
How to Maximise Space in Your Skip
Many people assume that the point of a skip is simply to throw waste in and have it taken away. However, a little thought about how you load your skip can save you time and money and even help the environment.
Improperly loading your skip can require a larger skip or more skips than necessary. It can lead to an overloaded skip, causing waste to spill out and necessitating another skip. And because many waste management centres try to recover as much recyclable material as possible, the way you load can help in that effort.
This guide gives you tips to fill your skip efficiently and maximise the value you get.
Choose the Right Skip Size
The first step is making sure you have the correct size of skip. This is important to avoid overfilling or underutilising your skip space.
Skips are measured by volume, and our guide can help you determine what size you need. But think about what you are disposing of – bulky items, like furniture, may need more volume than you think because of their shape. While garden waste, for example, can often be compressed.
We are always happy to help with advice and guidance, so get in touch and benefit from our experience.
Plan Your Skip-Loading Strategy
Although there is always some unexpected waste, you will probably have a good idea of what will be going in the skip, and you can use that to plan how you load it.
A better approach is to fill the skip as a separate job, staging your waste nearby before loading. While this may seem less efficient than simply putting everything straight in, it allows you to take a better overview of the waste and maximise the value you get from the skip space.
Using size as a guide for the loading order can be extremely helpful. Placing larger, bulkier items first means they benefit from the flat surfaces of the skip, but it also helps provide more surfaces for subsequent items while also creating gaps useful for placing smaller things.
Sadly, few things are made to be easily packed when you dispose of them, but it often helps to think of skip loading like Tetris or even filling a dishwasher. Try to think not just about the gaps you are filling but also about the ones you are creating and what will fit in them.
Break Down Larger Items
Many items can be broken down. Indeed, some of your waste will have first arrived as a flatpack and returning it to that state can save enormous amounts of space.
This is especially useful with furniture, like cupboards, bed frames, and sofas. Often, the parts will stack neatly, taking up significantly less space in your skip and making them easier to pack.
For some items, consider breaking them down even further. For example, wooden planks and beams can be cut to lay flat or even fit in awkward upright spaces.
Use the Small Spaces
As you place larger items in, you typically create spaces that need filling.
Feel free to break the rule about larger items first. If you have staged your waste and see something that will fit a gap perfectly, do not be afraid to put it in, even if it is small. The aim is to have as little air in your skip as possible, so efficiently using spaces is a good move.
However, be careful not to use items that might compress since, as you add more layers on top, these can squash, creating gaps above. This makes rubble and bricks ideal space fillers.
Avoid Overfilling Your Skip
People are often tempted to pile extra waste into their skips. However, overfilling a skip – defined as exceeding the sides – is illegal. While that extra bag or pile of rubble might sit happily on top of the skip when it is stationary, it creates a danger when the skip is moved.
No reputable skip company will take an overfilled skip. While we will always try to move things if we can, it might mean that waste has to be removed from the skip. In extreme cases, the skip might not be moved until another is hired to transfer the overfill.
Do Not Put Everything in Your Skip
It might seem strange for a skip hire company to suggest you do not use their skips, but you might find a lot of waste does not need to go in one. This is especially true of recyclable materials like glass, plastic, and metals.
These can be recycled separately; you may even find you can use your regular doorstep refuse collection. It not only saves space in your skip but also helps the environment.
Compress Your Waste
A lot of waste can be squashed. Some waste is more compressible than others – packaging, soft furnishing, and garden waste can often be squeezed to take up a much smaller volume.
A good tip is to compress as you go along. Anyone who has put off emptying a kitchen bin by pushing it down will know that it saves less space and often just springs back up. Making sure you compress as you go helps avoid that.
The Key to Efficient Loading
Like your project, efficient loading of your skip is down to good planning. Even if you do not have the space to stage your waste, thinking about what you are disposing of and how you can load it will still help you get the most from your skip hire.
Proper loading is not just about the satisfaction it gives; it means you can save money and avoid hassle with your skip hire and unnecessary complications like overfilling.
We are always happy to talk to customers about how they can make the most of their skip. Believe us, we have seen both good and incredibly bad skip-loading in our time! So, whatever your skip-related question, just get in touch.

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