What Can and Can’t Go in a Skip

What can and can’t go in a skip is one of the most common questions we are asked — and getting it wrong can mean extra charges or a refused collection. The good news is that most everyday household, garden and construction waste is perfectly fine. A handful of items need to be handled separately by law — but unlike many skip companies, we can still take most of those for a small additional charge if you let us know when you book. Here is the full breakdown.

What you can put in a skip

The vast majority of non-hazardous waste can go straight in, including:

• General household waste — furniture (see the note on sofas below), carpets, packaging and non-electrical clutter.
• Garden waste — soil, turf, plants, hedge trimmings, branches and leaves.
• Construction and DIY waste — bricks, rubble, concrete, hardcore, tiles and ceramics.
• Wood — old furniture, floorboards, fencing, pallets and timber offcuts.
• Metal — pipes, radiators, railings and most scrap metal.
• Cardboard and paper — flattened boxes and packaging.

A quick note on heavy materials: soil, rubble and concrete reach their weight limit long before the skip looks full, so a smaller skip or an inert-only skip is usually the better choice for these.

Items we can take — but that need to be declared (small extra charge)

Some items can’t simply be buried in a mixed skip load because the law requires them to be recycled or destroyed separately. Many skip firms refuse them outright. We can still take the items below for a small surcharge — just tell us when you book so we can handle them correctly:

• Mattresses — single from £30, double from £36 (they need separate recycling).
• Sofas and upholstered furniture (POPs) — from £48 for a large item. Since 1 January 2023, upholstered seating that may contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) must be kept whole and sent for incineration rather than landfill, so it can’t go in a normal mixed load.
• Fridges and freezers — from £36 (they contain regulated gases).
• Other electrical items (WEEE) — small electricals from £12, larger appliances from £50.40, recycled under WEEE regulations.
• Tyres — car tyre from £14.40, on a rim from £21.60, lorry tyre from £43.20. Tyres are banned from landfill.
• Gas bottles and fire extinguishers — from £48 (a pressure and fire risk if mixed in).
• Car batteries — from £12.
• Empty paint tins — from £6 (tins must be empty and dry; wet paint is hazardous, see below).
• Plasterboard — gypsum must be kept apart from general waste, so we supply a dedicated plasterboard skip or plasterboard bag (from £144). See our guide on plasterboard in skips.

Items that can’t go in a skip at all

A small number of materials can’t go in any skip and need fully separate, licensed disposal:

• Asbestos — never put it in a skip. It needs licensed disposal in a sealed asbestos skip or by van collection (see can asbestos go in a skip?).
• Wet paint, liquids, oils, solvents and chemicals — classed as hazardous waste.
• Clinical or medical waste — needs specialist disposal.
• Explosives, flares and ammunition.

Why these rules exist

A single restricted item can contaminate an entire load, meaning the whole skip is rejected at the transfer station and re-charged. Many of these materials are also covered by specific English law — the POPs rules for upholstered seating, WEEE regulations for electricals, hazardous waste rules for chemicals and asbestos, and the landfill ban on tyres — so they must be handled through the correct route rather than mixed in with general waste.

What happens if you put a restricted item in without declaring it

If undeclared restricted items are found in your skip you can face contamination charges, and the load may be refused or returned. Under your legal duty of care you remain responsible for your waste until it is correctly disposed of — so it always pays to mention these items when you book rather than risk a surprise charge later.

Tips for loading a skip correctly

• Never fill above the rim. Overloaded skips can’t be legally transported and won’t be collected.
• Load heavy, flat items first and break down bulky waste to make the most of the space.
• Declare surcharge items up front so we can plan the right disposal route.
• Check whether you need a permit. A skip on a public road needs a council permit, which we can arrange.

What can and can’t go in a skip: your questions answered

Can I put a mattress in a skip?

Yes, with a small surcharge (from £30 for a single, £36 for a double) as mattresses are recycled separately. Let us know when you book.

Can I put a sofa or armchair in a skip?

Upholstered seating is restricted. Since 2023, sofas and armchairs that may contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) must be kept whole and incinerated rather than landfilled. We can take them for a POPs surcharge (from £48 for a large item) — just tell us when booking.

Can I put plasterboard in a skip?

Not in a general skip — gypsum must be kept separate. We provide a dedicated plasterboard skip or plasterboard bag (from £144) instead.

Can I put soil and rubble in a skip?

Yes, but they’re very heavy — a smaller or inert-only skip is usually best to stay within the weight limit.

Can I put a fridge, freezer or electrical items in a skip?

Yes, for a surcharge (fridge or freezer from £36; other WEEE from £12), as they must be recycled separately under WEEE rules.

Can I put tyres in a skip?

Yes, for a small charge (car tyre from £14.40), since tyres are banned from landfill and need separate recycling.

Can I put asbestos in a skip?

No. Asbestos needs licensed disposal in a sealed asbestos skip or by van collection — never a general skip.

Do I need a permit for my skip?

Only if it’s on a public road. Skips on your own driveway don’t need one, and we can arrange a council permit where required.

Knowing what can and can’t go in a skip helps you avoid extra charges and load it correctly. Still not sure whether something can go in your skip? Call The Waste Group on 0800 652 0160 or get an instant skip price online.