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Your Guide to Overloaded Skips

BedfordSkipsUK • Oct 11, 2008

If you’ve ever hired a skip, you may have noticed the thick lines on the inside. These are fill lines and are used to indicate the maximum fill level of the skip. Overfilling the skip can be dangerous to skip hire staff and the general public, and it will usually land you a hefty fine. 

...in this article, find out more about overloaded skips, including how to avoid overloading.

How high can I fill a skip?
Every skip has maximum fill lines that indicate the highest level you can fill your skip. None of your items should exceed the top of the lines; if they do, you’ll need to either reorganise your waste or hire another skip.

Why is there a limit?
Skips have a fill limit for safety purposes. Filling a skip above the lines creates a hazard that endangers the skip collector and the general public. Here are the reasons not to fill a skip in more detail:

The skip becomes too dangerous to remove
If a skip is overflowing with heavy objects, it may be too dangerous for skip hire staff to remove. Items could fall out and hurt someone during transportation, or the skip might simply be too heavy to hoist and transport. A particularly heavy skip could damage the truck and the lifting mechanisms.

Items may fall out and hurt pedestrians
An overfilled skip will also be a hazard to the general public. Items that poke out the top of the skip could harm pedestrians. Some items might fall out of the skip and become a hazard to cyclists.

Items may fall out and harm the environment
Waste that falls from the skip could start to rot and pollute the surrounding environment. Waste may also attract flies and other nuisance insects.

What happens if I overfill a skip?
Overfilling a skip could land you with a hefty fine. You may also be required to hire a second skip, which is going to cost you even more. This is why it is crucial that you do not fill your skip above the maximum fill lines.

How to avoid overfilling a skip
Fill your skip strategically, consider filling your skip like a game of tetris: fill all the available space in one layer before moving onto another layer.

You also want to separate your waste into four categories:

Flat items such as cardboard or paper
Tesselate objects (such as tiles or bricks)
Bulky items (of which should be dismantled into their core parts)
Debris such as soil or sand

Begin filling your skip with your flat items. You should completely cover the bottom layer of the skip before moving onto a second layer. Repeat this process for your tesselate items. Do the same with your bulky items, aiming to arrange your waste so that all available space in one layer is filled. Finally, fill all remaining pockets of space with your debris.

Choose the the most suitable skip size for your project
If you hire a skip that is too small, you may need to pay out for a second hire. If you rent a skip that’s too large, you may have overpaid needlessly. That’s why it’s important to find the right skip for your project. At Bedford Skips, we offer skips in a range of sizes to accommodate all types of domestic and commercial projects Check out our skip size guide to find the right size for you.

From 4-yard mini skips to 12-yard extra large skips, we provide skip hire for every project. Hire your skip from Bedford Skips and enjoy quick turnarounds — we even offer same-day deliveries. Plus, we’ll arrange all skip permits on your behalf and recycle as much of your waste as possible. 

A Guide to Skip Permits

by BedfordSkipsUK • 21 May, 2020
Skip hire is a really easy way of getting rid of your waste. It’s also a great way to ensure you’re disposing of waste in a safe and legal manner, but you might be put off by the need for a skip permit. At Bedford Skips, we want to help you better understand skip permits and licenses, removing the need to worry about this aspect of your skip hire requirements. While it might seem like a hurdle you have to overcome, it’s not as tricky as it first seems; here’s our guide to skip permits.

Skip Hire: What You Need to Know

by BedfordSkipsUK • 05 Aug, 2014
Whether carrying out a spot of home DIY, garden landscaping, office refurbishment or heavier construction, hiring a skip is often the most effective and convenient way to dispose of your waste. Skip hire is a relatively straightforward process, so long as a few simple considerations are made, which is why here at Bedford Skips we’ve drawn up a checklist of common issues and FAQs to help you out…

How to Load a Skip Efficiently

by BedfordSkipsUK • 17 Jul, 2011
Step One: Organise The key to efficiently filling a skip is to layer. Different types of item will need to go into the skip at different times. Organising your waste into these separate categories will make the job a lot easier when it comes to filling the skip. Items should be sorted into the four categories below. Flat items Tessellate objects (e.g objects that can be stacked together, such as bricks) Large or bulky items Loose debris Ideally, you want to reduce the size of any large items as much as possible. This can be achieved by breaking these items down into their smaller parts where possible. A lot of furniture, for example, can be disassembled into separate bits. Tables will be much easier to handle if they are broken down into a flat surface and four table legs. This will make it easier to place into a skip. Step Two: Flat items Once you’ve dismantled your large items and have organised your remaining items, it’s time to start filling the skip. The first items to place into your skip are the flat items. These are items like cardboard, wood or plasterboard that will fill the base and can be easily squashed down by items on top. Ensure that any boxes are flattened before placing them in the skip. If you have a particularly large amount of these items, you can place them around the sides of the skip in addition to the base. Step Three: Tessellate objects Items such as bricks that will easily fit together should be placed in next. Try to fill the base with these objects; this will create an even surface. If you can’t fill the entire base evenly, use some foresight to leave a space suitable for some of your remaining items.
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