Visiting the household waste and recycling centres

Print page

If you have rubbish or recycling that our household waste collection service doesn’t accept like electrical items, metal, or wood, you can take it to one of our 14 Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) across Cornwall.

We only take commercial waste at our St Erth and Launceston HWRCs. To find out more, visit: Commercial Waste at HWRCs.

Please read Cornwall Council's HWRC access terms and conditions before visiting.

Charges

There’s a limit to how much asbestos, plasterboard, soil, rubble, and tyres you can dispose of for free at an HWRC.

Find out more about HWRC charges

Vehicle permit

If you’re using a van, pickup, or large trailer, you’ll need a vehicle permit to use the sites.

Reuse shops

We’ve opened Reuse Shops at Truro, St. Austell, Falmouth, United Mines, Launceston, and Bude HWRCs. They’re open every day from 9am to 4pm.

You can donate reusable items at any HWRC. These items may be sold in the reuse shops or passed on to local charity organisations.

Donating items

We work with local charities that collect reusable furniture and household items from our sites. If you have something that could be reused, please speak to a member of staff when you visit.

When to visit

Our sites are usually busiest from 11am to noon and from 2pm to 3pm, especially on weekends. They’re quietest from 9am to 10am, and from 3pm to 4pm. To avoid delays, visit during quieter times if you can.