How do I take things to the tip without being turned away?

Household waste recycling centres are free for genuine household waste and that is exactly why they are controlled. Every rule at the gate exists to stop trade waste being disposed of at the council's expense, which is why the questions are about your vehicle and your address rather than about your rubbish. Knowing the three checks turns a wasted Saturday morning into twenty minutes.

Safety

Step by step

1. Read your own council's site page before anything else.Booking requirement, opening hours, the permit scheme, the chargeable list and the banned list are all local and all change. This is a two-minute check that prevents the great majority of refused entries.
2. Book a slot if the site requires one.Many councils kept booking systems after they were introduced, because they smooth the queue. Slots at weekends go days in advance in spring and after Christmas.
3. Check whether your vehicle needs a permit.Vans, pickups, minibuses, anything with signwriting, trailers over a certain size and sometimes large estates and people carriers all require a permit applied for in advance, usually free, usually limited to a number of visits a year. Turning up without one is the single most common reason for being sent away.
4. Take proof that you live in the area.A driving licence, council tax or rates bill, or a utility bill. Sites are for the residents of that authority and cross-border use is often refused, though some neighbouring councils have reciprocal arrangements.
5. Know what is chargeable.Many councils now charge for construction-type waste from DIY — rubble, hardcore, soil, plasterboard, bathroom suites, tiles, fencing — even from a householder. Some allow a free allowance by volume. Household items, garden waste and general recycling normally remain free.
6. Sort the load before you leave home.Wood, metal, rubble, garden waste, cardboard, textiles, electricals, batteries, oil, plasterboard. Loading it sorted, in that unloading order, means one stop per container rather than repeatedly re-parking.
7. Know what the site will not take.Asbestos at most sites, though some take small quantities by prior arrangement only. Also commonly excluded: trade waste, tyres beyond a small number, gas cylinders, medicines, ammunition and fireworks. Ring in advance for anything on that list.
8. Use the reuse shop if there is one.Many sites now run a reuse area or shop where usable items are diverted before they hit a container. Say at the gate if something works — it is the difference between recycling it and someone using it.
9. Follow staff instructions at the containers.They are directing vehicle movements and watching container edges. Do not reverse without a banksman, do not climb, and ask rather than guess which container takes something.

Tips

• Go on a weekday morning if you possibly can. Weekend afternoons and the fortnight after Christmas are the worst times by a wide margin.
• Plasterboard is separated everywhere because gypsum in landfill produces hydrogen sulphide. Keep it apart from other wood and rubble or the whole load may be rejected.
• Empty and fold cardboard rather than filling the car with boxes of air. A single trip carries far more than people expect once boxes are flattened.
• If you have hired a van for a house move, check the permit rules before the hire, not after. Permits are usually applied for online and take a few days.
• Bring gloves. Broken glass, splintered wood and sharp metal edges are all present in a car boot that has been loaded quickly.

Questions people ask