What Household Items Can Go In A Skip?
Every home gets to the point where a good clear out or renovation is needed to make a fresh start. And skip hire is the easy, affordable and reliable way to get rid of your rubbish – but what can you put in a skip? To help you understand what can and can’t go in a skip, we’ve made the SCS Waste interactive home to illustrate.
Simply click the hotspots in the different rooms to find out which items you can and can’t dispose of in a skip.
Living Room
Accepted
- Furniture Old coffee tables, shelves, cabinets and other furnishings made of wood, plastic and metal are accepted in our skips.
- Carpet Carpets and rugs are classed as textiles and therefore allowed in our skips.
- Sofas and armchairs A mixture of textile and wood, these can be disposed of in a skip.
Not Accepted
- Plasterboard This waste requires specialist collection and cannot go in a skip.
- Televisions TVs are classed as WEEE waste and need dedicated recycling - they cannot be put in a skip.
- Batteries Batteries small and large cannot go in skips and should be recycled at battery recycling points.
Kitchen
Accepted
- Washing machines Disconnected and drained, a washing machine can go in a skip.
- Cupboards and drawers Kitchen fittings can be disposed of via a skip.
- Tiles Floor, wall and counter tiles class as ceramics and can go in a skip.
- Gas oven These must be professionally de-gassed before being placed in a skip.
- Sinks Whether ceramic, metal or plastic, sinks can be disposed of in our skips along with taps.
Not Accepted
- Kitchen electronics Small electronics, including microwaves and mixing machines are WEEE waste and need to be recycled as such.
- Fridges and freezers Due to hazardous gases, fridges and freezers cannot be put into a skip.
- Cleaning chemicals No bleach or cleaning liquids should be placed in a skip as these are classed as harmful chemicals.
Garden
Accepted
- Soil Excess soil can be loaded into a skip to be disposed of.
- Bricks and rubble These items from landscaping projects can be placed in our skips.
- Garden slabs Concrete or slate slabs from patios and paths can go in a skip.
- Plants and foliage Trimmings, sweepings and more can all be put in a skip.
- Plant pots Whether ceramic or plastic, our skips can be used for plant pots.
- Sand Leftover sand from your project? Use a skip to dispose of it.
Not Accepted
- Large tree roots These cannot be broken down easily for recycling and therefore cannot go in a skip.
- Fertiliser Classed as a hazardous substance, we cannot accept fertilisers in our skips.
- Pesticides Pesticides are hazardous substances requiring specialist disposal.
- Garden electronics This includes mowers, strimmers and trimmers, all of which are WEEE items requiring separate recycling.
Garage
Accepted
- Fixtures and fittings Metal shelves and cabinets can be disposed of in our skips.
- Flooring From carpet and laminate to the actual concrete flooring, it can all be placed in a skip.
- Wood If you keep excess wood - either from construction or for your fireplace - this can go in a skip.
Not Accepted
- Electrical items WEEE items require dedicated recycling and cannot go in a skip.
- Paints and solvents Both full and empty cans contain dangerous chemicals and are not permitted in our skips.
- Tyres Tyres are not accepted in our skips and will likely require special collection.
- Batteries Whether it’s small batteries or car batteries, these are not accepted in our skips because of the chemicals they contain.
- Aerosols These potentially explosive items cannot be placed in a skip.
- Gas canisters Regardless of whether they are empty or not, gas cylinders cannot go in a skip because of the fire hazard they present.
Bedroom
Accepted
- Bed frames Metal and wooden bed frames can be disposed of in our skips.
- Wardrobes and drawers Wooden, plastic or metal bedroom furniture is accepted in skips.
- Carpet Dispose of carpet and any associated trimmings or underlay via a skip.
- Wallpaper Stripped wallpaper can be easily disposed of in our skips.
Not Accepted
- Mattresses Due to their sizes and composition, mattresses require special collection and cannot go in skips.
- Plasterboard This waste requires specialist collection and cannot go in a skip.
- Televisions TVs are classed as WEEE waste and need dedicated recycling - they cannot be put in a skip.
- Batteries Batteries small and large cannot go in skips and should be recycled at battery recycling points.
Bathroom
Accepted
- Fixtures and fittings Plastic and wood fittings can be disposed of in our skips.
- Mirrors As long as they remain intact, mirrors can be placed in a skip.
- Baths Whether they’re made of ceramic, acrylic or other materials, bathtubs can go in a skip.
- Toilets Once emptied, toilets can be placed in a skip.
- Sinks Whether ceramic, metal or plastic, sinks can be disposed of in our skips along with taps.
- Tiles Floor, wall and counter tiles class as ceramics and can go in a skip.
- Laminate flooring Dispose of your laminate flooring via our skips.
Not Accepted
- Electrical items WEEE items require dedicated recycling and cannot go in a skip.
- Medicine and medical waste This is classed as hazardous waste. Unwanted medicine should be given in to your local pharmacy and specialist collection arranged for medical waste.
- Fluorescent tubes Because they contain mercury, fluorescent tubes are not accepted in our skips.
Loft
Accepted
- Cardboard boxes If you’re unable to recycle your cardboard boxes, we accept them in our skips.
- Carpet trimmings Dispose of carpet and any associated trimmings or underlay via a skip.
- Suitcases and rucksacks Easily dispose of unwanted suitcases and backpacks in our skips.
- Furniture Folded furniture left unused in the loft? Dispose of it responsibly in a skip.
- Plastic toys Old and unwanted toys should be donated to local charity shops, but if they’re beyond use, dispose of them in a skip.
Not Accepted
- Electrical items WEEE items require dedicated recycling and cannot go in a skip.
- Light bulbs these can contain dangerous substances and should be disposed of at a dedicated local waste facility.
Where can my skip be placed?
When it comes to where you have your skip placed, we recommend putting it on your driveway or somewhere else on your property. This avoids the need for a skip permit when placing a skip on the road. But don’t worry if this is the only space available, as long as you notify us when booking your skip we can help arrange the permit for you.
We also require a certain amount of access space in order to deliver your skip, so don’t forget to check out our handy guide on preparing for your skip!
What happens if there are restricted items in my skip?
If there are restricted items in our skips, the driver may refuse to collect the skip until they are removed, or you may face an additional cost. Please consult with us before booking your skip if you are unsure about items you need to dispose of – we can advise you on what we accept or how to dispose of items if we don’t accept them.
How can I make the best use of my skip space?
Looking to make the most of your skip? If you’ve got a lot of waste to dispose of, we recommend first getting a large enough skip size so you’ve got plenty of room to work with.
However, there are ways of maximising your skip by strategically placing and layering your waste. Start with your flat items, creating layers, not piles, then tessellate your smaller items to fill as much space as possible. Next, load your bulky, heavier items on top to compress the lower layers before using any loose debris to fill the pockets of space that may have been created.
Skip hire for any home project
Hopefully, this interactive piece has given you a better guide for what is and isn’t accepted in our skips. If you’re getting started with any home renovation, refurbishment or clearance projects and need an easy way to get rid of waste, why not book a skip with us today?
At SCS Waste, we take the hassle out of waste disposal, saving you multiple trips to the local authority tip – and preserving the interior of your car!
Call now and book a skip in Arundel, Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and the surrounding areas – we’re always happy to answer any questions you might have.
