What You Cannot Put in a Skip in London (And How to Dispose of It)

A general skip is for ordinary bulky and mixed waste, not for anything hazardous or separately regulated. Loading the wrong item can mean the whole load is refused, which turns a cheap option into an expensive one.

The list is not arbitrary. Landfill restrictions, hazardous waste rules, and electrical equipment regulations all require certain items to be handled through their own route rather than mixed into general waste.

Plasterboard and other gypsum material is separated for its own reasons, and electrical items are treated as WEEE because of what is inside them.

Plasterboard is restricted and should be kept separate from general mixed waste. Inert materials such as rubble and hardcore also go through a separate route, and mixing them into a general skip tends to make the load non-compliant.

If you have a lot of either, tell your provider at booking stage so the right containers are arranged.

Restricted and hazardous items need a licensed collection rather than a general skip. Describe exactly what you have — what it is, how much, and any access notes — so it can be routed correctly from the start.

Electrical items, fridges and tyres are all straightforward to collect when they are identified upfront. The problems only start when they are hidden in a general load.