What Can You Not Put in a Skip?

Hiring a skip seems simple until you read the small print. Most skip companies have a list of items you cannot put in, and loading any of them can mean extra charges or a skip that is left behind.

Items usually banned from skips

• Fridges and freezers. They contain refrigerant gases that need specialist recovery.
• Mattresses. Many skip firms refuse them or charge extra, because they are bulky and hard to process.
• Sofas and upholstered chairs. These may contain POPs and must be kept separate from general waste.
• TVs, monitors and electricals. These are WEEE and must be recycled separately.
• Tyres. Banned from landfill and normally charged as a separate item.
• Paint, solvents, oils and chemicals. These are hazardous and cannot be mixed with general waste.
• Gas bottles and batteries. These are a fire and explosion risk.
• Asbestos. This must only be handled by a licensed specialist.
• Plasterboard. It often has to be kept separate from other waste.

Why it matters

Skip companies have to sort and process everything they collect. Banned items either cannot legally go where the rest of the waste goes, or they cost far more to handle. If they find them, they will usually charge you or refuse to collect.

The man-and-van alternative

With a man-and-van service, many of these items can go in the same collection as the rest of your rubbish. We take mattresses (£35), fridges and freezers (£45), sofas (£40), tyres (£15) and TVs (£10) as listed special items, and sort them at licensed facilities. We do not take hazardous chemicals, gas bottles or asbestos.

You also skip the permit if the skip would have gone on the road, the wait for collection, and the heavy lifting, because we load everything ourselves.

See your price

Add your load size and any special items in our instant calculator to get a fixed price.