What to Do With Waste That Cannot Go in a Skip

Most of the waste from a clear-out, a renovation or a garden tidy can go straight in the skip, but a handful of items need to be kept out. That is not us being awkward. Certain materials are hazardous, some can leak or catch fire, and others are simply banned from mixed loads for the sake of safe handling and recycling further down the line.

The good news is that almost everything on the excluded list has a proper home somewhere else, and a lot of it can be recycled once it reaches the right place. Here is a straightforward guide to where those awkward items should go instead. Our waste page covers what does and does not belong in a skip, and if you are ever unsure about a particular item, ask us before you load it.

Electrical Appliances and Fridges

Anything with a plug or a battery counts as electrical waste, often called WEEE, and it should be kept separate from your skip. Fridges and freezers in particular need specialist handling because of the gases they contain. There are a few sensible routes for these items:

• Take them to a household waste recycling centre that accepts electrical goods
• Use a retailer takeback scheme when you are buying a replacement, as many shops will take the old unit away
• Arrange a specialist WEEE collection for larger or bulkier appliances

We look at cold appliances in more detail in our guide to whether you can put a fridge in a skip.

Mattresses and Bulky Soft Furnishings

Mattresses are not suitable for a standard skip because of the way they are built and the difficulty of processing them once they are mixed in with everything else. Instead, they have their own disposal routes. You can use a dedicated mattress recycling service, book a bulky waste collection, or drop the mattress at a household waste recycling centre that takes them. Our article on whether you can put a mattress in a skip explains the reasoning in full.

Paint, Solvents, Chemicals and Oils

Liquids are one of the main things to keep out of a skip. Wet or liquid paint needs to be dealt with first. You can harden it fully by leaving the lid off to dry, or by stirring in sawdust or a shop-bought paint hardener, and once it is completely solid it can go in your general waste. Alternatively, take liquid paint to a household waste recycling centre. There is more on this in our guide to whether you can put paint in a skip.

Solvents, chemicals and oils are treated as hazardous waste. These should go to the hazardous waste point at a household waste recycling centre, never in a skip and never poured away.

Tyres, Gas Bottles and Batteries

A few common items have their own specific routes that are easy to follow once you know them:

• Tyres can be returned to a tyre retailer or garage, who can dispose of them properly
• Gas bottles should go back to the supplier or a stockist rather than in the skip
• Batteries can be dropped at the battery recycling points found in many shops and supermarkets

Keeping these out of your skip means they are handled safely and, where possible, recycled.

Plasterboard

Plasterboard needs to be kept apart from mixed skip loads because of the way it has to be processed. If you have plasterboard to get rid of, take it to a household waste recycling centre that accepts it, or ask us about a separate plasterboard skip so it can be dealt with on its own. Do not simply add it to a general mixed skip.

Asbestos

Asbestos is the one item where there is no room for doubt. It must never go in a skip and should only be handled by a licensed specialist who is trained and equipped to remove and dispose of it safely. If you suspect a material contains asbestos, leave it alone and arrange professional help. Our guide on whether you can put asbestos in a skip sets out what to watch for.

Knowing where these awkward items should go makes the rest of your clear-out far simpler, and it keeps your skip load clean and ready for collection. If you are unsure about anything before it goes in, we are happy to point you in the right direction. To sort the right skip for your job, request a quote or call our team on 01302 490 249 and we will help you plan it.