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

We must stress that Northumberland is currently under National Lockdown restrictions. Any trips to HWRCs (tips) should be deemed essential, as per government guidance.
 

Quick links:

• Site rules
• Tip opening times
• Before travelling to the tip
• 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.
• 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. Children should not attend the site, unless under exceptional circumstances. 
• 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.
• 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
  • beverage and drinks cartons eg Tetrapacks
  • comingled materials eg paper, card, plastic bottles, aluminium & steel cans
  • fluorescent tubes
  • batteries - household and vehicle.​
  • Construction waste, such as soil, rubble and plasterboard (disposal fees apply - credit card payments only)
  • All white goods (provided they can be carried by one person)
  • Compost sales have now resumed, where applicable (credit card payments only)
• 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.

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

The latest information regarding Household Waste Recovery Centres (HWRCs), also known as 'tips'.

This information was last updated 5 January 2021

Tips will remain open under National Lockdown restrictions

As of Tuesday 5 January, and Northumberland entering National Lockdown restrictions, there is no change to current service provision at any of Northumberland's HWRC sites.  However, we must stress that any trips to the HWRC should be deemed 'essential', as per central government guidance:

• Please click here for more details about our tips, including opening times and site rules.

We advise residents to recycle from home as much as possible in order to limit their time spent outside the home. The following items can be placed in household recycling bins: paper and magazines, cardboard, plastic bottles, clean/rinsed food tins, drinks cans, and aerosols.

• Please click here for more information about recycling.

 

New vans and trailers permit scheme - available now

The household waste permit scheme was reintroduced on Monday 26 October. Please click here for more information about applying for a permit and booking a time slot at your local tip. 

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 14 January 2021.

Apply for a permit 

Apply for a permit and book your slot at the tip here.
 

• Any permit obtained before the pandemic is no longer valid. Please do not attempt to access a site with an old-style permit. 
• There is no exchange or refund option available for HWRC (tip) permit applications should you be unable to attend as per your booking, regardless of circumstance and there are no exceptions to this rule. Customers will have to go back online and book another slot, which will be taken off their annual allowance of 12 permits.  

Availability 

 

​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
• beverage and drinks cartons eg Tetrapacks
• comingled materials eg paper, card, plastic bottles, aluminium & steel cans
• fluorescent tubes
• batteries - household and vehicle
• construction waste, such as soil, rubble and plasterboard (disposal fees apply - credit card payments only)
• compost sales have now resumed, where applicable (credit card payments only).
• all white goods (provided they can be carried by one person)

A helpful guide on what goes in the rigid plastic container

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
• Carpet
• Bulky items of household waste (old furniture)
• White goods

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.