Waste acceptance at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs)

Hampshire's Household Waste Recycling Centres accept a wide range of materials for recycling.. All sites accept a standard range of materials, while some of the larger sites can accept additional items such as hazardous household waste materials. Please click on the icons below for more information on what can be accepted.

Different containers and areas are provided onsite to ensure as much as possible is separated for recycling, but if you are unsure what to do with a waste item then please do ask site staff.

Please note that the restriction on soil, rubble and DIY waste applies to: soil and rubble, wood and timber, plasterboard, and scrap metal. Restrictions also apply on the deposit of paint, and hazardous household waste.

If you need to dispose of larger amounts, or materials not listed here, you may like to make use of our list of alternative disposal options. There are a few material types that cannot be accepted at our sites, including car tyres, explosives, and petrol.

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  Green garden waste

  Material under a diameter of 100mm or four inches should be placed in the green waste container. From here, green garden waste is composted into Pro-Grow soil conditioner which can be bought from any HWRC.

  Turf and material with a diameter greater than 100mm or four inches cannot easily be composted and should be placed in the household waste container for final disposal.

   

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  Clothes and textiles

  Most HWRCs have a clothing and textiles bank. Clothes in good condition may be collected by charities for resale, or donated to aid projects in developing countries. Other textiles can be reused as industrial rags and cleaning cloths.

   

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  Furniture

  Household furniture in good condition can be offered for reuse in the onsite sales area. Please speak to a member of staff if you think you have something suitable for reuse.

   

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  Newspapers, magazines and cardboard

  Cardboard, newspapers and magazines, and telephone directories can all be recycled at your local HWRC.

  Mixed paper and cardboard are transported to mills where they are turned into various forms of packaging.

   

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  Glass bottles and jars

  Please sort glass bottles and jars according to their colour and place in the bottle bank. Glass is recycled into new bottles and jars, or crushed and used as a building aggregate.

  Pyrex and window glass is not recyclable and should be placed in the household waste container for final disposal.

   

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  Waste electrical and electronic equipment

  Fridges, freezers, televisions, computer monitors, large electrical appliances such as cookers and washing machines, and small items such as mobile phones and hairdryers are accepted at HWRCs.

  Most items can be sold for spares through the onsite sales area, or sent to reprocessors where their various elements are stripped down and recycled or disposed of safely.

   

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  Household batteries

  Please place household batteries in the designated red wheelie bin. From here they are sent for recycling into their various elements.

   

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  Low energy lightbulbs

  Both low energy lightbulbs and fluorescent tubes are collected onsite in a special container. From here they are sent to reprocessors where their various elements are removed and recycled or disposed of safely.

   

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  Soil, rubble and DIY waste

  Soil and rubble is not classified as household waste, however HWRCs in Hampshire will accept the equivalent of a medium-sized car boot full of waste (approximately the contents of six 30 litre bags) no more than once per month, per household. Soil, rubble and DIY waste must be brought to the site bagged or boxed and then emptied directly into the correct container. The quantity restriction applies whatever vehicle is being used to transport the material.

  Used bricks, loose soil, sand, ceramics, tiles and concrete can be placed in the soil and rubble container. Spent compost should be placed in the green garden waste container.

  Once screened, soil is blended for reuse in top soil. Rubble is broken down and used as a secondary aggregate.

  Cement, tarmac, clay and turf should be placed in the household waste container for final disposal.

   

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  Plasterboard

  All HWRCs have a dedicated storage container for plasterboard as it must be segregated from other waste types. On arrival at the site, please seek assistance from site staff who will be able to direct you.

  As with other DIY waste, plasterboard is not classified as household waste. Hampshire County Council does however recognise that households may produce small quantities, and so will accept small incidental off-cuts arising from minor DIY projects only. Householders with a larger volume of plasterboard to dispose of will need to contact an alternative specialist waste company.

   

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  Wood and timber

  Some wooden items such as furniture can be reused through the onsite sales area. Please ask site staff for further advice. All HWRCs except Alresford have a container for mixed wood. Most wood types are accepted, including plywood, blackboard, oriented strand board, chipboard, MDF, hardboard, softwood and hardwood. Railway sleepers are not accepted. The general use of mixed wood is in energy recovery.

   

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  Scrap metal items

  Please place iron and steel items in the ferrous container, and aluminium in the non-ferrous container. Any fluids such as oil must be removed before disposal.

  Metals are sold as scrap and reused by industry.

   

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  Paint

  Non-water based paints should be placed in the designated container. Water based paints should be placed in the household waste container for final disposal, unless the site has a separate container for paint reuse.

  Paint should be deposited in a suitable, sealed container. A maximum of five litres per household per month can be deposited.

   

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  Hazardous household waste

  Hazardous household waste such as pesticides, lawn treatments, white spirit, varnish and antifreeze is accepted at 11 specially licensed sites (Alton, Andover, Basingstoke, Bordon, Farnborough, Marchwood, Netley, Segensworth, Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester).

  Such items must be delivered in a suitable sealed container and placed in the designated area. A maximum of five litres can be deposited per household per month.

   

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  Cooking oil / vegetable oil

  Please place in the designated container by pouring directly into the drum. Used cooking oil is recycled into a patented biofuel LF100 - please see Living Fuels' website for more information.

  Only waste from a household source will be accepted, and a maximum of five litres per household per month is permitted.

  Please note that there is no container to recycle cooking oil at New Alresford HWRC.

   

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  Car batteries

  Please place in the designated container for safe disposal.

  Only waste from a household source will be accepted.

   

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  Engine oil

  This must be in a suitable sealed container. A maximum of 10 litres can be deposited per household per six months.

  Only waste from a household source will be accepted.

   

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  Gas bottles

  Please contact the manufacturer in the first instance to check if they are able to take back the item for reuse/refilling or disposal. HWRCs accept gas bottles up to 15kg in size, either propane or butane. Balloon gas bottles are also accepted.

  Other gas bottles or air cylinders are not accepted. HWRCs will only accept SCUBA diving bottles if the manufacturer will not take them back.

   

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  Fire extinguishers

  HWRCs will only accept fire extinguishers if the manufacturer will not take them back.

   

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  Cement bonded asbestos (CBA)

  CBA is only accepted at five specially licensed HWRCs (Andover, Basingstoke, Efford, Netley and Portsmouth). HWRCs will accept no more than 15 sheets, of no greater size than 120cm by 60cm. This is approximately equal to the amount that comes from a standard single garage roof.

  CBA must be wrapped in plastic sheeting or small pieces must be double bagged and sealed with tape to avoid the release of asbestos fibres. Please call the site in advance to confirm that there is adequate space to store it safely, otherwise you may be turned away upon arrival.

  No other types of asbestos will be accepted.

   

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  Animal waste

  Only animal waste from the keeping of domestic animals is accepted. A maximum of two bin liners can be deposited per household per day, and waste must be double bagged before disposal. Please inform site staff of the waste type before placing in the household waste bin for final disposal.

  Waste from livestock, breeding, boarding, stabling or exhibiting of animals is not accepted.

   

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  All other household waste (except the items listed that cannot be accepted for any reason) should be placed in the designated container for final disposal. Some HWRCs also have a second container for non-recyclable items into which 'combustible' (burnable) items can be placed. This ensures the items are sent for energy recovery instead of landfill, and transforms the waste into electricity. Please note that items larger in size than 90cm x 70cm x 70cm (equivalent to a full black bag) are not suitable for energy recovery, so please heed the instructions of site staff on where to deposit your waste items.