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Nine of Cornwall’s Household Recycling Centres accept DIY waste for free


Residents in Cornwall can take DIY waste to nine of the Duchy’s household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) without charge.

A limited amount of DIY waste, including asbestos, plasterboard, soil and rubble, can be taken to the following sites:

•    St Erth
•    Falmouth
•    Truro
•    Newquay
•    St Austell
•    Saltash
•    Bude
•    Tintagel (until later this year)
•    Connon Bridge, Liskeard

When construction works are complete at Launceston HWRC later this year, DIY waste will be introduced at the site and removed from Tintagel HWRC. 

Each household can take up to eight bags of soil/rubble, or four sheets of plasterboard/asbestos a week to the designated sites. 

You can also take motor vehicle tyres (excluding tyres from commercial and agricultural vehicles) to sites that accept DIY waste. Please check the restrictions for tyre disposal on the Cornwall Council website.

Earlier this year, Cornwall Council carried out a six-month trial accepting DIY waste at eight HWRCs across Cornwall. During the trial period, a 101% increase in DIY waste was received across the network. 

After reviewing the data from the trial, Cornwall Council has extended this service in South East Cornwall and introduced DIY waste at Connon Bridge HWRC, near Liskeard.

Councillor Carol Mould, portfolio holder for Neighbourhoods at Cornwall Council, said: “The removal of charges for DIY waste has been popular among residents and we will continue to accept DIY waste at the trial sites.

“After reviewing the data, we recognised there was a need to provide better access to this service for residents in South East Cornwall and have therefore added DIY waste to the site at Connon Bridge.”

What is DIY waste and how much can I take to the HWRCs?

DIY waste refers to materials from home improvement projects that you have undertaken yourself.

It does not include any form of commercial waste which cannot be taken to the HWRCs and should be disposed of via a licenced commercial waste collector. If you employ someone to carry out work on your home, any waste that is generated is commercial waste and will not be accepted at the HWRCs, irrespective of who brings it to site.

The equivalent of up to eight bags of soil/rubble or four sheets of plasterboard/asbestos per household per week can be taken to the HWRCs listed above.

There will be a charge for anything above this amount to cover specialist disposal costs. Find out more about charges on the Cornwall Council website.

Press release issued on September 3, 2024

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