A Guide To Filling Your Skip Correctly

Posted on Apr 30 2019 - 9:07am by Editorial Staff

Whether you are decluttering or you’re breathing a new lease of life into your home with a renovation project, a skip could prove very useful. But you can’t just throw anything into any old skip! There are a few restrictions you need to be aware of, for the health and safety of the waste management team that will collect your skip, as well as the impact your waste has on the environment.

For guidance on everything you can and cannot place in a skip, follow this helpful guide:

Different kinds of skip

There are a whole host of different sizes of skip available, and each has a unique purpose:

  • Mini skip — if there’s just a bit too much rubbish for your bin, then a skip could be a great help. A mini skip could be what you need. These skips are 0.76 metres in height and 1.52 metres in length, so they’re great for smaller projects like a spring clean. They hold around 20-25 black bags worth of waste.
  • Midi skip — for delayed clear-out’s and small-scale renovations, choose a skip from the next tier up. 0.97 metres high and 1.83 metres in length, they’re the biggest skip you can get before committing to a full-on builders skip! These skips hold 35-45 black bags of waste, on average.
  • Builders skip — this option is perhaps one of the most recognisable, commonly seen on driveways and outside new businesses. At 1.22 metres high and 3.66 metres in length, builders skips can handle medium-to-large scale renovations. Such skips will hold around 65-85 black bags.
  • Large skip — if you are beginning a complete overhaul, or you have been hoarding for a very long time, then a large skip is the best bet for your needs. Holding a whopping potential 100-160 black bags in its 1.6-metre-high and 4.2 metre-long container, these skips are great for large-scale waste projects.

What can and what can’t go in my skip?

From fridges to glass, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding exactly what you can and cannot place into a skip.

While many things are skip-safe, there are some obvious restrictions on what items can go into a skip. A common example of an item that can’t go in a skip is a fridge.

For example, the harmful substances within many household fridges need specialist management. Generally speaking, most of the items that are prohibited from being disposed of in a skip are harmful or hazardous in some way and require specialist disposal.

The general rule states that toxic material, plasterboard, oil, tyres, paint cans, TVs, laptops and monitors, oil, liquids, Asbestos, solvents, medical waste, and fluorescent tubes all require suitable disposal arrangements and could pose a hazard to health when placed in a skip.

Additionally, gas cylinders, batteries, and petrol or diesel cans can’t go in a skip either, as they are fire hazards.

Food waste it also prohibited from skips, and this is a key misconception.

How to dispose of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) the right way

Electronics are a common feature in home across the nation. So, when it comes to a clear-out or renovation, the chances are that you’ll come across an old laptop or mobile phone from yesteryear!

The items listed below are considered as WEEE; recycling them isn’t offered as part of the standard household recycling scheme, but they can be recycled with a specialised service.

  • TVs and monitors
  • Laptops and PCs
  • MP3 players
  • Mobile phones
  • Tablets and iPads
  • Plugs and wires

These items shouldn’t be found in a skip! There’s no need for them to head for a landfill.

Items that can be safely put into a skip

We’ve covered what you can’t put in a skip, but let’s conclude by looking at what you can safely put in a skip.

Most forms of general waste can be placed into a skip, such as wood, old furniture, bags of rubbish, rubble, or ceramics. Metal, plastic, and non-electrical fittings are also fine to be popped into the skip.

Deal with any uncertainties by giving your local skip hire company a phone call; and resolve any skip dilemmas quickly and easily with expert advice!

Sources:

https://www.skiphireuk.co.uk/CreditForm/TheSkipHireUKguidetoorderingaSkip_1401.pdf

https://www.anyjunk.co.uk/blog/how-to-dispose-of-a-fridge-responsibly/

https://www.skiphireuk.co.uk/blog/skip-services/what-should-you-never-put-in-a-skiphttps://www.skiphireuk.co.uk/blog/skip-services/how-to-recycle-weee

About the Author

Editorial Staff at I2Mag is a team of subject experts.