What can go in a skip bin?And what can’t, under Victoria’s rules
Most household, garden and building waste can go in a skip. Asbestos, chemicals, paint, gas bottles, batteries and e-waste can’t, and tyres and mattresses cost extra. Here’s why, and where they go instead.
- Victoria’s rules, from the regulators
- Where to take each item
- Prices from local tips
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The short answer
Furniture, household junk, garden waste, timber, plasterboard, tiles, bricks, concrete and soil can all go in a skip, in the right type of skip. Asbestos, chemicals, paint, liquids, gas bottles, batteries, food and e-waste can’t. Tyres and mattresses usually can, for an extra charge.
What can go in
- Household: furniture, boxes, clothes, toys, books, carpet, outdoor settings. See general waste skips.
- Garden: prunings, hedges, branches, leaves, lawn clippings. See green waste skips.
- Building and renovation: timber, plasterboard, tiles, cabinets, packaging. See builders skips.
- Heavy: soil, concrete, bricks and rubble, in a heavy-waste skip. See soil and concrete skips.
Each company names its waste types differently, and some mix types in one skip while others don’t. Tell us what’s going in and we’ll match the skip to it.
What can’t go in, and where it goes instead
Items that can’t go in a skip
| Item | Why it can’t go in | Where it can go |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos | It must go to a site authorised by EPA Victoria; standard skips can’t take it | A licensed asbestos removalist, or an EPA-authorised site (contact it first) |
| Paint | Liquid waste can’t go to landfill | Paintback drop-off sites, free; Whitehorse, Monash and Coldstream take household paint free |
| Household chemicals | Hazardous waste; every skip company in the east bans it | Detox Your Home, a free state-run collection (Knox lists 1300 135 410) |
| Gas bottles, fire extinguishers | Pressurised; banned or charged extra | Transfer stations: Knox $22 per BBQ bottle; Whitehorse $24.00 up to 9 kg |
| Batteries | E-waste under EPA’s definition, and a fire risk in trucks | Whitehorse’s centre, free; B-cycle drop-off points at many supermarkets and hardware stores |
| E-waste (anything with a plug, battery or cord) | Banned from landfill in Victoria since 2019 | Council hard rubbish, or a transfer station: Whitehorse takes it free in domestic quantities |
| Tyres | Whole tyres can’t go to landfill; EPA classes them as reportable priority waste | Transfer stations: Knox $19.00, Whitehorse $21.00 per car tyre; or an extra charge in the skip |
| Liquids and oils | Liquid waste can’t go to landfill | Knox Transfer Station takes motor oil; Detox Your Home for other chemicals |
| Food scraps | Skip companies won’t take rotting waste | Your rubbish or food-and-garden bin |
Why: EPA Victoria and the Victorian Government (asbestos, e-waste, tyres, liquids), and the skip companies’ own terms (chemicals, gas bottles, food). Where: each station’s or scheme’s published page, 2026–27 prices. Checked 1 October 2026.
Asbestos
Asbestos can’t go in a standard skip. EPA Victoria says “You must make sure your asbestos waste is going to a place authorised to receive it”, and “Asbestos waste must not be disposed of in general, recyclables, or green waste bins.” The transfer stations in the east, including Knox, Whitehorse, Monash and Coldstream, don’t take it.
Asbestos in Victoria, the state’s asbestos website, says “Asbestos removal work is best performed by licensed asbestos removalists”. For householders who remove it themselves, it describes double-wrapping in heavy plastic, labelling, and taking it only to a site authorised by EPA. It also says you can hire a mini skip from a waste removal company authorised by EPA to transport asbestos, for bagged asbestos. EPA’s list of landfills that take household asbestos has none in the eastern suburbs, and says to contact the landfill before you go.
A common mistake: many websites say homeowners can legally remove up to 10 square metres of asbestos. Asbestos in Victoria states that limit for “an employer or self-employed person” under workplace safety rules, not as a homeowner rule. If you find something that might be asbestos, stop and get it checked.
E-waste
The Victorian Government says “Since 2019, it has been illegal to put e-waste in household rubbish or landfill in Victoria”, and defines e-waste as “any item that has a plug, battery or power cord”, including televisions, computers, phones, battery-operated toys, kitchen appliances and white goods. EPA Victoria adds that “Lithium Ion batteries can cause fires if disposed of incorrectly.”
Because landfills can’t take it, e-waste has to be kept separate. Some skip companies take electrical items and sort them out; others don’t. Leave e-waste out of the skip unless the skip company has agreed to separate it. Council hard rubbish takes it in Knox, Whitehorse and Manningham, and Knox Transfer Station takes televisions and computer monitors free.
Mattresses and tyres: extra, not banned
Mattresses aren’t banned from landfill in Victoria, but they’re recycled separately, so skip companies charge per mattress: $100 each at Yarra Valley Skip Bins, $80.00 at M Tucker & Sons and $50 at ASAP Bin Hire. Tyres are different: EPA Victoria says “Waste tyres are pre-classified as reportable priority waste”, and whole tyres can’t go to landfill. Skip companies that take them charge per tyre, and transfer stations take car tyres for $19.00 at Knox and $21.00 at Whitehorse.
Why it matters
A banned item found at the tip comes back to you. Yarra Valley Skip Bins, for one, says unacceptable waste found at the transfer station is returned to the customer, with “A return fee”. EPA Victoria also says that if you hire a skip, it’s your responsibility to know the contractor takes your waste to a place authorised to accept it. When in doubt, ask before it goes in.
Common questions
Can asbestos go in a skip bin?
Not in a standard skip. EPA Victoria says “You must make sure your asbestos waste is going to a place authorised to receive it”, and Asbestos in Victoria says removal “is best performed by licensed asbestos removalists”. Some companies authorised by EPA to transport asbestos hire out skips for bagged asbestos; ordinary skip companies don’t.
Can I put a TV or computer in a skip?
Not in a general skip unless the skip company has agreed to separate it. Victoria says that since 2019 it has been illegal to put e-waste in household rubbish or landfill. Council hard rubbish and transfer stations take it, often free: Knox Transfer Station takes televisions and computer monitors free.
Can mattresses go in a skip?
Usually yes, for an extra charge, because they’re recycled separately. Published charges in the east include $100 each (Yarra Valley Skip Bins), $80.00 (M Tucker & Sons) and $50 (ASAP Bin Hire). Transfer stations charge less, such as $38.50 at Knox and $40.00 at Whitehorse, and council hard rubbish takes them free within limits.
Can paint tins go in a skip?
Not with paint in them. Liquid waste can’t go to landfill. Paintback takes up to 100 litres per visit free, in containers up to 20 litres, and the Whitehorse, Monash and Coldstream centres take household paint free.
Can tyres go in a skip?
Usually only for an extra charge, and some companies won’t take them. EPA Victoria says waste tyres are reportable priority waste, and whole tyres can’t go to landfill. Transfer stations take car tyres for a fee, such as $19.00 at Knox and $21.00 at Whitehorse.
What happens if something banned goes in the skip?
It costs you. Yarra Valley Skip Bins, for one, says unacceptable waste found at the transfer station is returned to the customer, with a return fee. Some items, like asbestos, can also bring legal problems. If you’re not sure about something, ask before it goes in.
Where this information comes from
The rules and prices on this page come from these published pages, checked on 1 October 2026.
- EPA Victoria: disposing of asbestos waste · State regulator guidance, list reviewed June 2026
- Asbestos in Victoria: homeowner removal · Victorian Government asbestos website, updated 11 June 2024
- Victorian Government: e-waste ban · State government page, updated 14 March 2024
- EPA Victoria: electronic waste · State regulator guidance
- EPA Victoria: waste tyres · State regulator guidance, updated 10 April 2025
- EPA Victoria: wastes a landfill can’t accept (A05b) · State regulator permission conditions, updated 14 May 2025
- EPA Victoria: home renovation waste · State regulator guidance, updated 17 December 2024
- Paintback · Industry paint take-back scheme
- Knox City Council: Detox Your Home · Council page on the state’s free household chemical collection
- Knox Transfer Station: gate prices · Transfer station gate prices as of 1 July 2026, GST included
- Whitehorse Recycling and Waste Centre: items accepted at a charge · Council fees 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, including levy and GST
- Yarra Valley Skip Bins: skip bin hire prices · Skip hire business, Dixons Creek (Yarra Ranges); price table by size, waste and weight limit, no visible date, GST not stated
- ASAP Bin Hire: Bayswater skip bins · Skip hire business, Kilsyth; main “Our skip bins” table (the page also shows a second, different price guide), GST not stated
- M Tucker & Sons: skip bins Ringwood · Skip hire business, Mount Evelyn; published hire terms and extra charges (no price table), GST included
More guides
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