Hiring a skip is straightforward, but knowing what happens at each stage helps everything run smoothly. This guide covers everything from getting ready for delivery to booking your collection, plus what can and can’t go in your skip. If you have any questions along the way, just get in touch.
1. Choose your skip
Our skips range from 2 yard mini skips to 16 yard skips. A quick way to work out what you need is to estimate how many bin bags of waste you’ll have. A 2 yard skip holds around 20 bags, and an 8 yard skip holds around 80. If you’re between two sizes, go for the larger one. It almost always works out cheaper than booking a second skip. You can compare every size on our book skips page.
Do you need a skip permit
If you have a driveway or other private land with enough space, that’s the simplest option, as you won’t need a permit.
If the skip has to go on a public road, you’ll need a permit from your local council, either Telford & Wrekin Council or Shropshire Council. It’s illegal to place a skip on a public road without one. Depending on your council, either you or we will need to apply, so get in touch and we’ll tell you the right process for your area. Road skips also come with permit conditions, such as making sure the skip is lit at night, so check these before your skip arrives.
Make sure we can get to it
Our skips are delivered by lorry, so the driver needs a clear route to where the skip is going. Before delivery day:
- Move cars, bins and anything else blocking the spot
- Let us know about narrow entrances, gates, low cables or overhanging trees
- Think about protecting your driveway, for example by laying boards down, if you’re worried about marks on a block-paved or resin surface
Book your delivery
You can book a skip online in sizes from 2 to 8 yards, or call us for anything larger. Let us know the date you’d like it delivered. We deliver Monday to Friday.
2. On the delivery day
When you’ve chosen the skip you need, you’ll need to let us know the date you want it delivered. We provide delivery for our skips on weekdays.
3. Filling your skip
A well-loaded skip holds far more than one that’s filled at random. Break down bulky items, lay flat items like boards and panels along the bottom, put heavy waste in first and fill the gaps with smaller pieces as you go. Some of our 6 and 8 yard skips come with a drop-down wheelbarrow door, which makes loading heavy waste much easier. For more tips, read our guides to < href="https://cartwrightswastedisposal.co.uk/2022/03/29/fill-a-skip-with-a-wheelbarrow/"loading a skip and filling a skip with a wheelbarrow.
What items can be put in a skip
You can put most general household and non-hazardous waste in a skip, including:
- Bricks, hardcore and rubble
- Non-contaminated soil
- Packaging and general household waste
- Furniture, furnishings, fixtures and non-electrical fittings
- Untreated wood, metal and plastic
If you have some waste your not sure is suitable, get in touch and ask us.
What items can’t be put in a skip
There are some items that we can’t take away in a skip for legal reasons, these include:
- Asbestos (Separate skip required – we can arrange removal of this waste) – Asbestos Certificate Required
- Plasterboard / Gypsum Waste
- All Tyres
- Fluorescent Tubes / Energy Saving Light Bulbs / Light Bulbs
- Televisions / Laptops / Computers / Computer Monitors
- Mobile Phones
- Batteries – All Types
- Fridges / Freezers
- Gas Bottles / Cylinders
- Explosives
- Chemicals – Petrol, Diesel, AdBlue, Anti Freeze
- Paints and Solvents (Glue)
- Oils of Any Kind
- Liquids / Corrosive Liquids / Pesticides
- Fertiliser
- Creosote
- Food Waste
- Animal Waste / Deceased Animals
- Medical Waste
- Hot Fire Ash
- Large Tree Roots
- Railway Sleepers / Telegraph Poles
- Tanalised Timber
- Painted Timber
- Carpet / Carpet Tiles
- Mattresses
- Septic Tank / Sewage Waste
- Electrical Goods / Equipment / White Goods
- Digger Tracks from Excavators / Machine Tracks
- Car Parts/Plastic Car Bumpers
If you do have any of the above wastes that you need to get rid of, please contact us so we can help with your disposal needs.
How full skips can be filled
Your skip must be filled no higher than its sides, and the load should be level. This is a legal requirement. Items can fall from an overfilled skip on the road, and our drivers can be prosecuted if they do. If your skip is overfilled when we arrive, we may not be able to collect it until the excess is removed, and an extra transport charge may apply.
4. Get your skip collected
When your skip is full, or you need it swapping for an empty one, call us on 01952 587 587 or [email us] to arrange collection or an exchange. Please give us at least 24 hours’ notice.
How long you can keep it
You can keep your skip for between 1 and 14 days, unless otherwise agreed. Weekends and bank holidays count as hire days. If you need it for longer, let us know and we can talk about extending your hire. If your skip is on the road, remember that your permit may cover a different period from your hire.
5. What happens to your waste
Once we’ve collected your skip, it comes back to our waste management facility in Telford. There, the contents are sorted, recyclable materials are separated out, and what’s left is turned into refuse-derived fuel. 100% of the waste we collect is recovered, and none of it goes to landfill.
Got a question?
Speak to our team Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm:
- Telford: 01952 587 587
- Shrewsbury: 01743 358 886
- Shropshire: 01939 250 509
