It’s easy to load a skip. You just get your trash and put it in the skip BUT how do you load a skip like a pro? These quick tips on loading your skip will ensure you are maximizing space so you can fit everything in plus making sure your skip is packed correctly so that your skip company can take your trash away without any issues for them or extra fees for you.

Organise

One word you need to remember when you are going to load your skip is ‘layering’. Different item types will need to go into the skip at different times. Organise your items to be skipped  into these four categories:

• Flat items
• Tessellate objects (e.g. objects that can be stacked together, such as bricks)
• Large or bulky items
• Loose debris

While sorting your items  to be skipped it’s a good idea to break down large and bulky items into smaller pieces. A table or desk will be easier to manage if you take the legs off leaving you with a large flat surface and 4 legs. These pieces will fit in your skip easier, be more manageable plus give you more space to fit trash in. At this stage you should also check for materials that are not allowed in skips. These include asbestos, hazardous chemicals, flammable items and batteries.

Hire The Right Size Skip

It can be tempting to hire a smaller skip and try to save some money, but underestimating how much rubbish you have can create even more issues. Having to order an additional skip is not only financially costly but will also take up precious time. Check out our skip size guide for a better understanding of which size skip you will need for your project.

Flatten

So at this point you’ve broken down your larger bulky items and organised the rest of your rubbish. It’s finally time to start filling your skip.  The first layer is going to be flat pieces likes cardboard or wood.  These will get flattened by the larger items you place on top.

Tip: If you have a large amount of these flat items, you can also place them around the sides of the skip.

Stack | Tessellate

The next stage is to stack or tessellate items like bricks. The trick here is to try and create an even level base that you can continue to place things on top of. If you’ve ever played Tetris you know exactly what I mean. Try not to leave any gaps and keep the top flat.

Bulky Items

Bulky furniture or appliances should go into the skip next. As mentioned in the second stage, make sure these pieces are broken down to their smallest parts and once again attempt to create a level layer that you can add more things on top. Think about the long sticks in Tetris.

Loose Debris

The final step is add loose debris like soil, sand and gravel to the skip. These smaller bits will fill in the gaps that the bulkier items have left.

Don’t Overfill Your Skip

Overfilling your skip is illegal, and a crime that could land you with a fine if discovered. Most skip hire companies will not  collect skips that are overflowing above the top lip of the container so make sure you get the right size or you could end up spending a lot more than you originally planned to.

Good luck and happy clearing!