How to Load a Skip Properly: Maximise Space, Stay Legal

Loaded properly, a 4-yard midi can hold the equivalent of six wheelie-bin loads of compacted waste. Loaded badly, it'll hold three. Skip packing is a genuine skill - here's what our drivers have learnt from 20 years of pickups.

Plan before you start

Walk round the pile of waste you need to clear. Mentally group it by type:

• Dense heavy stuff: rubble, concrete, tiles, soil, bricks
• Flat-packable: cardboard, wooden panels, doors, laminate flooring
• Bulky 3D items: cupboards, mattress frames, sofa shells
• Loose/bagged: bin bags, loose clothing, garden cuttings

You're loading in that order - dense first, loose last.

Step 1: rubble and aggregates at the bottom

Bricks, tiles, concrete blocks, soil and rubble all pack tight. Putting them at the bottom:

• Lowers the skip's centre of gravity (safer during transport)
• Fills every small gap (nothing wasted)
• Creates a flat loading surface for everything that follows

Tip them in evenly - don't heap one end. If the skip tilts when loaded, we can't safely lift it.

Step 2: flat wooden and cardboard items next

Old doors, kitchen worktops, cupboard panels, pieces of plywood and broken-down cardboard boxes all stack like books. Lay them flat across the rubble layer. This adds a second layer without adding much height.

If you've got a lot of cardboard (from packaging of new appliances or a moving-in clear), break it down absolutely flat and stack it tight.

Step 3: bulky items, broken down

This is where most people waste space. A 3D object like a sofa frame, a mattress, a broken wardrobe or a garden shed is almost all air. Break them down:

• Sofas: remove cushions, strip the fabric, saw the frame in half. The empty frame packs flat.
• Wardrobes: unscrew the back panel, lay the sides flat.
• Mattresses: can't really be flattened but lay them flat, not on edge (tall wastes vertical space).
• Garden sheds: dismantle, stack the panels flat.
• Pallets: break them apart with a lump hammer.

Step 4: bagged waste fills the gaps

Once the big stuff is in, any remaining pockets get bin-bagged waste and loose items. Push bags into corners, gaps between frames and under overhanging panels.

If you've been cutting up wood or bulky items, sweep up the smaller offcuts and pour them into gaps too.

Step 5: stay under the rim

This is non-negotiable. Nothing above the top edge of the skip. Overfilled skips can't be legally collected and our drivers will refuse to tow.

If you hit the rim and still have waste, you have three options:

1. Ring the depot for an exchange (swap full skip for empty)
2. Book a second smaller skip
3. Take the surplus to the local tip yourself

Things that waste space (and cost you money)

• Un-broken pallets: one whole pallet takes up a tenth of a midi's capacity
• Intact wardrobe carcases: five-foot empty box of air
• Rolled-up carpet: always looks smaller than it is - unroll and fold
• Un-bagged clothing: soft items sprawl; bag them
• Long branches and timber: saw to fit the skip width

Safety: the skip is on your property

You're responsible for the skip while it's on your driveway:

• Don't let kids climb on it. Loose items can fall or trap fingers.
• Don't burn anything in it. The steel warps and you'll be charged for damage.
• Cover it if heavy rain is forecast. Waterlogged waste is heavier and risks exceeding the weight limit.
• Road-placed skips need lights and cones - we supply these with the skip. Don't remove them.

For more on permit and placement rules, see our permits guide. For a recap on what can't go in the skip at all, see banned items.