to, which is usually the height of its sides. We do not do this to be difficult, it is our legal requirement to only transport level-loaded skips, and no extension boards are permitted to be added to the skip. Drivers will refuse to collect your skip if it is overloaded, and you will be charged for a wasted journey.

If you need more information about your skip hire, we’ve answered lots more questions in our skip hire FAQs. If you’re ready to book your skip, enter your postcode into our skip hire homepage, and a personalised quote will be generated for you.