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Charges at HWRCs

Last updated: 8 October 2024

You can now get rid of some of your DIY waste free of charge due to changes in government regulations.

However, there are limits on the frequency of your visits and the amount you can get rid of, as our household waste recycling centres cannot accept all waste free of charge.

The limit includes:

  • no more than 4 visits over a 4-week period with DIY waste
  • 1 large item up to 200cm x 75cm in size (vehicle restrictions still apply) or
  • 2 x 50-litre bags (standard black bag).

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

Free items

The disposal of some items will be free of charge from 31 December 2023 onwards. Within the limit you can bring:

  • breeze blocks, bricks, solidified cement (not powder), solidified concrete (not powder), drainpipes, flagstones, granite, marble, paving slabs
  • ceramic bathroom and kitchen items (baths, bidets, cisterns, shower trays, sinks, toilet pans, wash basins)
  • hardcore, rubble, gravel, rocks, sand, stones, soil
  • plasterboard. We count one sheet of plasterboard as one black bag
  • tiles (ceramic, clay, slate).

There are no limits or charges for plastics kitchen units, non-ceramic sinks, baths and doors.

Chargeable items

We charge for all items in the list above that exceed the limit.

Charges and limits apply for tyres and there is no free disposal.

Prices for chargeable items

Prices will vary depending on your DIY items and whether you exceed our limits.

  • £3 per tyre (car and motorbike tyres), limited to 5 tyres per day.
  • £5 per item or bag for DIY waste over our limits.
  • £7.50 per sheet or standard black bag for plasterboard over our limits.

We are unable to offer discounts for chargeable materials. Our team members on-site are always here to help, however they have the final say.

How to pay the charge

Any payments for chargeable items are to be made on the day of your visit using a valid debit or credit card. We're unable to accept cash or cheques.

If you need a VAT receipt, ask one of our friendly team members. Enforcement action may be taken against anyone disposing of chargeable waste without payment.

How to get rid of your items

To make things easier for everyone, bring your waste in bags, if possible. Don't worry if you have loose materials - we'll still accept them.
Make sure to put them in the appropriate recycling area.

If you're getting rid of tiles with plasterboard, please separate them first. If you're not sure how to do that, just ask one of our team members for help - we're always happy to assist!

Charges for non-Kent residents visiting our HWRCs

Non-Kent residents (which includes those who live in Medway) will be required to pay £10 per visit to use one of our 19 HWRCs.

Find out more about charges for non-Kent residents.

Other restrictions and information

HWRCs are only to be used to dispose of waste from a resident’s own property. As long as staff are satisfied that the waste has come from your own home and it is not business waste, you will be able to use the HWRC.

Any tradespeople producing waste as part of their business will be redirected to one of our waste transfer stations.

Our HWRCs are not designed to accept large quantities of soil, rubble, hardcore or associated materials from home renovations. For any larger quantities of this type of waste, please consider hiring a skip, skip bag or using a commercial waste contractor.

If you choose to not request for your local council to collect your bulky waste, y>ou have a duty of care to ensure that your waste is disposed of correctly. If your waste is flytipped by a waste disposal service you have hired, you could face a fine.

Learn how to protect yourself from rogue waste collectors and traders by following our simple steps.

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence which can carry an unlimited fine or a 5 year prison sentence and should not be considered as an alternative to paying to dispose of your waste legally.

We understand that making changes to our services raises concerns about the potential increase of fly-tipping. However, there is no clear evidence from other councils who charge for waste disposal that shows there is a link between charging at HWRCs and fly-tipping.

If you take waste to any of our sites using a restricted vehicle (van, pickup or large vehicle) you will require a valid vehicle voucher for each site visit.