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Common Households Items You Need a Skip For

A yellow skip full of bricks and rubble
Author: Samuel Beckingham
Updated: Jan 17, 2024
4 minutes read

Sometimes, there’s confusion over what can be put in a skip and what needs to be specially taken care of. We’ve put together an extensive list so you can see for yourself just exactly what is permissible, and what you need to leave out of the skip.

No Longer Accepted

At the beginning of January 2023, new regulations came into play in regards to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These are harmful chemicals that are extremely hazardous to both the environment and wildlife, including humans.

POPs stay intact for a number of years and are easily passed in the environment through the soil, water and air. Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of POPs is that they can collect in living organisms, making their way into food chains.

Because of this, POPs have been banned since 2007. The only downside is, plenty of products still contain these chemicals, especially imported goods. This means that upholstered furniture can no longer be put into skips.

Additionally, you can no longer put the following into your skip:

  • Armchairs

  • Beanbags

  • Cushions

  • Dining chairs (upholstered)

  • Futons

  • Home office chairs

  • Sofa beds

  • Sofas

If any of these items are made from any leather, synthetic leather, fabric or foam, they can also no longer be accepted in a skip.

Generally Accepted

Skip hire companies can differ in what they accept, but most companies will generally accept the following:

  • Artificial grass

  • Bricks

  • Cement (broken up)

  • Electrical cabling

  • Flooring (carpet, laminate, underlay, etc.)

  • Garden furniture (non-upholstered, hard plastic, etc.)

  • Garden tools

  • Garden waste

  • Glass and glazing (including window panes, drinking glasses and mirrors)

  • Mixed paper and card

  • Rubble and hardcore

  • Sanitaryware (baths, sinks, toilets, taps, etc.)

  • Scrap metal (pipes, edging, radiators, etc.)

  • Tiles (ceramic and porcelain)

  • Timber (floorboards, joists, fence panels, etc.)

If you have a large amount of particular items, such as glass, you may need to enquire about a separate skip for these. It’s due to weight restrictions and safety; glass needs to be handled separately when it’s being sorted at the waste station.

Not Accepted

As well as upholstered furniture, there have always been items you cannot place inside a skip. These include:

  • Aerosols

  • Asbestos

  • Car engines

  • Clinical and medical waste

  • Creosote

  • Fluorescent tubes

  • Gas cylinders

  • Grease

  • Household and vehicle batteries

  • Japanese Knotweed

  • Liquids

  • Mattresses

  • Oil, petrol or diesel

  • Paint (classed as hazardous waste)

  • Plasterboard (must be separated from other waste and disposed of separately)

  • TVs and monitors

  • Vehicle or bicycle tyres

  • Waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE), including fridges, freezers and white goods

Although most hazardous materials will not be accepted, some skip hire companies will do a one-off collection for certain items. If told in advance, they may pick them up for a separate fee. All companies are different, so it’s worth checking beforehand.

Hire a Skip

Do you have a large amount of waste that you need to get rid of? Hiring a skip can be the most cost-effective way to recycle your waste. Instead of allowing it to go to landfill, why not make sure it’s responsibly taken care of and get a professional company to go through it?

Find out what size skip you’d need by reading our accompanying article.

Alternatively, click on the button below to receive local quotes for a skip.