What Can You Put in a Skip? The Definitive London Guide
Hiring a skip sounds simple until you're standing in front of it wondering whether that old tin of gloss paint is allowed in. Knowing what you can put in a skip before you book one saves you from nasty surcharges, rejected loads, and a very awkward phone call with the skip company.
Here is the definitive answer.
What you CAN put in a skip
Most household and light commercial waste is perfectly fine. The following items are accepted by the vast majority of skip hire companies in London:
- General household waste — black bags, packaging, kitchen clutter, broken crockery
- Furniture — sofas, chairs, tables, wardrobes, bed frames (without mattresses — see below)
- Garden waste — soil, turf, branches, hedge trimmings, plant pots
- Rubble and bricks — concrete, tiles, plaster, masonry (heavy loads may need a dedicated skip)
- Wood — timber offcuts, doors, floorboards, fence panels
- Metal — pipes, rods, old tools, hinges, scrap metal
- Textiles — clothing, curtains, bedding (though a charity shop is worth trying first)
- Old appliances — washing machines, dishwashers, cookers (not fridges or freezers — see below)
If it came from a normal house clearance or a renovation job and it is not on the prohibited list below, you are almost certainly fine.
What you CANNOT put in a skip
Some materials are banned outright. Others require specialist disposal because they are hazardous, legally regulated, or difficult to process. Do not put these in a skip:
- Asbestos — full stop. This requires a licensed asbestos contractor.
- Gas cylinders — whether empty or full, these cannot go in a skip.
- Batteries — including car batteries and large lithium battery packs.
- Paint and solvents — tins with dried paint residue are usually fine; liquid paint and chemical solvents are not.
- Tyres — these carry a separate disposal levy and need to be processed separately.
- Medical and clinical waste — sharps, syringes, or any contaminated material.
- Electrical items (WEEE) — TVs, computers, monitors, and small electronics fall under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment regulations and cannot go in a general skip.
- Plasterboard — some skip companies accept it, many do not. Always check before loading it in, as it needs to be landfilled separately to avoid producing hydrogen sulphide gas.
When in doubt, call the skip company before you book. Not after.
Items that are accepted but cost more
Certain items are not banned but attract a surcharge because they cost more to process:
- Mattresses — most companies accept them but charge extra (typically £20–£40 each).
- Fridges and freezers — these contain refrigerant gases that must be extracted by certified engineers before disposal.
- Televisions and monitors — if allowed at all, expect an additional charge.
It is worth declaring these items upfront when you book. Hiding them at the bottom of the skip is not a smart move — companies check, and undeclared items can mean the whole load is rejected.
A quick note: we do not hire out skips
We used to. We do not any more — waste.london is a collection service now, so everything above is written to help you deal with whoever you do hire a skip from.
That is not a bad outcome for you. Most of the restrictions on this page exist because a skip is an unattended container left on a public road, and a collection has none of that problem.
When a collection beats a skip
If you have a smaller clearance, a mix of awkward items, or nowhere to legally put a skip, a man and van collection is usually faster and often cheaper once you count the permit and your own weekend.
The practical differences:
- No permit, ever. The van parks, loads, and leaves. Nothing sits on the road overnight.
- We do the lifting. A skip is only cheap if your own labour is free.
- You pay for the volume we take, not for a container you half-filled.
- Surcharge items are simpler. Mattresses, fridges and electricals are priced up front rather than discovered at the tip.
The one job a skip still wins is a long renovation producing heavy rubble over several weeks, where you want a container on site the whole time. If that is you, hire a skip — just check the list above first.
Getting rid of it without a skip
Tell us what you have and we will price it before you commit. No surprises, and no permit to apply for.