1. Electronic permits and accepted vehicles
The City Council has a duty to ensure that the Household Recycling Centre (HRC) is operated safely and with minimum risk to the public, site operators and council staff.
Vehicle size restrictions at the HRC are for health and safety reasons. Site managers reserve the right to refuse entry to vans and cars with trailers or other large vehicles which present a risk to safety on the site at that time, in particular when the site is busy.
Members of the public wishing to use a car with a trailer, or a van, should apply for a 12-visit electronic permit on our Household Recycling Centre page.
For the purposes of needing a permit, vehicles with one or more of the following should apply:
- The vehicle is designed to carry goods
- The vehicle has no rear seats
- The vehicle has a clear loading area separate to the main cab area
Restrictions on vans for health and safety reasons
- No vehicles larger than a long wheelbase panel type van will be allowed into the HRC at any time. Further details on van sizes permitted can be found on our Household Recycling Centre page.
- Permitted vans will be refused entry if they are pulling a trailer, unless either the van or trailer does not contain waste.
- No vehicle with a maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW) of more than 3.5 tonnes (this is usually listed in the owner's manual and shown on a plate or sticker in the vehicle).
Restrictions on trailers for health and safety reasons
- No trailers over 8ft 6 inches (2.5 metres) in length will be allowed into the HRC at any time
- Vans pulling trailers will be refused entry to the HRC - unless either the van or trailer does not contain any waste
2. The disposal of vehicle parts
The HRC is not licensed for the disposal of:
- Whole motor vehicles
- Caravans
- Trailers
- Motorcycles
- Scooters
- Invalid carriages
The End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations (2003) stipulates that end-of-life vehicles can only be stored, dismantled and treated in accordance with strict environmental treatment standards at licensed sites.
a) Vehicle parts not accepted:
- Vehicle tyres
- Vehicle parts that contain fluids, fuels or explosives
b) The only fluid from a motor vehicle that the site is licensed to accept is engine oil, which has been drained from the vehicle and taken in a separate container
c) Quantity of permissible parts that will be accepted:
- Only single items or set equivalents (e.g. wing mirrors) from one vehicle will be accepted
- Residents making repeat or regular visits with any part(s) may be refused entry at the site manager's discretion, and such residents may receive follow up visits by a Council Enforcement Officer
Residents who have any vehicle parts that contain fluids (including engine oil), whole vehicles or tyres for disposal must take them to an End-of-Life Vehicle licensed facility or other site licensed to accept such waste (e.g. vehicle breakers). Residents can also undertake an internet search, for information on vehicle dismantlers, and disposal of redundant or abandoned vehicles.
3. Waste from local government and other sources that is classed as chargeable household waste or commercial waste
The HRC is provided and licensed only for local residents to deliver their own household waste.
It is an offence under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for anyone to deposit on this site waste, which is not authorised by the Environmental Permit, i.e., waste not being household waste.
Persons delivering waste, which is not their own household waste will, where the site operators are unsure whether or not the waste is household, be required to sign a disclaimer form confirming the waste is from their own household or on behalf of a household well known to them and they are not being paid to provide any sort of service to a householder.
Repeat or regular visits with these types of waste may be refused by the site manager and may involve follow up visits by a council compliance officer.
Exception to this may be waste from the following sources, however authorisation will be required before delivering waste to this facility and persons are requested to contact the Waste Management team in the first instance.
- Parish Councils
- The Probation and Prison Services
- Charity shops and premises
- Any club, society or other association of persons
Residents or organisations (other than the above) affected by this policy may:
Arrange for collections by commercial waste management, skip hire companies or waste bag collection services.
4. Construction, demolition and DIY waste
The Household Recycling Centre is provided and licensed only for local residents to deposit their own household waste. Under the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992:
- Construction includes improvement, repair or alteration
- Construction and demolition waste, including waste arising from preparation works, is classified as industrial waste and not household waste
i) Construction and demolition waste
The following construction and demolition waste is NOT accepted at the Recycling Centre:
- Waste from large-scale construction, demolition, renovation and DIY projects e.g., major house renovations, building extensions or demolition of buildings
- Waste resulting from works where payment has been or is to be made
ii) DIY waste
Waste from small scale DIY work (e.g. changing a bathroom suite or kitchen cabinets or removing a patio wall), including soil, hardcore, bricks, general rubble, plasterboard and certain redundant fixtures and fittings may be accepted at the Household Recycling Centre under the following conditions:
- The waste is delivered by the resident and is the result of their own work
- The waste, in a single visit, does not exceed up to a maximum 2 x 50l bags / 2 items from a single household and
- The total visits do not exceed 4 within a 4-week period from a single household
- Discretion will be given regarding quantities by site staff, and will be assessed in to 50l equivalent amounts. Recommendation is to separate and bag as much of your waste as possible.
- Repeat or regular visits with these types of waste may be refused at the site manager’s discretion and may involve follow up visits by a council enforcement officer
- Where the site operators are unsure whether or not the waste is household, the person bringing in the waste will be required to sign a disclaimer form confirming the waste is from their own household
Residents affected by the above have the following alternative options for disposal:
- Council bulky waste collection service
- Commercial waste / recycling facilities able to take such waste
- Skip hire companies
- Waste bag services
5. Commercial waste
The HRC is provided and licensed only for local householders delivering their own household waste.
It is an offence under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for anyone to deposit on this site waste which is not authorised by the waste management licence, including commercial and industrial waste.
The Controlled Waste Regulations (1992) stipulates what waste is classed as commercial and industrial. The following wastes will not be accepted at any Recycling Centre:
- Waste from shops, offices, showrooms or other trade or business premises
- Waste produced for which earned income or other remuneration is obtained by person(s) running a business or trade of any kind
- Waste from an employee of a householder or from anyone who is being paid to provide any sort of service to a householder
- Waste from people employed by a business based elsewhere but working at home
a) Disclaimer forms
The site operator will make regular checks of waste brought to the Household Recycling Centre to ensure that the law and environmental permit is being complied with, including asking people about the type, nature and source of their waste and inspecting waste in vehicles and trailers before it is off loaded. Site operators and council staff will err on the side of declining to accept uncertain or mixed material. Where the site operator or council staff are subsequently prepared to give someone the benefit of the doubt, on 'grey areas', people depositing waste will be required to sign a disclaimer form, giving their name and contact details and confirming the waste is from their own household.
b) Alternative collection or disposal sites
People and companies affected by the above have the following options:
- Aragon Direct Trade Waste Service
- Commercial waste / recycling facilities able to take such wastes
- Commercial waste collection
- Skip hire companies
- Waste bag and bin services
Regarding all these areas above, the site management’s decision is final.
6. Cement bonded asbestos
Cement Bonded Asbestos must be removed and disposed of in a controlled and safe manner.
The Council encourages householders to dispose of all types of asbestos through a licensed contractor.
However, small quantities of Cement Bonded Asbestos, arising as a result of your own household maintenance and repairs can be taken to the Household Recycling Centre.
Each household is limited to 1 free bag in a 12 month period (not per calendar year).
If the total amount of asbestos that you need to dispose of will not fit into the 1 bag please contact a licensed contractor for disposal of all of the asbestos waste as this is no longer classed as household waste due to the amount. Residents must apply to for this service online and applications are assessed on an individual basis, but will be refused if the asbestos is a result of significant home improvement or demolition work.
Peterborough City Council can offer a charged for service for larger amounts of asbestos that cannot be accepted free of charge, but that may not warrant a commercial collection. Charges are based on each individual basis and the resident will be advised accordingly following application.
Due to health and safety implications staff at the HRC will not assist with unloading asbestos from your vehicle or loading into the container. It should be ensure that all asbestos that is approved for disposal can be handled by the resident whose approval for disposal has been issued.
The following types of asbestos or asbestos from a non-domestic property cannot be disposed of at the HRC and must be removed and disposed of by a specialist contractor:
- Insulating board
- Asbestos lagging
- Sprayed asbestos
- Other low density (crumbly / flaky) asbestos
Only Environment Agency registered and HSE licensed contractors and carriers are legally permitted to remove, handle, transport and dispose of these types of asbestos. The cost of legal disposal by the contractor should be included in any quote you receive. You can contact the Environment Agency on 08708 506506 to check whether a contractor has the appropriate permits.
Policy contact
Anyone requiring further information regarding the HRC waste policy should contact the Waste Services Team, 01733 747474.
This policy was approved by Peterborough City Council on 18 September 2024.