What is Light Waste?

Light waste, sometimes referred to as general or mixed general waste, consists of materials that have a lower density and a lighter overall weight. These are typically materials generated from household clean-ups, light construction, or commercial activities that don’t involve significant amounts of dense, inorganic matter.

Common examples of light waste include:

• Household Items: Furniture (sofas, chairs, tables), textiles, toys, and general junk.
• Yard and Green Waste: Branches, leaves, grass clippings, and wood offcuts.
• Plastics and Packaging: Empty containers, shrink wrap, and cardboard.
• Paper and Cardboard: Documents, boxes, and other paper products.
• Light Construction Debris: Small amounts of timber, plasterboard, and insulation.

A key characteristic of light waste is that you can often fill a large skip bin to the brim without exceeding the weight limit of the bin or the transport vehicle. This makes light waste skips ideal for large volume, low-density clean-up tasks.

What is Heavy Waste?

Heavy waste, also known as mixed heavy waste, is defined by the significant density and weight of the materials. These are the kinds of materials generated from construction, demolition, landscaping, and earth-moving projects. If you were to fill a large skip bin with these materials, it would quickly become too heavy to lift safely and legally by the truck.

Common examples of heavy waste include:

• Masonry and Concrete: Bricks, concrete slabs, tiles, pavers, and rubble.
• Earth and Aggregates: Soil, dirt, clay, sand, and rock.
• Metals: Steel, iron, and other heavy metal items.
• Roofing Materials: Terracotta or concrete roof tiles.
• Asphalt and Road Base: Dense materials used in paving and driveways.

Due to the extreme weight of these materials, suppliers usually enforce size restrictions on skip bins used for heavy waste. For instance, you may find that the largest bin available for heavy waste is significantly smaller than the largest bin available for light waste. This is a non-negotiable safety and legal requirement for transportation.

Key Differences and Choosing the Right Skip

The fundamental difference lies in the material’s density and its resultant weight. Your choice of skip should be based on the predominant material you need to dispose of.

Here is a summary of the key differences:

Feature	Light Waste	Heavy Waste
Typical Materials	General household items, wood, green waste, cardboard, plastics	Concrete, bricks, soil, rocks, tiles, metals
Density/Weight	Low density, relatively light	High density, very heavy
Ideal For	Household clear-outs, garden tidy-ups, general junk removal	Demolition, renovation, landscaping, foundation work
Skip Size Availability	Generally available in all sizes (e.g., up to 12 cubic metres)	Limited to smaller sizes (e.g., typically up to 8 cubic metres)

Which Should You Choose?

1. If your waste is mostly paper, wood, and old furniture: Choose a Light Waste skip. This will allow you to maximise the volume and hire a larger bin to get rid of all your waste in one go.
2. If your waste includes any significant amount of concrete, bricks, or soil: You must choose a Heavy Waste skip. Even if you have some light waste, the presence of dense, heavy materials mandates the use of a heavy waste bin. Trying to dispose of heavy materials in a light waste skip is a common mistake that can result in extra charges, or the bin being refused for collection because it is too heavy to lift safely.

If your project generates both significant light and heavy waste, the best approach is often to consider hiring two separate skips—a smaller, dedicated skip for heavy items and a larger one for the light, voluminous materials.

No matter the scale or type of waste, our expert team delivers tailored solutions and consistent service you can rely on.

Get a personalised waste management plan that works for you. Contact Skips.com.au today to keep your space clean and compliant.