Believe it or not, there are right and wrong ways to load a skip. If you’ve ever seen a skip on the street that’s got doors or chairs delicately balanced on top, this is one of the many wrong ways to do it. It’s far more efficient to put items like this in the skip early rather than at the end.
If you’re a lover of Tetris games or puzzles, you should find skip filling an exciting challenge. For others, we’ve decided to write this guide on how to load a skip so you can fill the space as efficiently as possible. If you want to save money on your skip hire, filling it as efficiently as possible is the best way to do it. An overfilled skip incurs extra charges, or you might be forced to hire an additional skip.
We’ve broken the process down into five easy steps. Let’s have a look at how to fill a skip properly:
Step #1 – Get Organised
The first step is to gather all the rubbish you want to dispose of in one place, preferably as close to the skip as you can get it. Not only will it make loading the skip easier, but it will also allow you to estimate how much waste there is. This is especially important if you haven’t hired your skip yet because it helps you evaluate how big a skip you’ll need.
Next comes the planning stage. There’s nothing to be gained from throwing all your rubbish and waste into the skip without a plan. You’ll simply waste loads of space. Start by organising your waste into the following categories:
- Items that are flat
- Items you can stack together, for example, bricks
- Bulky or large items
- Loose debris
As part of the planning stage, aim to reduce any large items into smaller pieces. This is easy to do with pieces of furniture. A table, for example, can be broken down, and it’ll leave you with a flat tabletop and four legs, all of which will be easy to place in the skip.
Step #2 – Flatter Items
First to go in the skip are flat items. These might include wood, plasterboard and cardboard. Things like these will fill the bottom, and the objects placed on top will squash them down. If you’ve got cardboard boxes to dispose of, flatten them before putting them into the skip.
Step #3 – Items That Fit Together Easily
There are likely going to be items in your waste that tessellate or fit together easily. Bricks, worktop panels and tiles are just a few examples. Try filling the skip’s base with these items because it creates a much more even surface for the following things to go in. You might not be able to fill the floor in an even layer, but with some foresight, you should be able to leave space for some of the other items to go in.
Step #4 – Large and Bulky Items
The next items to go in when you load a skip are bulky or more oversized items. These include appliances, wardrobes, cupboards and other furniture. However, before placing them in the skip, try to break them down into the smallest components. As you put them in the skip, create a layer, rather than simply staking one piece on top of another. Make use of all the available space and fill and crevices that you may have created.
Step #5 – Loose Debris
The final items to go into the skip will be soil, sand, gravel and other loose debris. As you place them in the skip, they should fill the remaining pockets of space.
The Dangers of Overloading Your Skip
If you overload your skip, it can be dangerous to traffic, passers-by and your neighbours. If the waste in your skip is not secure, it can easily fall out and become a nuisance. Any rubbish that’s sticking out from the side of the skip could be clipped by vehicles passing by or damage people and property. Ultimately, this could end up with a day in court and a hefty fine. If the weather is windy, the excess rubbish could get blown out of the skip and into the road. Similarly, glass sheets could hurt someone if you haven’t disposed of them correctly. There’s an excellent reason why skips tend to have a mark that indicates how much you should fill it.
What You Can’t Put in a Skip
There are certain things you can’t put in your skip. They include items that are harmful to the environment or can be better used if you recycle them. Things you shouldn’t place in your skip include:
- Batteries
- Asbestos
- Fuel, paints, or solvents
- Gas cylinders
- Tyres
- Medical waste
We hope you’ve found this guide on how to load a skip helpful. Here at KSD Environmental, we have many years of experience in the building industry. This means you get to benefit from a cost-effective, sustainable and high-quality solution which we endeavour to tailor to your needs. Choose our skip hire company, and we won’t let you down.