What you can bring and charges

• Empty aerosol cans
• Batteries
• Car batteries
• Cardboard
• Cardboard and metal food and drink packaging (e.g. Pringles tubes, hot chocolate and gravy)
• Cartons
• Cooking oil
• Engine Oil and containers
• Flat glass
• Furniture
• Garden waste
• Gas bottles
• Glass bottles and jars
• Hardcore, rubble, ceramic bathroom furniture and soil (charges may apply - see below) 
• Hard plastics (Not currently recyclable.  Hard plastics are being accepted with non–recyclable waste for disposal at Suffolk’s energy from waste facility, where it will be used as fuel to generate electricity.)
• Large electrical appliances
• Light bulbs
• Metals
• Mobile phones
• Paper
• Plasterboard (Accepted at 4 sites only. Charges may apply - see below). More information on plasterboard. 
• Plastic bottles, tubs and food trays
• Printer cartridges
• Small electrical appliances
• Spectacles
• Tassimo & L'OR coffee pods (incl. all Tassimo & L'OR plastic packaging)
• TVs and monitors
• Wood and timber (excluding sleepers)
• Textiles
• Re-usable items to go to the re-use shops (put in the orange containers on site).

For more details about what can be accepted at Suffolk’s Recycling Centres search your item in the A-Z.

Non-recyclable waste, such as mattresses and furniture, are also accepted for disposal (apart from materials mentioned in the dropdown below).

We do not accept the following items at recycling centres. Search the A to Z of recycling for advice about alternative disposal options:

• Hazardous or clinical waste such as chemicals, asbestos, explosives, or needles
• Cat or dog faeces (pet waste is only accepted from vegetarian animals, up to maximum one manageable bin liner per week. Excess vegetarian pet waste must be paid for.)
• Paint (Only empty and dried tins are accepted.)
• Tyres and car parts.

For more details about what can’t be accepted at Suffolk’s Recycling Centres search your item in the A-Z.

A 25 litre container is approximately 42 x 30 x 20 cm. We use 25 litres as a convenient measure of the volume of waste. Site staff have a 25 litre jerrycan on site to visually assess the volume of your waste.

No. You may use other containers or bags to carry your waste. Site staff will make a visual assessment of the equivalent volume of waste compared to a 25 litre bag.

For your own safety, we recommend that DIY waste is not brought in bags larger than 25 litres because the items can become too heavy to lift.

Please see charges for hardcore, rubble, soil, ceramic bathroom furniture and plasterboard in the table of charges below. 

The government decided on the limits which they consider a reasonable quantity of waste which could be produced by a householder doing small scale DIY projects themselves. This helps to stop traders taking advantage of the service funded by tax payers.

Suffolk has decided not to charge for all DIY wastes. Certain DIY waste is free of charge at Suffolk recycling centres. This includes gutters, doors, window frames, and dry paint tins from householders.

We accept gutters, doors, window frames etc. free of charge from householders. These do not count towards the free limit for hardcore, rubble, soil, ceramic bathroom furniture and plasterboard.

No. In order for site staff to be able to correctly apply the charges to the right customers we have to use the same rules for everyone; a maximum of four 25 litres bags or equivalent in one visit and 4 visits per 4-week period.

You are welcome to bring more waste and pay the appropriate charge. 

No. In order for site staff to be able to correctly apply the charges to the right customers we have to use the same rules for everyone; a maximum of four 25 litres bags or equivalent in one visit and 4 visits per 4 week period.

You are welcome to visit more frequently and pay the appropriate charge.

Each household in Suffolk can have 4 visits per 4 weeks free of charge . Extra visits will incur a charge.  We use your vehicle registration to check this. 

It is your responsibility to ensure that your booking is accurate in advance of your visit.  Please email waste.management@suffolk.gov.uk with your booking reference number to request DIY waste to be added or removed from your booking prior to your visit.  Booking details cannot be altered after your visit and the booking will count as one of your 4 “free” DIY waste visits in that 4 week period 

You can modify your booking (such as date, time and vehicle registration) yourself.