What can you put in a skip?

When you’re looking to hire a skip, there are a number of things you need to consider. Before thinking about what size skip you need and where it can go, you must make sure that this waste management solution is going to be the best option in the first place. Some people think that anything and everything can be thrown into a skip, but this isn’t the case — certain materials won’t be suitable. So, think about what kind of project you’re going to be working on, and whether booking a skip is going to be the best waste management solution.

Here, we’re going to talk you through what you can and can’t put in a skip, so you’re fully informed before taking the plunge. Skips are ideal for a lot of different projects, but there are some that they aren’t right for, and this guide should help you to ensure you’re making the right decision.

What can I put in a skip?

There are rules and regulations about what can and can’t be thrown into a skip, and you need to ensure that you follow these closely. Items that can’t be thrown in a skip will need to be disposed of separately — for example, you could arrange for your local council to pick them up, or you could take them to your local recycling centre.

It’s also worth noting that, when hiring a skip, you’ll usually be asked what types of waste you’re planning to throw away. This is because, although lots of different things can be thrown into a skip separately, some can’t be disposed of together. So, it’s important that you know what categories your rubbish falls into, so you can work out which materials can be combined in one skip.

If you find that a certain type of waste can’t be thrown into your skip, it will usually be because it poses a threat to the environment. So, anything electrical or potentially hazardous will be among the items you can’t put in a skip. Here’s a relatively run-down of what can go in a skip.

If you’re working on a project that’s going to involve an element of demolition, you might be wondering whether you can hire a skip to get rid of the bricks you’ll no longer need. And you’ll be relieved to hear that the answer is yes — bricks can go in a skip. There are some conditions, though.

Firstly, any skip you hire will come with a weight limit, which will affect how many bricks you can dispose of in one go. For example, the weight allowance for our 8-yard skips is 1,000kg, and the weight limit for our 12-yard skips is 2,600kg.

Bricks are usually considered to be construction waste, and can be disposed of along with wood, metal, and plastics. If you’re looking to throw away concrete, tiles, and ceramics with your bricks, this will typically be classed as hardcore waste.

If you’ve just moved house, or you run a business that generates a lot of packaging waste, you might need to throw out a large volume of cardboard. And, yes, a skip can be used for this.

Cardboard is classed as dry mixed recycling and can be disposed of alongside other mixed packaging, such as paper, newspaper, plastic bottles, plastic films, hard plastics, steel, and aluminium.

If you often have large volumes of food to throw away, which can be the case if you run a restaurant or supermarket, you can throw this into a skip.

If you hire a food waste skip, all of the food you throw away must be removed from the original packaging and thrown away in clear plastic bags. Alternatively, if you’ve hired a green waste bin and simply have some extra food waste you’d like to get rid of, this can be thrown in as well as long as it’s compostable.

Whether you’re working on a landscaping job, or are simply clearing out your own garden, you might have a lot of waste to get rid of. This could include leaves, turf, and branches, and will be classed as green waste, which is suitable to be thrown in a skip.

Green waste is essentially anything that’s compostable, so you can also throw food waste into your skip along with the rubbish from your garden.

If you have solid metal items you’re looking to get rid of, these can be disposed of within a skip. Depending on what other materials you’re getting rid of, it might be classed as construction or mixed metal waste.

You’ll often generate a lot of metal waste if you’re clearing out a workspace, carrying out a demolition project, or you work on a construction site, for example.

You can throw plastic in a skip, and it can fall into a number of different categories, depending on what types of items you have, and what else you’re looking to get rid of.

If your plastic waste is generated by building or demolition work, so you also have the likes of wood, metal, and brick to dispose of, it’s best to get a skip that’s suitable for mixed construction waste. Alternatively, if you’re throwing away smaller plastic items, like bottles, films, and hard plastic products, this will be classed as dry mixed recycling.

Whether you’re renovating your kitchen, or working on a demolition project, you might anticipate having a lot of tiles or other ceramic pieces to throw away. These can be thrown into a skip and will typically be considered hardcore waste. These materials can typically be disposed of alongside concrete and bricks, too, which is ideal if you’re doing some building and renovation work.

Wood can be disposed of in a skip. If you’re working on a building or demolition project, you might want to dispose of your wood along with other materials, like metal, bricks, and plastic. If so, this will be classed as mixed construction waste.

Technically, plasterboard can be disposed of in a skip, but it can’t be mixed with any other materials. It should also be disposed of in a covered skip, so it doesn’t get damp.

Plasterboard is made using an inner layer of a mineral called gypsum, which is then sandwiched between two layers of lining paper. Gypsum contains high levels of sulphates, and can become hazardous if it gets wet, which is why it’s so important that plasterboard is disposed of carefully.

So, the good news is that you can use a skip to get rid of your plasterboard and gypsum, but it might be a little bit more complicated than you first imagined. When you’re working on a building or renovation project, it’s very unlikely you’ll only have to get rid of plasterboard. This means you’ll need one skip for mixed building materials, and another covered skip that’s purely for plasterboard.

There are certain items you won’t be able to put in any skip you hire, usually due to the risk they pose to people or the environment. If you put the wrong types of items in the skip you’ve hired, the team who come to pick it up might refuse to take your waste away before the problem is rectified. You might even be charged extra for the time and effort it takes to sort the problem out. So, it’s well worth getting it right the first time.

It’s also incredibly important that you keep an eye on your skip and ensure nobody else is throwing unauthorised items in — especially if it’s out in the open. If the wrong item is found in the skip you’ve hired, you’ll be held responsible for it, even if you didn’t put it in there.

Here, we’ll talk you through some forbidden items that you might be wondering about. However, this list certainly isn’t exhaustive, so if you’re unsure about anything, get in touch with us before booking a skip. We can help to ensure you get the right waste management solution for your needs.

Asbestos is classified as hazardous waste and needs to be disposed of in a very specific way, so you won’t be able to throw this in your skip.

If you’re working on a renovation project and come across asbestos, the UK government website has a tool, where you can provide your postcode and they’ll let you know which organisation or authority is responsible for helping you dispose of it. From here, you’ll be able to find the best way to get rid of it in a safe and responsible manner. Although, please note that this tool will only work if you live in England or Wales.

You should never throw your old batteries in a skip, as they contain metals and chemicals that could prove harmful to the environment or anyone who ends up handling your waste.

Instead of throwing your batteries into a skip, they should be recycled. Many shops and supermarkets now offer battery recycling points. So, if you dispose of yours in one of these, you can rest assured that they’re going to be dealt with in the most responsible way possible.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury, or someone in your household has a long-term illness, you may regularly find yourself with clinical or medical waste you need to get rid of. This could include, but isn’t limited to:

• Used medical dressings,
• Syringes, needles, or other sharp instruments,
• Blood or bodily fluids,
• Swabs,
• Incontinence pads or nappies,
• Medical instruments,
• Or unused medication.

A lot of these items have the potential to cause harm, so they can’t be thrown into a skip, and should be disposed of in a specialist way.

There are some types of clinical or medical waste that you’ll be able to get rid of with your usual household waste — for example, nappies and incontinence pads can be thrown in your wheelie bin as normal. Just make sure they’re bagged up separately before they’re combined with the rest of your household waste.

More hazardous medical waste, like syringes and medical instruments, will usually need to be put into clearly marked waste bags and picked up by a specialist disposal service. You can find out about your local clinical waste collection services through the UK government website. But, if you have any questions or concerns, you local GP surgery should be able to give you all of the advice and help that you need.

When you’re clearing out your home or workspace, you might come across some old electronics that you would like to get rid of, such as old phone, TVs, and laptops. However, these are considered to be hazardous waste, as they will often contain materials than could cause harm to humans or the environment. Therefore, you won’t be able to throw your electronic waste in a skip.

You have a number of options when it comes to getting rid of your unwanted electronics. If they’re in good and working condition, you could ask around your family and friends to see if they could use the items and give them a new lease of life. Or you could sell them online through the likes of eBay or Facebook Marketplace. You could even contact local charities, such as homeless shelters, to see if they would like to take them off your hands.

If your electronics are past their best, and you don’t think they’ll be of use to anyone, you’ll want to recycle them instead. You can usually take electronic items to your local recycling centre, or arrange a collection. Recycle Now has a tool that allows you to find the best way to recycle your electronics, depending on where you’re based.

You won’t be able to put your fridge or freezer in a skip because, not only are they electrical items, but they also contain some materials and refrigeration gases that can prove harmful to the environment.

Much like with general electronic waste, you’ll have a number of options when it comes to how you’re going to dispose of your fridge or freezer. If it’s still in working order, you could contact your council and ask if they offer a re-use service, so it can be given to someone who needs it. Some charity shops or organisations will also take your white goods of your hand, and either sell them as part of their fundraising, or pass them on to a household that’s less fortunate.

If your fridge or freezer is past its best, or you can’t find an organisation that will take it off your hands, the best alternative is to recycle it. If you’ve bought a new one, the company that delivers the appliance will often take the old one away for you and dispose of it responsibly. Alternatively, you can take it to your local household recycling centre or arrange a collection. You can find out how to request a collection through the UK government’s website.

You can’t throw gas cannisters or bottles into your skip, even if you believe them to be empty. This is because it’s very likely that they will contain residual gas, which skip hire companies typically aren’t licensed to deal with.

You will usually be able to take your gas cannisters to your local household waste recycling centre. Alternatively, check with the retailer you bought your gas from in the first place, as they might accept the cannisters so they can reuse and recycle them.

Most paints contain chemicals that can cause harm to humans or the environment, which means they can’t be disposed of in a skip. If you have leftover paint from a DIY or renovation project, consider donating it to family and friends, or even a charity or community project that could put it to good use. If you can’t find anyone to take it off your hands, paint can usually be taken to your local household recycling facility, although they will often ask that you allow the paint to harden first.

If you’ve used every drop of paint in the tin, you might think the packaging can now be thrown into a skip or even disposed of with your household recycling. However, this usually isn’t the case, as even the tins are considered to be hazardous waste. So, again, the best thing to do is to take your old paint tins to your local recycling centre where they’ll be able to handle them responsibly.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to throw tyres into a skip you hire, but there are plenty of ways in which you can dispose of them responsibly.

It’s worth checking with your local recycling centre to see if they accept tyres and, if so, how many you can take at a time. If they don’t, or you have too many to get rid of, getting in touch with some of the garages in your area to see if they can take them off your hands is a good idea. If you can’t transport the tyres yourself, or none of the recycling centres or garages you’ve contacted will take them, there are also specialist companies who will pick them up for you.

When you’re thinking about hiring a skip, it’s vital that you make sure the waste you’re looking to get rid of can be disposed of in this way. Certain types of rubbish can’t be mixed, either, so you may need to donate, recycle, or arrange for certain items to be picked up, instead of throwing them in your skip with the rest of your waste.

If you would like more information, you can read more about the permitted waste types we deal with, or get in touch if you’re unsure about anything. Before hiring a skip, it’s also worth checking which size skip you’ll need, and what weight restrictions there are. If you have all of the information you need, you’ll be able to choose the right waste disposal solution for your needs, and everything should go smoothly.