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.
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