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The Recycling Centres for Household Waste are licensed by the Environment Agency to accept only non-hazardous household waste.
These restrictions are strictly enforced by site staff to ensure compliance with the site licence, to safeguard the health and safety of site users and staff, and to ensure these centres are not abused by trade or commercial organisations.
Limits/restrictions on some items
The following items have limits or restrictions on how much can be taken to the Recycling Centres:-
Green garden waste
The green garden waste recycling container is for green garden waste only. For full details of what garden waste can be put in the recycling container please see our page Green garden waste.
NO plastic sacks (including the biodegradable sacks issued by some councils).
NO food waste, timber, or large tree trunks can go in the green waste container as these items are not suitable for the composting process. Timber can be recycled separately at the Recycling Centres - please see on site information for specific details or speak to site staff.
NO commercial garden waste can go in the green garden waste container, i.e. waste from a gardener carrying out work to a garden of a house he does not live in. There's information and advice for commercial gardeners on our Trade or commercial waste page.
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Paint
Paint in liquid form cannot go in the non-recyclable container with general rubbish. This is because liquid paint can no longer be sent to landfill due to new waste legislation.
Liquid paint or varnish can be taken to the Recycling Centre for Household Waste and should be put in the separate container provided specifically for paint. To find the location of the container, please see site staff.
Solid but non-hazardous paint or varnish can be put in the non-recyclable container at Recycling Centres for Household Waste. Please speak to site staff for advice BEFORE depositing it or if in doubt call the Waste and Recycling helpline 0845 603 7625.
If paint has a hazard logo and is in liquid form, it may come within the Household Hazardous Waste Scheme and you should contact the Waste and Recycling helpline 0845 603 7625 for advice on disposal.
Help reduce the amount of paint to be thrown away. Buy only the amount of paint you need, i.e., buy the smallest possible tin for the area to be painted. Keep some left-over paint in a jar for 'touch-ups'. Use up any remaining paint for the walls by giving the walls an extra coat. These tips and others are on En-form's web site: www.repaintessex.org.uk/wisepaint.htm.
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Soil and Hardcore
No more than THREE wheelbarrow loads per household can be taken to the Recycling Centres.
Soil and hardcore fall into the category of construction, demolition and building waste, and are NOT classed as household waste.
Small amounts of both are accepted at Recycling Centres for Household Waste as a special service to residents provided they come from the residents' own home. The limit is three wheel barrow loads (one car boot load with the seats UP - combined total of soil and hardcore) per household in any 28 day period.
A more convenient way to dispose of soil and hardcore and other large DIY waste is to use a local skip hire service or bulk bag company. One such bulk bag is the Hippo Bag, see Hippo Bag on line under Related links on this page.
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Please do not put carpets, cushions, duvets, pillows or wellington boots into the textile recycling banks at the Recycling Centres. This is because the present contractual textile merchant does not accept them.
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Tyres
No more than FOUR tyres per household can be taken to the Recycling Centres.
Normally, most garages or the tyre company changing your tyres will take unwanted tyres for recycling or safe disposal. However, in the unusual circumstances where you need to dispose of a tyre or tyres from your house or garage, a maximum of FOUR tyres per household can be taken for recycling to any of the County Council's Recycling Centres for Household Waste. Please speak to site staff.
Ideally, tyres should be removed from the metal rim. The metal rim, once it has been separated from the tyre, can be recycled at any of these Centres using the scrap metal container.
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Computers and personal data
Computers can be taken to the Recycling Centres for Household Waste but these centres DO NOT provide a secure outlet for the disposal of any private, personal or confidential information whether this be in printed or electronic form. Members of the public are advised to take all practical steps to protect their personal data whether this be shredding paper documents or shredding computer disks, and either wiping clean their computer hard drives or rendering them unusable before disposing of any computers.
Members of the public should be aware that in the case of data held on computer hard drives, simply using the delete function or even reformatting the hard drive does not necessarily make the data irretrievable. Essex County Council recommends seeking specialist advice or making use of commercially available software to overwrite data on hard drives before disposing of any computers. If householders wish to overwrite hard drives themselves they can go to www.howtowipeyourdrive.com which has links to sites offering the necessary software to download, some of which are free.
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TVs and monitors
Since 16 July 2005 TVs and monitors have been classed as hazardous waste when being handled in large quantities, i.e. from a business. They are NOT hazardous when in the home or when thrown away by a household.
If you are a business needing advice on disposing of televisions and monitors please refer to the Environment Agency's NetRegs site.
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When a close relative has died
A close relative has died and you need to clear out their home. You can normally only take rubbish that has come from your own home. However, if you have cleared the contents of a deceased relative's property please be aware that you may be asked to provide a death certificate before depositing the rubbish as the contents will not have come from your OWN home. Site staff are entitled to open black bags of rubbish but in these circumstances the relative can request that the bags are not opened.
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Bulky or heavy items
If you are unable to transport any large or heavy items to a Recycling Centre please contact your local District or Borough Council, the one you pay your council tax to, who will be able to arrange a collection. Please bear in mind there may be a charge for this service.
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The Recycling Centres for Household Waste accept non-hazardous household waste only. The following types of waste cannot be taken to the Recycling Centres:-
Hazardous Waste
The following types of waste may be classed as hazardous waste and therefore not accepted at the Centres:-
If you have any waste which you think may be hazardous please contact the Waste and Recycling Helpline on 0845 603 7625 for advice on whether it can be taken to the Recycling Centre for Household Waste or information on alternative disposal options.
To find out what household hazardous waste materials are typically found in key areas of the house, go to www.nhhwf.org.uk/, then click on The Virtual House.
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Asbestos
The Recycling Centres cannot accept asbestos of any description. However, as part of Essex County Council's Household Hazardous Waste scheme you can request for small amounts (up to 40 kg.) of bonded asbestos (asbestos cement) to be collected and disposed of free of charge. For example, one small asbestos water tank OR one sheet of 4 x 8 feet OR two sheets of 3 x 6, or 2 x 4 feet. Any more than this will be collected but there will be a charge and this will be advised by the company.
Call the Waste and Recycling Helpline on 0845 603 7625 for advice.
Alternatively you can dispose of larger amounts through a private company. Details of companies in or near Essex are available from either the A-Z guide on waste - A page under the item on Asbestos; or from the Health and Safety Executive on 01245 706200; or from Waste and Recycling Helpline staff on 0845 603 7625; or from staff at Recycling Centres for Household Waste.
The following general advice should be borne in mind when carrying out any work involving asbestos cement:
1. If the item is in good condition the best option may be to leave it.
2. Surfaces may be sealed by painting with an oil-based paint or dilute (1:10) UPV glue.
3. Do not do anything that may break up the surface, e.g. do not scrape or brush off lichen or moss. Do not break up the panels. Wet the surfaces thoroughly and dismantle with care.
4. A list of licensed asbestos contractors is held by the Health and Safety Executive - 01245 706200.
If removal is necessary the following 'hierarchy' of choices is available, listed in order of safety:
a) The householder can engage a licensed asbestos contractor to do everything (see Yellow Pages under Asbestos Removal). Ask for proof of licence if concerned about competence of contractor. This is the most expensive option.
b) The householder can dismantle the item themselves (with caution and ideally after wetting the material) and engage a waste contractor/skip company to dispose of it.
c) In Essex the householder can contact the Waste and Recycling Helpline on 0845 603 7625 for details of the Household Hazardous Waste Scheme and to arrange collection of bonded asbestos for a charge. As guidance, you can see brief details of the scheme above.
d) The householder can dismantle the item themselves and take it to a licensed site, ensuring that the asbestos cement is wetted and bagged/wrapped. This will usually be the cheapest option for amounts over 40 kg. A list of licensed sites in or near Essex is on the A-Z guide on waste under the item on Asbestos; or available from the Health and Safety Executive on 01245 706200. Remember to telephone the sites first - do not just turn up.
Please note: the Environment Agency licenses waste disposal sites but does not collect waste, identify asbestos or give out advice beyond the general information contained above or in the list of licensed sites.
Some useful numbers for asbestos queries:
Environment Agency - 08708 506 506
Essex County Council's Waste & Recycling Helpline - 0845 603 7625
Health & Safety Executive - 01245 706200
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Pesticides
The Recycling Centres cannot accept any banned pesticides in liquid form.
Essex County Council has made arrangements to provide Essex residents with safe disposal routes for banned pesticide products which are no longer allowed to be stored by the householder.
If the product is in liquid form, please contact the Waste and Recycling Helpline on 0845 603 7625 for further advice and information.
It is illegal to dispose of garden chemicals and pesticides down drains, sinks and toilets as this can harm the environment.
If the product is granular or a powder, it can be taken to your local Recycling Centre, but please inform site staff of the type of product you are disposing of BEFORE depositing.
Certain pesticide products, mainly lawn feeds, were banned from sale and use in 2003 but, from 31 March 2004, householders are no longer allowed to store these products. Please note that these products were banned from being sold after 24 July 2003 and therefore products purchased after this date should not be affected.
It is important to note that the products were withdrawn for commercial reasons and not because any safety concerns have been identified.
In 1995 the EU began a review of all pesticide active substances to ensure they continued to meet modern safety standards. For commercial reasons some manufacturers decided not to support their products through the review. This was usually because the products in question were old and there were more modern versions on the market or because demand for the product was low and did not justify the costs of the review.
The ban resulted in the withdrawal of a number of products from the market. Around 81 garden pesticides were affected.
The Pesticides Safety Directorate pesticides.gov.uk provides some excellent information and advice to householders on this issue and gives a full list of withdrawn products.
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Trade or commercial waste
Recycling Centres for Household Waste in Essex are licensed by the Environment Agency to take only household waste. It is illegal to deposit trade waste or waste from commercial premises at these sites. This means that Essex County Council's Recycling Centres cannot legally accept trade or business waste. For example waste from a builder or gardener carrying out work to a house or garden he does not live in or waste produced by someone running a business from, or working from, their home address.
There's advice for producers of trade or commercial waste in Essex including lists of local commercial waste disposal/recycling companies and sites on our Trade or commercial waste page.
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A landlord's waste
Household waste is waste coming from the person living in the house.
Any landlord taking rent is not the householder and therefore not the owner of the waste. Waste from a landlord is classified as commercial waste.
A landlord is defined as one who takes money for rent. The amount is irrelevant, i.e. it could be a contribution towards property costs, or zero profit, or on a commercial basis.
This information is set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
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Sacks of mixed kerbside recycling
Sacks of mixed recycling which would normally be collected in kerbside schemes will not be accepted at Recycling Centres for recycling unless the contents are separated.
The individual recycling containers at Recycling Centres are for separated materials only, not mixed recycling. Site staff do not have sufficient time to sort materials on behalf of residents from the sacks into the appropriate containers which are spread around the site.
