Know Before You Throw: Skip Waste Rules in Scotland
Not everything can go in a skip. SEPA regulations and Scottish waste legislation restrict certain materials for safety and environmental reasons. Putting prohibited items in your skip can result in fines, refused collections, or additional charges. Here's exactly what Enviroworx accepts — and what we don't.
Items you CAN put in a skip
- General household waste — furniture, toys, clothes, packaging
- Garden waste — soil, turf, branches, hedges, fencing (in moderation)
- Construction waste — bricks, concrete, tiles, plasterboard (separate loads required)
- Timber and wood — doors, floorboards, skirting, joists
- Metals — pipes, radiators, old appliances (non-electrical)
- Plastics — guttering, pipes, packaging, old toys
- Hardcore and rubble — from driveways, patios, and foundations
Items you CANNOT put in a skip
- Asbestos: Requires specialist licensed removal. Contact us for a referral.
- Batteries: Car, lithium, and household batteries must go to dedicated recycling points.
- Fridges and freezers: Contain refrigerants that require specialist processing.
- Gas cylinders: Explosion risk — return to supplier or use a gas cylinder recycler.
- Oils, solvents, and paint: Hazardous liquids that contaminate other waste.
- Tyres: Must go to a tyre recycling facility.
- Clinical and biological waste: Requires medical waste processing.
- Electrical equipment (WEEE): TVs, computers, and white goods need separate WEEE recycling.
Plasterboard: the special case
Plasterboard cannot be mixed with general waste due to its sulphate content, which produces hydrogen sulphide gas in landfill. If you have plasterboard, let us know when booking — we can provide a separate bagged collection or a dedicated plasterboard-only skip.
Unsure about a specific item? Call our Loanhead team on 0131 440 1777 — we'll advise on the safest, most cost-effective disposal route.