Why Are There Waste Restrictions?

If you’re hiring a skip, there will always be certain restrictions on what you can put in there. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t a brilliant tool, we just want to make sure everyone is safe. We dispose of your waste in the most eco-friendly way possible, to do that we have to sort through it all. To avoid any harm coming to our skip operators or other people, please follow these guidelines. This is a simplified list so please head to our Terms of Business page if you would like to see the full one.

Why Choose Reliable Skip Hire Oxford?

  • Following day delivery
  • Morning or Afternoon delivery
  • Collection booked in advance
  • Affordable skip prices

Our Restrictions List

Each company will have its own personal restrictions so it’s always best to double-check with any items you aren’t sure about. If you don’t adhere to their guidelines you could have legal action taken against you. Here are our waste restrictions:

Used paint tins, fuels and solvents.

Sofas and Upholstered Furniture (POPs)

New government legislation has been introduced in 2023 that affects the way we can dispose of upholstered furniture such as office chairs, sofas, and armchairs. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) remain in our environment and stick in the fatty tissue of humans and animals. They have to be stored, processed, and treated by an appropriate facility. We can help with this but please be sure to contact us so we can speak to you about charges that may apply.

Electrical appliances

Electrical Appliances and Equipment

If your item requires a plug, charger, or batteries to work, it shouldn’t be put into a skip. All electrical items can cause harm if disposed of incorrectly, which is why they should be taken to a recycling point rather than being thrown into a skip. You can find your local one here.

Skip With a Mattress

Mattresses

If you’re hiring a skip from us and have a mattress to dispose of at the same time, we are happy to take care of it for you. However, we do charge an extra £45 – £50 + VAT per mattress. If you’d like us to take care of your mattress, you just need to let us know before putting it in the skip and make sure that you have an appropriate size to do so.

Old asbestos requiring disposal

Asbestos

Asbestos is a seriously dangerous item that can be found in older buildings. When broken it can let off extremely harmful chemicals that could increase your chances of lung disease and cancer. If you find any asbestos please call a specialist immediately to take care of it for you.

pile of used batteries

Batteries

Batteries are a very common item within skips, however, they can’t simply be put into general waste like people seem to do. They should be cleaned out properly before being thrown away. This is because they contain harmful chemicals and substances such as lead, which could cause harm if they were to leak in a skip. Please take your batteries to a battery bin to be disposed of properly.

Medical waste, used syringes and medicine bottles

Medical Waste

This could include a variety of items including needles (used or unused), bodily fluids, and PPE. The reason we don’t accept any items from a medical background is that they could carry certain infections that could spread and potentially make other people ill. For more information about the dangers of medical waste please visit the Department of Health for more information.

Stack of old gas cylinders for recycling

Gas Cylinders

When you are finished with a gas cylinder, there is always a possibility that they aren’t fully empty. This means they can be at high risk for combusting. For this reason, we ask that our customers should take them to a specialist for proper disposal or call the manufacturer for advice.

Plasterboard Waste

Plasterboard

This is another building material that can be very dangerous in the right circumstances. For plasterboard, it’s when it gets wet, which is quite possible in a skip. When this happens it can produce dangerous fumes that can cause harm to others. For this reason, we only accept 1-2 bags worth that should be placed on top of the skip at collection. If you have a large amount to get rid of speak to us about a plasterboard-only skip.

Glass Waste

Glass

As we all know, glass is very sharp when broken. For this reason, we don’t allow large amounts in our skips. We want to keep our skip operators safe, which includes making sure they don’t get inured by shards of glass. If you have large amounts of glass to dispose of why not give us a call to speak to us about glass-only skips.

pile of used tyres for disposal

Tyres & Other Items

There are other items made of rubber, such as tyres, that we can dispose of for you but need to charge an extra cost for. It’s always best to check with the skip hire company before putting anything in that you’re not sure about.

Used paint tins, fuels and solvents.

Paint, Solvents, and Fuels

These are an obvious material as they can cause serious injury if people were to come into contact with them. For this reason, we ask our customers to take any item similar to this to a specialist center where they can be disposed of appropriately. 

Ready to Hire a Skip in Oxford?

Skips are a very handy tool for anyone embarking on a new project or handling a large construction job. Even with these restrictions, they hold a very large amount of general mixed waste which can include various types of items. They make your life easier by disposing of your waste in an eco-friendly way. 

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