I want to get rid of...

Report an abandoned vehicle to your local council. It is a criminal offence to abandon a vehicle.

Looking to get rid of a vehicle? Did you know that we can do it for you.

Aerosols are often collected for recycling, make sure you do not squash or pierce the container. Check with your local council for guidance.

If they cannot help you, bring your aerosols to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge. Or a local recycling bank.

This includes:

• foil
• food trays
• milk bottle tops.

Check with your local council if you can get rid of aluminium as part of your weekly recycling collection.

If they cannot help you, bring your aluminium to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge and place it in the metal container. Or visit your nearest recycling bank.

If the artificial grass is in good condition, see if you can sell it online first.

If you are unable to sell it, bring your artificial grass to any of our household waste recycling centres for free.

Waste asbestos is accepted at all of our household waste recycling centres in Kent with the exception of the Sheerness.

You may bring no more than 5 sacks (or equivalent) per month for free.

How to dispose safely

The asbestos must be:

• double wrapped in heavy duty plastic bags (or sheeting) and secured with tape
• not sticking out from the packaging
• no more than 10 feet (3 metres) x 5 feet (1.5 metres)
• kept damp.

You must wear protective gloves and a face mask and do not break or cut it.

The asbestos container is kept locked for health and safety reasons. Please ask a member of staff on site to unlock the container for you. They will not be able to help you lift the asbestos.

For large quantities, or if you need someone to collect the asbestos, contact the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association for a company near you.

Contact your local council to find out if they will collect it for you.

If they cannot help you, bring your baby seat to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

If you're looking to get rid of your bathroom suite, ask your local council to see if they can collect it.

If they cannot help you, bring your bathroom suite to any of our household waste recycling centres.

Charges

If your bathroom suite is ceramic, and you exceed our free disposal limit there will be a charge. This includes:

• baths
• bidets
• ceramic bathrooms
• cisterns
• shower trays
• sinks
• toilet pans
• wash basins.

Find out more about the limits and charges.

Do not put any batteries in your wheelie bins or black sacks. Most supermarkets and large shops that sell batteries have a collection point for recycling.

Find your nearest collection point.

Car, electric bike and scooter batteries

Take to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

Other batteries

Includes rechargeable, mobile phone and laptop batteries. Take to :

• household waste recycling centres
• libraries
• schools.

Or check if your local council collects.

If you’re a school, library, family hub, or one of our facilities with a battery recycling box, you can arrange a collection with Valpak. Call 08450 68 25 72 or visit the Recycle More website.

Bikes can be taken to:

• second-hand cycle shops
• charity shops
• any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

You must take bitumen to a licensed waste management facility.

We can’t take anything containing bitumen at our household waste recycling centres.

Books can be donated to a charity shop, your local supermarket's community section or sold online.

Books are accepted at these sites for reuse:

• Allington
• Ashford
• Canterbury
• Deal
• Dover
• Folkestone
• Herne Bay
• Margate
• New Romney
• Richborough
• Sheerness
• Tunbridge Wells.

Cans are often collected for recycling. Make sure you rinse and crush your cans before recycling.

Check with your local council for guidance.

If they cannot help you, bring your cans to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge. Or visit your nearest:

• local recycling bank
• community project to help them to raise money.

Cardboard and card are often collected as part of your recycling collection. Check with your local council for guidance.

If they cannot help you, bring your cardboard and card to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge. Or visit your nearest recycling bank.

Carpets can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centre for no charge.

The carpet should be cut into manageable sizes and secured/tied if possible. However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take the carpet to one of our HWRCs.

Or check whether:

• your local council collects
• a local charity or furniture re-use group will take it
• the supplier of your new carpet will take it away.

If you can’t reuse plastic shopping or food bags, recycle them at your supermarket. Simply use their recycling facility or ask a local charity shop if they need them.

Visit Recycle Now to see what you can do.

You can report abandoned vehicles to your local council. It is a criminal offence to abandon a vehicle.

Get rid of your car for free

We can get rid of your vehicle for free if you don't want it anymore. Complete our vehicle surrender form, or call 03000 41 73 73.

You'll need the address and postcode of exactly where the vehicle is and a daytime phone number. We'll pass your form to a company which can arrange a date and time to collect the vehicle.

When the company collects the car

Make sure you have the keys and log book ready to be able to sign the vehicle over to the person collecting it.

They'll confirm the vehicle has been removed and destroyed and will let the DVLA know.

When you sign the vehicle surrender form you are confirming:

• you are the sole owner of the vehicle
• the vehicle is not registered on a hire purchase agreement
• you are surrendering ownership of the vehicle to us for free disposal
• you are indemnifying us and our contractor against any damage caused to your property while removing the vehicle
• there is no property left in the vehicle, other than the standard fittings supplied with the vehicle
• the vehicle is in a place where it can be removed by machine without difficulty by the contractor.

Cartons are often collected for recycling. Unsure what to put in your recycling bin at home? Check with your local council.

However, with the combination of materials in Tetra Pak and other cartons it may mean they cannot easily be recycled.

We recommend recycling your old CDs and DVDs by taking them to a charity shop, or selling them online.

Or get rid of them at any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge. For any working CD or DVD players, we recommend taking them to a charity shop.

Chemicals (domestic hazardous waste, including antifreeze) can be taken to the following household waste recycling centres only:

• Ashford
• Dartford
• Maidstone
• Richborough.

We cannot accept any amount of glycerin at our household waste recycling centres. Please contact a private company to arrange disposal.

See also - pesticides.

Real Christmas trees

Take your Christmas tree to any of our household waste recycling centres.

Or contact your local council and request a collection.

Artificial Christmas trees

Artificial Christmas trees can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) for no charge.

However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take the Christmas tree to one of our HWRCs.

To dispose of clinical waste, contact your local council for collection.

See also - disposal of needles.

Good quality clothes and shoes can be donated to charity shops or dropped off at a clothes bank.

Or take your clothes to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

You can take community care equipment to some of our centres for reuse. This includes:

• walking sticks
• crutches
• wheelchairs
• hand grabs.

Centres that accept community care equipment include:

• Allington
• Dover
• Swanley
• Tunbridge Wells.

If you're looking to get rid of an old computer you can:

• recycle your device through our recycling scheme
• check if your local council can collect it
• ask a local community group if they wish to re-use it.

If they cannot help you, bring your computer to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

Before visiting please wipe personal files prior to recycling or reuse. We cannot accept responsibility for protecting personal data left on computers.

Cookers can be collected either by your local council or charities.

If they cannot help you, bring your cooker to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take a cooker to one of our HWRCs.

Never pour cooking oil down the sink as it can congeal and solidify, causing a blockage.

Bring your cooking oil to any of our household waste recycling centres, and place into the cooking oil containers for no charge.

What we do with cooking oil

The cooking oil that we receive is sent on to a treatment facility where it is reprocessed to make biofuels.

Cooking oil is recovered through a natural process of filtration and sedimentation. The oil is then left for two to five weeks where the sediment is removed and the lighter, purer oil is filtered to create biofuel.

The biofuel is then used in eco-friendly power stations to generate renewable energy used to power UK homes and businesses through the National Grid. No chemicals are added at any point throughout the recovery process.

If you're a business find out how to get rid of cooking oil.

Dishwashers can be collected either by your local council or a charity.

If they cannot help you, bring your dishwasher to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take a dishwasher to one of our HWRCs.

We recommend taking duvets and pillows to a charity shop or a homeless charity.

Or take them to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

We recommend recycling your old electrical items (if not broken) by taking them to a charity shop, or selling them online.

If you want to get rid of any unwanted mobiles, tablets or laptops, use our device recycling scheme.

Do not put electrical items in your bins. Instead:

• check whether your local council will collect.
• take to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

Engine oil can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge (there's a special container for it).

Due to capacity within the container, we recommended that no more than 5 litres is accepted at any one time.

Find out about getting rid of trade waste oil.

Small domestic fire extinguishers can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge (gas bottle container).

Business fire extinguishers need to be disposed of by a specialist company - search online or check local listings for details.

To dispose of fireworks safely, soak them first. Then, place them with your non-recyclable rubbish.

Always follow the firework code.

Add foam and polystyrene chips to your non-recycling bin for collection.

Food waste is collected weekly by local councils in most areas of Kent.

It is then recycled to produce fertiliser for farms and renewable biogas, which fuels thousands of homes!

Compost from food waste

Did you know, you can also produce compost from your food waste? It's a great way to feed your plants and improve your soil. Both options are much better for the environment than putting food waste in your bin.

Learn more about home composting.

Manage your food waste

It’s easy to recycle food waste:

• Line your food waste bin (caddy) with newspaper, paper towel or biodegradable caddy liners.
• Feed your caddy any solid food waste including cooked foods, bones, tea bags and leftovers.
• Empty it regularly into your outdoor caddy for kerbside collections, or into your garden compost bin.

Find out more about how to managing your food waste by visiting your local council website. Discover what happens to food waste when it gets collected.

Collections

Fridges and freezers can be collected either by:

• your local council as bulky waste
• a furniture project (if working)
• a local charity (if working).

Take to a household waste recycling centre

If they cannot help you, bring your fridge or freezer to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

Fridge and freezer drawers can be disposed of in the general waste container.

Old fridges and freezers are hazardous waste due to the gases they contain. The gases have to be recovered safely before the fridges and freezers can be recycled.

Make sure that all food has been removed from fridges and freezers before delivery to HWRCs. If you need to get rid of food, read our advice.

However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take a fridge or a freezer to one of our HWRCs.

For other kitchen items that may be chargeable visit our waste charges page.

Repair and re-use

Furniture projects can repair and re-use unwanted items. Depending where you live, visit one of the following websites for support:

• Canterbury and surrounding areas - Necessary Furniture.
• Dover and Folkestone areas - Emmaus Archcliffe Fort shop
• Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells - YMCA
• East Kent - Pilgrims Hospice
• Across Kent - British Heart Foundation and Furniture Reuse Network website.

Looking to get rid of upholstered furniture? Find out how we can help you.

Bulky waste collections

Your local council may also collect you furniture through their bulky waste collection.

Household waste recycling centres

You can take your furniture to any of our household waste recycling centres (HWRC) but check the guidelines on upholstered seating.

We can reuse good quality, undamaged furniture at these HWRCs:

• Allington
• Ashford
• Canterbury
• Dover
• Maidstone
• Margate
• New Romney
• Pepperhill 
• Sheerness.

However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take the furniture to one of our HWRCs.

Take your garden cuttings to any of our household waste recycling centres.

We accept the following when brought in black bags:

• grass
• leaves
• hedge trimmings
• plants and branches up to 10cm wide.

Empty your garden waste into the bins provided, do not place your black sacks into the containers.

We don’t accept invasive weeds such as ragwort or Japanese knotweed.

If you notice any of these harmful weeds on the road or pavement report it to us. If the weeds are located on private property then these are the responsibility of the landowner.

Charges

If you exceed our free disposal limit for one of the following items there will be a charge:

• soil
• gravel
• hardcore
• paving slabs
• rocks
• rubble
• sand
• soil
• stones.

Find out more about our limits and charges.

Compost

Did you know, you can also produce compost from your food waste? It's a great way to feed your plants and improve your soil. Both options are much better for the environment than putting food waste in your bin. Recycle Now offers great advice to help you to compost at home.

Garden waste bin

If you need a new garden waste bin contact your local council.

Plant pots

Plastic or fibreglass plant pots can be disposed of in the general waste container at one of our household waste recycling centres.

Whole plant pots or garden ornaments can be disposed of at our household waste recycling centres free of charge if they are made from the following materials:

• concrete
• clay
• wood
• metal.

If you exceed our free disposal limit on any ceramic, clay, or concrete rubble from plant pots there will be a charge. Learn more about our limits and charges.

Gas bottles should be returned to where you bought them or contact the manufacturer.

Or take gas bottles (not calor gas bottles) to any of our household waste recycling centres.

We cannot accept calor gas bottles at our houesehold waste recycling centres. Visit the calor website for information on how to return your calor gas bottle.

Bottles and jars

Bottles and jars are often collected for recycling. Check with your local council for guidance. Or take to any recycling bank or household waste recycling centre, except Faversham.

Sheets of glass

Sheets of glass can be taken to any of household waste recycling centres for no charge (ask staff for help).

Do not put sheet glass in bottle banks.

We recommend recycling your unwanted hangers (plastic or wooden) by donating them to a charity shop or a local care home or selling them online.

Or get rid of them at any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

Hardcore can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres.

For larger quantities you may need to consider hiring a skip or a company to remove the material. Trade or business hardcore is business waste.

Charges

If you exceed our free disposal limit for one of the following items there will be a charge:

• breeze blocks
• bricks
• cement - solidified (not powder)
• concrete - solidified (not powder)
• drain pipes
• flagstones
• granite
• gravel
• hardcore
• marble
• paving slabs
• rocks
• rubble
• sand
• soil
• stones
• tiles (ceramic, clay, slate).

Find out more about our limits and charges.

Your local council collects your household waste bins, including garden waste and recycling, and bulky waste collections (furniture and white goods).

Contact them about:

• any issues with your bin collection
• garden waste collections
• any missing bins
• bulky waste collections.

Visit your local council's website

Do not put sharp knives in with your domestic rubbish or recycling collections as they could cause the collection crew harm.

Instead, take your knives to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge and put them in the metal container.

Lawnmowers can be collected either by your local council or a charity.

Or take to any household waste recycling centre for no charge.

Make sure petrol lawnmowers are empty as we can’t take petrol.

Looking to get rid of:

• a lamp
• lighting fixtures
• light bulbs
• fluorescent tubes.

Take them to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

Old-fashioned bulbs can’t be recycled - wrap in newspaper and put out with your rubbish for your local council to collect.

Loft insulation can be made up of glass or natural fibres.

Both materials can be placed into your general household waste bin. If the insulation is made up of glass material, it should be bagged up.

Any loft lagging should be removed by the contractor replacing it.

Mattresses can be collected either by your local council or a charity.

Some shops may also take back your old mattress.

If they cannot help you, bring your mattress to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take a mattress to one of our HWRCs.

If you have any medication to get rid of, take it to your local pharmacy to be disposed of safely.

See also needles.

Check whether your local council will collect the metal (for example stainless steel).

If they cannot help you, bring your metal to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge. Or visit your nearest recycling bank.

For large items or commercial waste, contact a local scrap metal merchant. If you are paying someone to take away your metal, protect yourself from rogue waste collectors and traders by following our simple steps.

Check whether your local council will collect your mirror.

If they cannot help you, bring your mirror to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

You may also wish to donate your mirror to a furniture repair project team, or some shops or charities may take back your old mirror.

If you no longer need your mobile phone, why not recycle it so someone else can use it? Learn more about the Device Recycling Scheme.

Or take your old phone to any household waste recycling centre for no charge (small electrical appliances container) and attach the charger if available.

Disposable nappies are not recyclable for disposal they must be bagged and put in the black waste bin for your local council to collect.

Reusable cloth nappies

Instead of disposable nappies, have you thought of using reusable nappes. You could save money and reduce the amount waste by switching to reusable cloth nappies.

Reusable cloth nappies are available from a variety of shops.

Your responsibility

If you administer medicines yourself you are responsible for getting rid of needles, syringes and other medical waste. Never put needles or syringes with your household rubbish or recycling.

Arrange a collection of sharps box

To arrange collection or disposal of a sharps box contact the healthcare service who provided the item. Or your local council may offer a collection service.

Found needles or syringes

If you come across a needle or syringe:

• never touch it, try to hide or conceal it
• never try to dispose of it by kicking it down a drain or putting it in the bin or down the toilet.

Contact your local council to request a member of their staff to visit the location as soon as possible.

Nursing homes and medical establishments

You should arrange for this type of collection through your normal waste collection contractor.

Needles used for non medical purpose

Needle exchange facilities are offered at each of the drug and alcohol hubs in Kent. Find out how to dispose of needles in your local area:

• Ashford
• Canterbury
• Dover
• Folkestone
• Gravesend
• Maidstone
• Medway
• Swale
• Thanet
• Tunbridge Wells.

View a list of Kent pharmacies (PDF, 121.5 KB) who accept needles and syringes

There are a few companies who may be able to offer a collection service. See the waste directory for details.

You can bring paint to a household waste recycling centre for free. Whilst we do accept wet paint in a paint tin (up to 5 litres), we do request that the paint is dry and hardened.

To help the paint dry out, leave the lid off the container before bringing it to us. Adding cat litter or sawdust to the paint helps the drying process.

For empty metal paint cans, put them in the metal container for recycling.

Any tin or paint cans with paint must go in our household waste container. We currently do not have the facility to reuse or recycle them.

We do not accept commercial paint or large tins.

We accept paper at our household waste recycling centres. Add them to our paper and cardboard container for no charge.

Paper can also be taken to any recycling banks.

We recommend shredding anything with personal details on before disposing of it.

Wrapping paper

Before bringing wrapping paper to our centres, remember to take off any ribbons or bows.

If you're not sure whether you can recycle it, remember the scrunch test. If it scrunches, it can be recycled!

Commercial or business paper

We do not accept commercial or business paper, and shredding. It should be taken to a transfer station.

Never dispose of pesticides down the drain. You can take them to one of the household waste sites below:

• Ashford
• Canterbury
• Dartford
• Dover
• Folkestone
• Gravesend
• Maidstone
• Richborough
• Sevenoaks
• Sittingbourne.

Contact your local repair garage to find out how to get rid of petrol.

If you are storing petrol, you must have a licence. Find out more about storing petrol.

Take plasterboard to the most of our household waste recycling centres for free. We do not accept plasterboard at Faversham, Folkestone, Sheerness or Swanley.

Plaster powder is not accepted at any of our household waste recycling centres.

Charges

If you exceed our free disposal limit for there will be a charge.

Find out more about our limits and charges.

If you're getting rid of plasterboard as part of your business you'll need to contact a waste management company.

Plastic bottles are often collected for recycling. Check with your local council for guidance.

If they cannot help you, bring your plastic bottles to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

Those collected by your local council are sent to recycling facilities. At these sites, we sort and re-process them. This prepares the bottles to be made into new products.

Take to any household waste recycling centre for no charge.

Many charities also collect toner cartridges and ink jet cartridges for recycling to raise money for charity.

Once recycled, we dismantle printers. Their base materials are either made into new electronic items or end up in mainstream manufacturing.

Check if your local council can collect your radiator or heated towel rail.

If they cannot help you, bring your radiator to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to bring a radiator to one of our HWRCs.

If you have a cesspit that needs emptying, contact your local council.

Take to any household waste recycling centre for free of charge.

If you exceed our free disposal limit for there will be a charge.

Find out more about our limits and charges.

Looking to get rid of your old television? Check whether your local council can collect it, or contact your nearest charity shop to see if they will take it.

If they cannot help you, bring your TV to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge.

However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take a television to one of our HWRCs.

If the toys are in good condition, take them to a charity shop, local hospice or hospital.

You can take broken toys to any household waste recycling centre for free of charge.

Mains or battery-operated toys go in the small electrical appliances container at our household waste recycling centres.

Check if your local council can collect tumble dryers.

If they cannot help you, bring your tumble dryer to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge. You must place it in the large WEEE area.

You may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take a tumble dryer to one of our HWRCs.

We do accept tyres at our household waste recycling centres for a charge. You do not need to remove any tyres attached to wheels before disposing of the tyres.

Find out more about the charges.

We accept upholstered domestic furniture. If the furniture is of good quality, we will set it aside for reuse. Otherwise, we will separate them following the law.

We can’t accept upholstered seating because of storage space at:

• Dartford
• Maidstone
• Sittingbourne.

Some upholstered furniture contains chemicals that don’t easily break down. If the furniture contains these chemicals, known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), we will destroy it. This helps reduce any impact on the environment.

Get ready for your visit

Keep your upholstered seating intact before bringing it to a HWRC. This will prevent any POPs getting into the environment. If you can't bring the furniture in one piece, arrange a bulky waste collection with your local council.

If your upholstered seating is damaged and you visit one of the HWRCs below, cover the damaged area using a bin bag and tape.

• Faversham
• Folkestone
• Herne Bay
• New Romney
• Richborough
• Sheerness
• Swanley.

Types of waste upholstered domestic seating

• armchairs
• bean bags, floor and sofa cushions
• futons
• garden furniture
• kitchen and dining room chairs
• office chairs
• recliner chairs
• sofas
• sofa beds
• stools and foot stools
• other forms of household seating to which relevant fire regulations apply. This might include child car seats, high chairs, and benches.

As vapes contain batteries, you must not put them in your household bin.

Take used or discarded vapes from personal use to any of our household waste recycling centres for no charge, and put them in the vapes container.

Learn more about vaping.

We recommend recycling your old VHS video tapes by taking them to a charity shop, or selling them online.

Or take to any household waste recycling centre for no charge.

Take to any household waste recycling centre and place in the household waste bin for no charge.

Do not place wallpaper in the paper bin, as it may have glue on the underside.

Check whether your local council will collect washing machines.

If they cannot help you, bring your washing machine to any of our household waste recycling centres free of charge.

You may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take a washing machine to one of our HWRCs.

Take to any household waste recycling centre free of charge.