A general skip is licensed for general waste. Put a regulated waste stream in it and you have created a problem for the operator at the weighbridge, for the facility receiving it, and ultimately for yourself — the driver can refuse the entire load, and the disposal duty stays with the generator. Sort these out before the bin arrives.
Asbestos: the one that really matters
South African houses built before the 1990s commonly contain asbestos-cement products: corrugated roof sheeting, ceiling board, flue and downpipe, gutters, and sometimes old vinyl tile backing. Undisturbed, it is generally stable. Broken up with a hammer, it releases fibres.
Asbestos work in South Africa is regulated. It requires a registered asbestos contractor, proper containment, and disposal at a facility licensed for hazardous waste. It cannot go in a general skip under any circumstances, and no reputable operator will take it. If you are not certain what a sheet is made of, have it tested before you break anything — the test is cheap relative to the alternative.
The rest of the list
| Not accepted | Why | Where it goes instead |
|---|---|---|
| Fridges, freezers, air-conditioners | Contain refrigerant gas that must be recovered before the unit is scrapped | Appliance take-back or a scrap dealer that de-gasses |
| Televisions, monitors, computers, printers | E-waste with recoverable and hazardous components; landfilling it is not the intended route | An e-waste collection point or a producer take-back scheme |
| Fluorescent tubes and CFLs | Contain mercury | A lamp recycling drop-off, often at hardware retailers |
| Liquid paint, solvents, thinners, adhesives | Liquid hazardous waste; leaks in the bin and contaminates the whole load | A hazardous waste collection; dried-out empty tins are usually accepted |
| Batteries — car, inverter and household | Acid and heavy metals | Battery retailers and scrap dealers take these, usually for credit |
| Motor oil, brake fluid, antifreeze | Liquid hazardous waste | Used-oil collection points, including many service centres |
| Tyres | Handled under a separate producer responsibility scheme | Tyre dealers and registered tyre collection points |
| Gas bottles and any pressurised cylinder | Explosion risk in a tipping bin or a compactor | Return to the gas supplier |
| Pool chemicals, herbicides, pesticides | Reactive and hazardous | A hazardous waste collection service |
| Medical waste and sharps | Regulated healthcare risk waste | A registered healthcare waste service, or a pharmacy take-back |
| Unclassified waste from a plant or process area | May be a hazardous or regulated stream that must be classified first | Waste classification, then the licensed route it points to |
Things that are allowed but change the price
- Mattresses — accepted almost everywhere, but bulky and often surcharged because they are awkward to process.
- Soil and rubble — accepted, but dense; declare them so the bin is sized against the weight allowance.
- Scrap metal — some operators will separate and credit it, others refuse it in a general bin. Ask first.
- Clean green waste — may have a cheaper chipping or composting route, but only if nothing else is mixed in.
- Treated timber, decking and railway sleepers — sometimes refused because of the preservatives. Check.
Documents are their own category
On estate and tenant clearances, the bin fills up with bank statements, ID copies, medical letters and tax paperwork. Skipping those is a real information-security exposure for whoever is running the clearance — under POPIA, personal information has to be safeguarded, and a container standing in the street is not a safeguard. Bag paperwork separately and use a shredding or secure-destruction service.
Sources
Published documents this guide draws on. Municipal requirements change — check the current version before you rely on it.
Get a quote for the actual job
One request, one skip-hire operator covering your suburb. They price it against their own weight allowance and disposal route — we never invent a figure.
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