Not sure if your waste is allowed? Here’s the quick answer. EFR Skips accepts most household, garden and construction waste — but some items are banned by UK law, and others carry an extra disposal charge. Always tell us about controlled waste before we deliver to avoid surprise fees.
Allowed
General household waste, soil, wood, plastics, garden waste, wooden furniture, bricks, rubble and tiles.
Controlled (extra cost)
Plasterboard, mattresses, carpets, fridge freezers and large appliances. You must declare these in advance.
Prohibited
Asbestos, paint, fuel, gas cylinders, fridges (without notice), batteries, upholstered sofas/armchairs, food waste and tyres.
What you CAN put in a skip
The vast majority of everyday waste is fine to load into an EFR skip. Here’s what we accept as standard, with no extra charges.
General household waste
- Old wooden furniture (chairs, tables, wardrobes)
- Clothing, shoes and textiles
- Bagged general rubbish
- Kitchen items, crockery, pots and pans
- Toys and non-electrical homeware
Construction & DIY waste
- Wood, timber, MDF and pallets
- Bricks, rubble and broken concrete
- Soil and hardcore
- Tiles, ceramics and porcelain
- Plasterboard offcuts (declare in advance — see below)
Garden waste
- Leaves, grass cuttings and weeds
- Branches, hedge cuttings and tree bark
- Flowers and plants
- Small tree stumps (under 50 cm diameter)
Paper, plastics & packaging
- Cardboard and paper
- Plastic packaging and bottles
- Bubble wrap and polystyrene
- Empty plastic containers
Heavy waste warning:rubble, soil, bricks and concrete can only go in our smaller skips (2–8 yard). 14 and 16-yard skips are light waste only. See the overloading section below.
Controlled waste — accepted at extra cost
These items are legal to dispose of in our skips but carry an additional disposal charge. You must inform us before deliveryif any of these will go in — failure to declare means extra charges added at collection.
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Mattresses | Single £10 / Double £15 each |
| Plasterboard | £200 per full skip (must be double-bagged) |
| Carpets, underlay, rugs | Priced by weight (tonnes) — call for a quote |
| Carpet tiles | Priced by weight (tonnes) — call for a quote |
| Roof felt, bitumen, playground rubber | Priced by weight (tonnes) — call for a quote |
| Large appliances (excl. fridges) | £10 per appliance |
| Fridge freezers | Small £30 / Large £35 |
Always declare controlled waste in advance. Call 01924 637777 or mention it when you book online and we’ll add the charge to your invoice up front — no surprises on collection day.
What you CANNOT put in a skip
These items are strictly prohibited. Most are banned under UK hazardous waste law — hiding them in the skip puts our recycling-centre workers at serious risk and is illegal.
Hazardous waste (illegal under UK law)
- Asbestos — in any form
- Paint, solvent paints and paint tins
- Fuels and oils
- Gas cylinders (LPG, helium, oxygen, butane)
- Large batteries (car, leisure, lithium)
- Powdered substances
- Sludge or liquids
- Fluorescent lamps and tubes
- Clinical and medical waste
- Cement boards
POPs — upholstered domestic seating
- Sofas and sofa beds
- Armchairs and recliners
- Dining, kitchen and home office chairs (upholstered)
- Stools and foot stools (upholstered)
- Bean bags and futons
- Floor and sofa cushions
Furniture containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) must be incinerated separately and cannot go in mixed waste skips:
Allowed: wooden chairs without cushioned or textile parts, and deckchairs.
Food waste
EFR Skips is not licensedto handle food waste. Any food — bagged or loose — means we return the skip uncollected with no refund. Don’t risk it.
Other banned items
- Tyres
- Cement boards
- Anything not declared on the controlled waste list above
Plasterboard — the special rules
Since 2023, the Environment Agency has updated its guidelines for disposing of plasterboard (gypsum). Here’s exactly how it works at EFR Skips:
- Plasterboard cannow go in the same skip as your mixed waste — but it must be double-bagged or sealed inside a refuse bag.
- Disposal cost is £200 per full skip, in addition to the skip hire price.
- You must inform us in advance, even for small amounts. For partial loads, give us a rough percentage of the skip’s contents that is plasterboard so we can quote correctly.
- Failing to declare plasterboard incurs additional charges based on the amount, or full decontamination costs if it contaminates other recyclables.
Overloading & skip-size weight rules
Overloaded skips are dangerous on the road and illegal to transport. Stick to these rules and our drivers will collect your skip without a hitch.
- Skips must be level loaded. Waste should not protrude above the top edge of the skip.
- It is illegal to overfill a skip on the public highway — loose material can fall off the lorry during transport.
- 14 and 16-yard skips are LIGHT WASTE ONLY.No rubble, soil, bricks, large tree stumps, concrete or other heavy materials — the loaded skip becomes too heavy to lift safely back onto the lorry.
- For heavy waste (rubble, soil, hardcore) use a smaller 2–8 yard skip so the total weight stays within safe limits.
What happens if you put prohibited items in?
Every EFR Skips load is hand-sorted at our recycling centre in Leeds Beeston. Prohibited items get spotted — there’s no “hiding” them at the bottom of the skip.
Hazardous items (asbestos, paint, gas): the entire skip is returned to the customer, additional charges may apply, and no refund is given.
Undeclared controlled items: the relevant disposal charges (mattress, plasterboard, fridge etc.) are added to your invoice after collection.
Asbestos specifically:this is a serious health risk to our workers. Please dispose of asbestos through your local council’s hazardous waste collection service — never in a skip.
Related guides
Skip sizes guide
Pick the right size for your waste type and weight.
Skip permits
When you need a council permit and how it works.
Skip hire FAQs
Common questions about hire duration, delivery and pricing.
Full terms & conditions
The complete EFR Skips agreement, including all waste rules.
Request a collection
Already got a full skip? Book your collection here.
Got a tricky waste question?
If your item isn’t on the list above, give us a quick call — we’ll tell you straight away whether it can go in a skip and what (if anything) it costs.