What can go in a skip
Most things. A short list of things can't, usually because they need a specialist facility. Here's the full picture, and what to do with the banned items.
Fine in a skip
- Household rubbish and general waste
- Furniture, wood and MDF
- Garden waste, soil and turf (8-yard or smaller)
- Bricks, rubble, concrete and tiles (8-yard or smaller)
- Metal, including bikes and radiators
- Plastics, packaging and cardboard
- Carpets and underlay
- Bathroom suites and kitchen units
- Plasterboard, bagged separately
Not in a skip
- Asbestos, including cement sheets and Artex
- Fridges and freezers (we collect these separately)
- TVs, monitors and other electricals (separate collection)
- Tyres
- Gas bottles (we can take them separately, quoted by type), fire extinguishers and aerosols
- Paint, oil, fuel, solvents and chemicals
- Batteries
- Fluorescent tubes and energy-saving bulbs
- Clinical or medical waste
- Mattresses (collected separately, recycled)
Most of these we can still collect. Fridges, electricals and mattresses are on the price list; paint tins and tubes are fine if you tell us in advance. Waste oil and contaminated fuel go through our oil waste service. Gas bottles: yes, we can take them. They're dealt with separately and priced by type, so tell us and we'll quote.
Weight, not just volume
A 6-yard skip full of soil weighs about seven tonnes. That's why the 10 to 16-yard skips are light waste only: the lorry can't lift them full of rubble. If you have a lot of soil or hardcore, either a 2 to 8-yard skip or a grab lorry, which takes 16 tonnes in one go.
Load it level
Skips must be loaded level with the top edge. Heaped skips can't be sheeted or lifted legally. If you're close, our driver will level it and leave the excess; if you've got a lot more, book the next size up or a second skip.
Questions people ask
Why can't plasterboard be mixed in?
Landfill rules: gypsum reacts with other waste and produces hydrogen sulphide. It has to go to a separate recycling stream, so bag it and keep it apart. Small amounts bagged are fine.
Can I put a fridge in the skip?
No. Fridges have to be degassed at a licensed site, so they can't go in a skip. Book it as a single item collection instead: a standard fridge-freezer is £125 on its own, base fee included, or £65 alongside other items.
Can you take gas bottles?
Yes, but not in the skip. Gas bottles are dealt with separately and priced by type (a BBQ or camping bottle is different from a large or industrial one), so tell us what you have and we'll quote.
What happens if I put something banned in?
We'll leave it beside the skip or charge the separate disposal rate, depending on what it is. Asbestos means the skip can't be tipped at all and there's a decontamination charge, so please tell us first.
Ready to arrange your collection?
Book items, skips or wait and load online. For a clearance, send the details and photos for a free estimate. You can also call us if you're unsure which service to choose.