Where to take your waste and recycling

There are 12 HWRCs across the county where you can take your household waste. Waste recovery centres are more commonly known as ‘tips’.

This information was last updated 2 June 2020. 

HWRCs (tips) reopened on Monday 4 May.

As outlined in DEFRA guidance, journeys to waste sites are only allowed under the lockdown restritctions if the waste materials cannot be stored at home without causing risk of injury or harm to health. 

To make sure that each facility can operate in line with Public Health England guidelines, and to protect the safety of our staff and our residents, there are restrictions in place.
 

Quick links:

• New site rules
• Tip opening times
• Tip locations
• Your questions answered 

Site rules

• Social distancing measures must be adhered to at all times by both staff and visitors. All site users must adhere to the 2m social distancing rules.
• Ideally, only one person per vehicle should travel to the site, as only one person will be permitted outside their vehicle once on-site. People must remain in their vehicle whilst queuing. Drivers or a passenger with a valid blue badge will be permitted access and a passenger (subject to normal social distancing rules) can unload the waste on the driver’s behalf if necessary.  
• You will be required to prove you live in Northumberland - please bring proof of your postal address and postcode - e.g. a utility bill or driver’s licence. You will need to display this in the windscreen of your vehicle.
• No assistance will be given to offload materials by site staff so only bring what you can safely carry.
• A new traffic management system will be in place and due to safety concerns, queueing outside of the sites will be restricted. If there are queues you may be asked to leave and come back at a later time.
• Only cars, people carriers with up to 7 seats, small vans, and small trailers (below 5 feet or 1.5 metres long) are allowed on site with the exception of adapted vehicles for disabled drivers. Drivers may be asked for proof that they hold a valid blue badge. 
• No transit-type vans, large vehicle trailers or commercial vehicles of any type will be allowed on site, with the exception of adapted vehicles for disabled drivers.
• Sites can only accept
  • bagged general household waste
  • garden waste
  • cardboard
  • glass bottles
  • TVs
  • small electrical appliances
  • wood
  • carpets
  • bulky items of household waste such as old furniture.
  • mattresses
  • scrap metal (except at North Sunderland)
  • beverage and drinks cartons eg Tetrapacks
  • comingled materials eg paper, card, plastic bottles, aluminium & steel cans
  • fluorescent tubes
  • batteries - household and vehicle.​
  • fridges (provided they can be carried by one person), but no other white goods
• Do not attend the site if you are self-isolating due to having/or having had possible COVID-19 symptoms.
• If any households have had COVID-19 symptoms, then the waste should be left for 72 hours before being brought to site. Waste should be doubled bagged.
• If residents have sanitary or incontinence pad waste this should be bagged and placed in their household general waste bin and the excess household waste brought to site.
• No access to pedestrians on any site.

These site rules apply to all residents visiting any of our HWRCs at all times.

Click here to download a copy of our site rules image to your phone.

The latest information regarding Household Waste Recovery Centres (HWRCs), also known as 'tips', during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated 2 June 2020. 

Household Waste Recovery Centres (tips) reopened on Monday 4 May 2020.

Please click here for more details regarding the tips reopening, including opening times and site rules.

Please note that the Household Waste Permit Scheme has been suspended.

Recycling points are small collection points where you can recycle things like glass bottles, jars, shoes, and clothes. There are more than 170 locations across Northumberland.

Please click here to find your local recycling point.

 

Report a problem at a local recycling point:

• by calling us on 0345 600 6400
• please click here to report a problem with a local recycling point

Any one household is allowed a maximum of 12 permits per year.

This information was last updated 15 May 2020. 

 

The household waste permit scheme has been suspended. 

Although the tips reopened on Monday 4 May 2020, one of the COVID-19 restrictions is that we can't allow larger trailers and transit van size vehicles in the recovery centres during this period. As soon as this changes will will let you know here, on our social media channels, and on our alerts page.  

​Northumberland tips (household waste recovery centres) have now reopened.

Our sites can only accept:

• bagged general household waste
• garden waste
• wood
• bulky items of household waste such as old furniture
• cardboard
• glass bottles
• TVs
• small electrical appliances (e.g. hair dryers, vacuum cleaners)
• carpets
• mattresses
• scrap metal (except at North Sunderland)
• beverage and drinks cartons eg Tetrapacks
• comingled materials eg paper, card, plastic bottles, aluminium & steel cans
• fluorescent tubes
• batteries - household and vehicle.

We can accept fridges (provided they can be carried by one person), but we cannot accept any other white goods.

Although the tips reopened on Monday 4 May 2020, sites still need to implement social distancing instructions. Due to this, sites can only accept:

• Bagged general household waste 
• Garden waste
• Cardboard
• Glass bottles
• TVs
• Small electrical appliances
• Wood

The following items can be brought to our sites, provided they can be carried safely by one person:

• Mattress
• Scrap Metal (not at North Sunderland tip)
• Carpet
• Bulky items of household waste (old furniture)
• Fridge

Residents should store soil and rubble at their properties until travel restrictions are lifted and the council confirms that the tips are able to accept these materials again. 

Annual limit for DIY waste

Residents may dispose of no more than six cubic yards of DIY waste per household in one year. This rule applies to all types of vehicles and trailers and all types of DIY waste including; rubble, tiles, slates, laminate flooring, garden sheds, bathroom and kitchen fittings, and window frames.

There is a charge to dispose of certain DIY waste items - please click here to find out more.

 

Pay-as-you-throw

Residents who would like to dispose of rubble, plasterboard, soil, and ceramic bathroom and kitchen fittings must pay a fee. These are payable by credit, debit, or prepaid card only. Cash and cheques are not accepted.

• View the pay as you throw leaflet here.
• View answers to your frequently asked questions here.
• View a list of Payzone points where you can load money onto a prepaid card here.