What can’t you put in a skip?: A UK skip hire guide

Whether you’re having a clearout at home or you’ve got some rubbish to get rid of at your commercial premises, you may have come across a few items that leave you asking, “what can’t you put in a skip?”

Hiring a skip is a great first step for your clearout, but it might not be the answer to all of your waste needs (although it should take care of most of it).

Here’s your complete guide to what you can put in a skip, what you can’t and what type of waste needs to be taken away by special arrangement.

What can you put in a skip?

The best place to start is to explain what you can put in a skip.

Fortunately, the majority of general domestic or commercial waste is eligible to go in your skip. If you’re clearing out an attic, garage, house or business premises, you can rest assured that unless you happen to be clearing out a fridge/freezer showroom, a good-size skip should be enough for most of your waste.

SunSkips’ customers typically hire skips to get rid of standard domestic or commercial waste like rubble, furniture (as long as it’s not upholstered), non-hazardous wood, plastic, metal, but questions tend to arise when it comes to certain items…

Can I put carpet in a skip?

Yes, carpet can be placed in your skip. If it’s a large roll of carpet, it’s best to either fold it down or cut it so it doesn’t end up poking out above the maximum fill line.

Unfortunately, carpet is quite difficult to recycle and a lot of it ends up in landfill. To avoid this, see if you can reuse it (as a mat or dog bedding, for example) before you throw it in the skip.

Can I put clothes in a skip?

You can put clothes in your skip, but before you do, consider if there might be a better use for them. Perhaps younger members of the family could get some extra wear out of clothes that are in good condition, or they could be donated to a charity shop.

You might also be able to reuse them in handicrafts, or as old rags for cleaning, but if they need to be thrown out, they’ll be just fine in the skip.

Can I put glass in a skip?

Yes, no problem. It’s best to place sheets of glass into the skip if possible, rather than smash them and create an unnecessary hazard (both for yourself and our team).

You might even consider taping glass panels together and wrapping them in newspaper for added safety, but a metal skip is a good method for disposing of glass because jagged edges obviously won’t penetrate it.

Can you put garden waste in a skip?

Garden waste is one of the most common reasons people hire a skip, especially in the summer. You can fill your skip with leaves, branches, grass and any other things you need to clear out of the garden like outdoor furniture, bricks, and non-hazardous wood.

For organic waste, you might want to consider starting a compost heap for an alternative that’s better for the environment (and of course, will result in an effective fertiliser for your garden).

Can you put soil in a skip?

This is a slightly tricky one. In short: yes, you can put soil in a skip. However, if you throw your soil in with other waste, it’s no longer possible to classify it as non-hazardous inert waste.

If you can, keep your soil separate from the rest of your garden waste so it can be properly recycled.

So that covers what you can throw in your container. Let’s break down what you can’t put in a skip and what has to be disposed of separately at an additional charge.

What can’t you put in a skip?

Under no circumstances can asbestos, clinical/medical waste, fluorescent tubes, solvents, liquids, oil, batteries, hazardous/toxic material, upholstered furniture or gas cylinders be loaded into a skip.

When you hire a skip from SunSkips, the price includes the sorting, recycling and disposal of domestic, garden and building waste. But if you need to get rid of certain items that aren’t especially hazardous (but do need to be handled by professionals) we can arrange to have them picked up and properly disposed of. You can either let us know when you book your skip online or arrange a delivery and collection over the phone.

The extra fee you’ll be charged reflects the work involved in managing the items, but it’s infinitely less than what you’d end up paying if you went ahead and put the item in your skip or dumped it and landed yourself with a fine.

Here are some common questions SunSkips clients have about specific waste items and how to manage them.

Can I put sofas and upholstered furniture in a skip?

As of 1st January 2023, SunSkips cannot accept upholstered seating in any of our skips following new legislation from the Environment Agency.

This includes, but isn’t limited to, sofas, sofa beds, armchairs, kitchen and dining room chairs, stools and foot stools, home office chairs, futons, beanbags, and cushions.

Deckchairs, mattresses, curtains, blinds, beds and wooden or plastic seats without upholstery are still OK to put in skips.

The textiles and foam contained in upholstered seating falls under the category of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), meaning they’re harmful to people and the environment if sent to landfill.

Upholstered furniture can be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) so the local authority can send it for incineration, or you can give us a call to arrange a special collection.

Can I put wood from houses and other buildings in a skip?

As of September 1, 2023, it is against the law to attempt to recycle wooden building materials used on houses before 2007 that fall under the following categories unless it has been proven safe via testing:

• Barge boards
• External fascia
• Soffit boards
• External joinery (used in wooden windows and conservatories, for example)
• External doors
• Roof timber
• Tiling cladding
• Tiling battens
• Timber frames
• Timber joists

Wood that has always been classed as hazardous and continues to be prohibited from skip hire collections include:

• Railway sleepers
• Telegraph poles
• Agricultural fencing
• Waste wood from hydraulic engineering
• Waste wood from docks
• Waste wood from industrial applications
• Cooling tower timbers, wood block flooring or moulds
• Waste wood from boats
• Waste wood from carriages
• Waste wood from trailer beds
• Waste wood treated with creosote

If you generate waste wood of this type, get in touch with SunSkips so we can help you work out an economical solution for its disposal.

Can I put a mattress in a skip?

Mattresses are big, bulky things and depending on the size, can take up quite a bit of any size skip you hire (and will likely surpass the maximum fill line).

Because they’re not quite as easy to dispose of, SunSkips handles them separately for an additional charge.

Can you put tyres in a skip?

Tyres are notoriously difficult to dispose of and a common item for people to fly-tip – but they can be recycled so there’s absolutely no need to dump them (fines for fly-tipping can reach £50,000).

When burned, tyres give off toxic fumes, so it’s really best left to people that know what they’re doing. SunSkips charges per tyre.

Can you put plasterboard in a skip?

There’s an additional charge for disposing of plasterboard, which we’ll need to discuss over the phone to get you a quote (01449 360 033 or 01223 976 543).

You can put plasterboard in your skip if it’s the only thing going in there, otherwise you’ll need to keep it separate. This is actually dictated by The Environment Agency, as gypsum (the soft mineral plasterboard is typically made from) shouldn’t be mixed with biodegradable waste.

Can you put old TVs in a skip?

TVs are a common item to end up in the garage or attic after the latest upgrade. If the TV still works, see if you know anyone that needs one (a student in the family, for example) or if it can be donated or sold.

If you can’t repurpose them, TVs and monitors need to be taken away by special arrangement. SunSkips can take care of any old TVs and monitors you need to throw away for an additional fee.

Can you put paint in a skip?

If the paint in the tin has dried up, SunSkips can handle it for an additional charge, which we can speak about over the phone.

Fresh paint cannot be put in a skip. Sometimes it’s worth keeping paint in case you need to touch up the job in the future, but if it needs to go, you’ll need to dry it out first by either using it or mixing it with something like sawdust to speed up the process.

Can you put a fridge in a skip?

Probably one of the hardest household items to get rid of, the fridge/freezer is another item that can’t be thrown in a skip, but can be removed by request.

You’ll often find the electrical appliance store you bought it from will take the old one away for a fee when they deliver the new one, but SunSkips can also remove it for you.

On top of knowing what you can’t put in a skip, you’ll also need to know what size skip you’ll need for your waste. It’s important to get the right size because if you load up your skip beyond the maximum fill line, you’ll have to empty the excess before our drivers can collect it.

Whatever waste you need to get rid of, SunSkips will always separate it (at our Cambridge skip hire site, Stowmarket location – and soon Haverhill) so we can recycle as much as possible. By doing this, we reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Still not sure if the rubbish you need to get rid of can go in a skip? That’s what we’re here for! Give us a call on 01449 360 033 or 01223 976 543 and we can resolve any doubts about your skip hire.