The job you're doing usually decides the waste you'll produce — and that decides the skip you need. Most household, garden and building waste goes straight into a general skip. A handful of materials, though, are either prohibited by law or have to be kept separate, and putting them in the wrong skip can mean a surcharge, a refused collection, or the whole load being returned. As a nationwide broker working with 1,100+ licensed suppliers, we'll match you to the right skip — or the right separate service — for whatever you're clearing.
What can go in a skip Allowed
The vast majority of everyday, non-hazardous waste is fine for a general skip:
What can't go in a skip Prohibited
These items are banned from general skips because they're hazardous, harmful in landfill, or covered by their own recycling laws:
They all need separate, compliant disposal — and we can arrange most of it. Fridges, white goods and electricals go through a separate WEEE collection; asbestos, chemicals, oils and other special waste are handled by our hazardous waste service. Just tell us what you have. †Plasterboard isn't allowed in a general skip but can go in a dedicated plasterboard skip — see below.
Waste that has to be kept separate
Beyond the banned list, some materials are perfectly disposable but can't be mixed — they have to go in the right type of skip. Getting this right keeps your cost down and avoids contamination surcharges.
Inert / hardcore
Soil, brick, concrete and rubble. Weight is the limit, not space — an 8-yard skip is the practical maximum for a full load; anything larger must be mixed with lighter waste or moved by grab lorry.
Plasterboard
Gypsum can't be landfilled with biodegradable waste, so it's collected separately — a plasterboard-only skip or dedicated collection. Tell us roughly how much you have.
Wood & timber
Clean, untreated timber is fine. But treated, painted or pre-2007 wood can contain hazardous preservatives and may need testing or hazardous handling — ask us if unsure.
The 2023 upholstered-furniture (POPs) rule
Since January 2023, domestic upholstered seating — sofas, armchairs, futons, padded dining chairs, beanbags and their cushions — may contain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). By law it must be kept separate from other waste; it can't be mixed into a general skip or sent to landfill, and has to be incinerated. Clearing soft furniture? Tell us when you enquire and we'll arrange the correct collection.
Quick reference: what can and can't go in a skip
A plain summary of everything above — every common material, whether it can go in a general skip, and what to do with it if it can't.
| Material | General skip? | Why — and what to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Household waste | Yes | General non-hazardous household items are fine. |
| Garden waste | Yes | Soil, turf, branches, hedge and grass cuttings all go in. |
| Soil, rubble & hardcore | Yes | Ideal for a skip, but heavy — keep to a 6–8 yard skip for weight. |
| Bricks & concrete | Yes | Inert waste; perfect for a skip. |
| Wood & timber | Yes | Clean, untreated timber is fine. Treated or pre-2007 wood may need separate handling. |
| Scrap metal | Yes | Accepted; can also be recycled separately. |
| Plastics | Yes | General hard plastics and packaging. |
| Paper & cardboard | Yes | Dry, non-contaminated only. |
| Fridges & freezers | No | Contain refrigerant gases (WEEE) — we arrange a separate WEEE collection. |
| White goods & electricals | No | TVs, monitors, computers, microwaves, tumble dryers fall under WEEE — separate collection. |
| Batteries | No | Hazardous — use a battery recycling point or our hazardous service. |
| Fluorescent tubes | No | Contain mercury — hazardous waste service. |
| Tyres | No | Banned from landfill — take to a tyre recycler. |
| Paint & liquids | No | Liquid/hazardous — hazardous waste service (fully dried, empty tins may be accepted). |
| Oil & fuel | No | Hazardous — specialist collection required. |
| Aerosols | No | Pressurised and flammable — hazardous waste. |
| Asbestos & cement sheets | No | Hazardous with a legal duty of care — licensed asbestos collection only. |
| Chemicals & toxic materials | No | Hazardous — our hazardous waste service. |
| Medical / clinical waste | No | Regulated — specialist collection. |
| Food & perishable waste | No | Not accepted — use general refuse or a food-waste collection. |
| Explosives & fire extinguishers | No | Dangerous — specialist disposal only. |
| Plasterboard | Keep separate | Releases harmful gas in landfill — needs a plasterboard-only skip or collection. |
| Upholstered furniture | Keep separate | Sofas, armchairs and padded seating may contain POPs (2023 rule) — kept separate and incinerated. |
| Mattresses | Keep separate | Can’t be recycled mixed with other waste — separate collection. |
| Carpets | Keep separate | Usually not accepted mixed in — separate collection. |
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a mattress or carpet in a skip?
Can I put a sofa or armchair in a skip?
Can I put a fridge or freezer in a skip?
Can I put plasterboard in a skip?
Can I put soil or rubble in a skip?
How full can I fill a skip?
What happens if I put banned items in a skip?
Can I put garden waste in a skip?
Not sure which skip you need?
Tell us what you're clearing and we'll match you to the right skip — or the right separate service — from our network of 1,100+ licensed suppliers.
Related guides: Skip sizes · Hazardous waste · Waste management · Skip hire