Below is a list of the most common things we are asked to collect. If we don't take your item, please see our advice on what to do.

The items classed as a white good are marked with a (W) after them and are priced differently from standard items. More information on pricing is available here.

Loose materials must be bagged or bundled and light enough for 1 person to lift safely, or we will not collect them.

All of the items listed are classed as 1 item.

Prices for standard items e.g. beds, sofas, tables, chairs

For example, if you had 7 items for collection, the price would be £42 (5-8 items category)

The council does offer a discount for ‘standard items’ for those residents who are full time students or claiming certain benefits.  You will be asked for this information when booking the service. Please note that you may be asked to provide evidence of eligibility.

Our Concessions Policy

A 25% reduction in charges is available to residents who are full time students or claiming one of the following benefits:

Prices for white goods e.g. freezers, cookers, TVs

The collection charge of each white good (large electrical appliance) is £12. These are priced differently from the standard items because they must be collected on dedicated vehicles and disposed of in a different way.

For example, if you had 4 white goods for collection, the charge would be £48.

The council’s concessions policy doesn’t apply to white goods.

If you are purchasing a new electrical appliance to replace an old one you can ask the retailer to collect your old appliance (there may be a charge for this service).

The bulky waste service can only collect items that we class as household waste. If you have an item that we don't collect, please have a look at the advice below.

Waste from DIY / Construction or fixtures and fittings e.g. bathroom suites, carpets etc. – the council can provide a quote for removing this from your home e.g. bathroom suites, carpets. Our quote will be based on the recovery and disposal costs. It may be cheaper to seek quotes from private companies e.g. skip companies instead.

Discarded business electrical items – these are subject to the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. Further information is available on the ‘Commercial Waste – collection’ page.

Pianos – these are too heavy for us to collect as part of the standard service but we could visit you and provide a separate quote for removal. It should be noted that the piano will need to be broken up prior to collection for manual handling reasons.

Plastic oil heating tanks - If they have been cut in half and disconnected from pipe work, you can take these to your HWRC or we can collect them. They must be completely empty of oil.

Metal oil tanks - these cannot be safely collected by the Council. Specialist companies should be contacted to obtain a quote for this service e.g. Atlantis Tel 08448 440404.

Hazardous waste collections – we cannot collect hazardous waste e.g. asbestos, pesticides, as part of our bulky waste service and you cannot take these to Household Waste Recovery Centres. However we can collect small amounts free of charge from your household. More information here.

To get a quote from the council:

Please contact us on ask@northumberland.gov.uk or call 0845 600 6400 and we will contact you to arrange for an officer to visit and provide a quote for removal.

Please note: If you hire someone to move your waste, you must make sure they have a waste carrier license from the Environment Agency. You can contact the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506 and ask for a Waste Carrier Validation Check or go to the online public registers section of their website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

One item is a piece of waste that can be safely lifted and loaded onto the vehicle by one crew member, or in the case of items of furniture, by 2 crew members.

Examples of one item include:

• A bed (includes bed base, mattress and head board)
• A box of bric-a-brac
• A piece of furniture e.g. a wardrobe, a chest of drawers
• A sack of garden waste
• A sofa
• A table (a table and 4 chairs are 5 items)
• Tins of paint in a sack are classed as 1 item

When you book online (available soon), the drop down list will automatically show what counts as one item, or if its 2 or 3 e.g. a settee will count as one item but a three piece suite (settee and two chairs) counts as three items.

Our guide to what we can and can’t collect also shows what is classed as one item.

• Online – by using the online booking systemwhich will be available soon
• Over the phone – by calling our customer services on 0845 600 6400 and using a debit/credit card at the time of booking.
• Customer Information Centre – you can pay by card, cheque or cash

We are able to help those people who are elderly or have a disability and may need help in getting their items out of the property. More information is available here.

If for any other reason you are unable to place the waste for collection outdoors, we can collect from inside your property. You must be present and will be asked to sign an insurance disclaimer for any accidental damage that may be caused.

If you do think you will need assistance, please let us know when you book this service.

If you want to cancel your collection you must inform us so we can stop our collection van coming to your property and offer the slot to another resident. You also need to tell us if you want to amend your collection as it may affect how many items our collection van can carry.

You can do this by calling our customer services on 0845 600 6400. Make sure you have your reference number handy.

If you need a refund we will issue you a cheque.

We are working to improve our service and very soon you will be able to choose a collection day and time slot from those that are available upon booking. Unfortunately we will not be able to give a precise time only that it will be between 7am and 5pm on your chosen day.

Put the items for collection outside your property. Please place them as close as possible to where your wheeled bin is collected. The items should be in an area that is easily accessible and not likely to cause injury or inconvenience.

If the items causes an obstruction, or you are unable to place the waste for collection outdoors, we will collect from just inside your property. However, you must be present and will be asked to sign an insurance disclaimer for any accidental damage that may be caused.

Loose materials must be bagged and light enough for one person to lift or they will not be collected.

All the bulky waste that we collect is processed at authorised recycling and waste management facilities. We make sure that as many items as possible are donated, reused or recycled. Find out more

• The collection address must be from a property where you live in Northumberland
• Items for collection must represent household waste only and not be the result of a commercial or DIY activity.
• Collections can only be booked after payment has been received
• Items must be placed outside the property by 7am on the day of collection
• Items must be placed outside the property in a place as close to your usual wheeled bin collection point as possible and not likely to cause injury or inconvenience
• The council’s insurance policy does not allow for the contractor to assist in moving items to the collection point. Exceptions apply for residents who are elderly or have a disability and may need assistance in getting their items out of the property.
• We will do our best to collect your waste at the agreed time
• Items for collection must be owned by you
• Only those items listed for collection will be collected – additional items will not be removed
• The concession policy only applies to standard items, not white items
• We collect a maximum of 13 items
• We have a concessions policy which applies to standard items only for those residents who are students or on certain benefits
• Items must not be longer than 6ft.