How many m³ of waste do I have? Find out which skip to order

I'm clearing out the garden, which skip do I need? We're renovating the bathroom, what size skip is right for that? You know you want to order a skip, but after seeing all the options you start to have doubts. Do I just need a 3 m³ skip, or should I go for a 6 m³ one after all? Don't panic. We're here to help!

The most important step is to first work out which waste type you have. Never just go for the cheapest container. If you put the wrong waste type in it, you could face a hefty surcharge, and that would be a shame. It's better to take a good look at what waste you have and choose your container based on that, even if it costs more. TIP: if you mostly have 1 type of waste and only a little of anything else, it may be better to hire a container for that waste type and take the rest to the municipal recycling centre.

Below you'll find some common jobs, each with an estimate based on the size of the space being renovated. Please note: this is only an estimate. If in doubt, it's better to order a bigger container. That way you can be sure all your waste will fit, and most jobs produce more waste than you expect. It would be a shame to have to hire 2 small containers instead of 1 large one.

Small kitchen (up to approx. 3 metres wide) 3m3 construction skip Medium-sized kitchen (up to 5 metres), dismantled/broken down 3m3 construction skip Medium-sized kitchen with complete kitchen unit/worktop 6m3 construction skip Large kitchen incl. floor, walls (breakfast bar), wall and base units, worktop etc. 10m3 construction skip

Room smaller than 10M2 3m3 construction skip 10m2 to 15m2 without a bath 6m3 construction skip 10m2 to 15m2 with a bath, or larger 10m3 construction skip

Mainly small items and junk 3m3 bulky waste skip Small furniture and other loose items 6m3 bulky waste skip Large (whole) furniture and/or long planks 6m3 bulky waste skip Large (whole) furniture and/or long planks 10m3 bulky waste skip

Walls or (roof) area up to approx. 10m2 3m3 construction or rubble skip* Walls or (roof) area up to approx. 20m2 6m3 construction or rubble skip* Walls or (roof) area over 20m2 10m3 construction or rubble skip*

*If you're knocking down a wall, most of your waste will be brick and stone, so you can easily use a Rubble skip hire instead, which is cheaper than a construction skip. You can then take any pipes and other waste types to the recycling centre. A rubble skip 6m3 is usually enough. If you'd still rather put everything in 1 container, you'll need a construction and demolition waste skip.

Demolishing walls up to approx. 10m2 3m3 construction or rubble skip* Demolishing more walls, up to approx. 20m2 6m3 construction or rubble skip* Redecorating several rooms or a whole floor 10m3 construction or rubble skip*

Small garden with little to no greenery 3m3 mixed garden waste skip Small garden with lots of greenery 3m3 green waste skip* Medium-sized garden with lots of greenery 6m3 green waste skip* Large garden with lots of greenery 10m3 green waste skip*

*A green waste skip may only contain plant and pruning waste, such as branches and leaves. If you're also getting rid of tiles, fence panels or similar, order a mixed garden waste skip instead.

Area up to 10m2 3m3 rubble skip Area up to 40m2 6m3 rubble skip Area up to 100m2 10m3 rubble skip

Need more specific advice? Take the ContainerCheck to find out which container you need.

Do you need to clear a house after a death or for another reason? Then you'll quickly have a lot of different waste to deal with. You'll soon need a 20 cubic metre skip or even a 40m3. This could be a bulky waste skip or a construction and demolition waste skip.

Now that you've chosen the right container, you'll want to make sure all your waste actually fits in it.

1. Fill the container strategically. Remember the game Tetris? Don't just throw your waste in at random; work out how it can best be stacked. That way you make use of all the available space. Also, put heavy items at the bottom of the container and use lighter materials to fill any gaps.

2. Never fill the container more than 20 centimetres above the rim For the container to be removed safely, the waste must not stick out more than 20 cm above the rim. Got long items? Saw them into smaller pieces first. That way you'll also make more efficient use of the space in the container.

Good luck with the job!