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Here is a clear UK-focused list of common hazardous items that you should not put in a skip, plus the best place to take each one. If you only have non-hazardous household or building waste, compare prices and book a skip here: Skip Hire. If your skip would be on the road, read about skip permits first.
| Item | Why is it Hazardous? | Where to take it? |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos sheets, tiles, insulation | Fibres are dangerous when disturbed | Book your council’s asbestos service or a licensed contractor. Many HWRCs accept small household amounts by appointment. Start with GOV.UK’s finder. |
| Liquid paints, solvents, varnishes, white spirit | Flammable or toxic liquids | Reuse any good paint via the Community RePaint network. If you must dispose, harden small amounts and take to your HWRC if accepted. Never pour down drains. |
| Batteries of any type, including lithium, tool packs and car batteries | Corrosive or fire risk | Shops that sell portable batteries must take back used ones. Car batteries go to HWRCs or garages. |
| Vapes and e-cigarettes | Contain lithium batteries and electronics | Treat as WEEE. Use retailer take-back or a WEEE drop-off at your HWRC. Disposable sales are banned from 1 June 2025 but existing devices still need WEEE disposal. |
| Carpet | Many skip firms restrict it due to weight and recycling challenges. Most councils accept carpet at HWRCs, often asking you to cut it into manageable strips. | Take to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre. Some areas reuse or energy-recover it |
| Lino, vinyl flooring | Difficult to recycle in mixed skips and sometimes refused at tips unless separated. | Take to your HWRC if accepted, or use manufacturer take-back schemes like Recofloor for vinyl offcuts and uplifted material. |
| Fridges, freezers and other electricals | Refrigerant gases or electronics | Use retailer take-back when buying a replacement, council bulky-waste, or a man and van disposal service. |
| Fluorescent tubes, CFLs and some lamps | Contain mercury | Most local HWRC have a light-bulb bank. |
| Gas bottles and camping cylinders | Pressurised, explosion risk | Return to supplier where possible, for example Calor’s network. Small non-returnable cartridges are often accepted via council hazardous collections. |
| Engine oil, petrol, diesel, antifreeze, brake fluid | Flammable and toxic | Most HWRCs have oil tanks and hazardous-liquid areas. |
| Pesticides, weedkillers, garden chemicals | Toxic to people and wildlife | Use your council’s hazardous-waste route and follow garden-chemical advice from the RHS. |
| TVs and computer monitors | WEEE with hazardous components, should not go in general skips. | Use retailer take-back when buying new, book council bulky-waste, or take to HWRC. |
| Tyres | Not accepted in general skips and controlled under separate routes. | Garage or tyre retailer take-back, or your HWRC if they accept them (usually for a cost). Check locally first. |
| Medicines and inhalers | Harmful and polluting | Take unwanted or expired medicines to any community pharmacy for free safe disposal. |
| Needles and sharps | Injury and infection risk | Ask your GP or council for a household sharps service. Do not take to pharmacies unless they explicitly offer it. |
| Fire extinguishers and full aerosols | Pressurised, may explode if crushed | HWRC hazardous area or return to supplier. Empty aerosols can usually be recycled, but follow your council’s guidance. |
| Marine distress flares | Explosives | Use a third-party flare disposal service listed by MCA and RYA. Do not take to council sites. |
| Food waste | Causes odours, vermin and contamination in skips. | Use your food caddy or take to HWRC food-waste stream, per local rules on liners and accepted items. |
| Large pieces of wood or tree trunks | Too heavy to lift safely and can exceed weight limits for collection. | Many councils accept logs and branches only up to set sizes in garden-waste streams. Otherwise use HWRC green-waste bays or a licensed green-waste collector. |
| Wood from pre-2007 buildings | Certain pre-2007 demolition and refurbishment wood is now treated as hazardous unless tested, so it cannot go in mixed skips. | Classify and test. If hazardous, use a licensed hazardous-wood route. EA withdrew RPS 250 in Aug 2023, and WRA lists the 10 pre-2007 items to flag for testing. |
Upholstered seating with Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) stays prohibited and must be segregated and sent for destruction. GOV.UK lists sofas, armchairs, futons, beanbags, cushions and similar. Mattresses are not classed as domestic seating under this guidance, though councils often treat them as bulky items with separate rules.
If you are planning a project, choose the right container size here: Skip sizes. For typical household and building waste that is allowed in a skip, our suppliers can help you compare options and book quickly: Skip Hire.