DIY waste
There is a charge for the disposal of all DIY-type construction and demolition waste.
DIY waste is classed as construction and demolition waste, not household waste, and whilst we’ve previously accepted small amounts for free, we can no longer do this. Our services need to reduce their costs. We prefer to save money by changing our policies rather than by reducing opening hours or closing a recycling centre.
DIY waste can be disposed of through our ‘Pay as you throw’ service. Other options include hiring a skip or employing a licenced waste carrier. Please make sure to factor in the cost of disposing of DIY waste when planning your latest DIY project.
Pay as you throw service
You can pay to dispose of any amount of DIY type construction and demolition waste at any of our Recycling Centres. Please speak to a member of staff on arrival and they will assess your waste and take payment before you unload your waste.
Payment is by card only for amounts over £10. Mile Cross Recycling Centre only accepts card payments for any amount.
You will pay less if you separate your waste - separated materials are charged at a lower rate than mixed loads.
You must separate plasterboard or we won’t accept it.
Any decision made by our staff about DIY waste will be final.
Pay as you throw guide prices
We calculate prices based on the material and amount of waste you bring. Your load will be assessed by site staff and prices are non-negotiable. As loads will be assessed into 80 litre bag equivalent amounts. We recommend that you separate and bag as much of your waste as possible.
An 80 litre bag is the same size as an old sized dustbin. One is available on site for reference.
The guide prices below include VAT.
Mile Cross Recycling Centre is operated under a different contract and space restrictions at the site mean that plasterboard has to be transported in smaller loads, which makes it more expensive. Flat glass is included in non-recyclable waste as there is no space for a separate container.
Prices per 80 litre sack or single item
- Unsorted/non-recyclable DIY waste - £5
- Flat glass - £5 (classed as non-recyclable at Mile Cross Recycling Centre)
- Rubble - £3
- Plasterboard - £9 (£15 at Mile Cross). Only accepted at Caister, Dereham, Hempton, Ketteringham, Mayton Wood, Mile Cross and Thetford
- Timber - £3
- Scrap metal - no charge
Answers to frequently asked questions
The charges are the same across all our recycling centres with the exception of plasterboard at Mile Cross which is charged at the higher rate of £15.
Charges are for DIY-type waste. Household waste is accepted free of charge. Other charges include tyres and trade waste.
As a general rule, non-household or DIY waste items are materials created from the construction, demolition, alteration or repair of a home or garden. Materials may include a sink, bath, kitchen unit, radiator, fence panel, guttering, rubble, soil and turf.
It doesn't include asbestos or paint/thinners which are classed as hazardous waste.
We only accept paint on our annual hazardous waste days but if you thoroughly dry out the unwanted paint you can put it in your rubbish bin (not your recycling bin) for collection. More information about disposing of paint.
We don’t accept asbestos at any of our recycling centres, even during our hazardous waste events. More information about asbestos removal and disposal.
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. Fly-tipping is a crime that should be reported to your local district, city or borough council.
The majority of fly-tipping is of items that would have been accepted free of charge at our recycling centres anyway, such as sofas, white goods and other electrical items and garden waste. We’ll continue to accept this waste for free.
Previous changes to our recycling centre service, such as making sites part time, have not shown an increase in illegal dumping of waste. Other councils who have introduced a similar charge for DIY type waste have not seen a significant increase in fly-tipping.
Norfolk data from incidents on public land shows that only around 4.1% of incidents of illegally dumped waste relate to construction or demolition waste.
Under current government legislation DIY waste is classed as ‘construction and demolition’ waste and falls under the category of ‘industrial’ waste.
By law, councils do not have to accept industrial waste at their recycling centres.
Current legislation includes:
- The Environmental Protection Act 1990, Part 2, section 51 which requires the County Council to provide residents with sites for the disposal of household waste
- The Local Authority Charging Order 2015 which prohibits charging residents for the disposal of household waste or for entering or exiting recycling centres
- Controlled Waste Regulations 2012, Schedule 1, Part 3 classes construction and demolition waste (or DIY waste as we call it) as industrial waste, and not household waste, and therefore we can make a charge for it
Your council tax goes towards the operation of household waste recycling centres. DIY type waste is not household waste and is not included in your council tax.
We used to be able to absorb a small amount of DIY waste from customers but this is no longer possible due to the high cost of disposal of this material.
Charging for DIY waste ensures that your council tax payment goes towards paying for essential services.
The amount of funding the County Council receives from central government is reducing significantly so we have to look at ways to deliver services in a more cost effective way.
This means we have to make difficult decisions so that we stay within our budget while still providing essential public services.
Any resident taking on a normal DIY project can use the recycling centres.
For larger projects producing more DIY waste, other options include hiring a skip or employing a licenced waste carrier.
Visit Norfolk Recycles website for more options to dispose of your DIY waste.
Make sure you factor in the cost of disposing of DIY waste when planning your latest DIY project.
If you employ a trader to dispose of waste, you need to be aware of your householder duty of care.
Under the Waste (Household Waste) Duty of Care (England and Wales) Regulations 2005, householders must take reasonable measures to ensure that waste produced on their property is passed on to an authorised person.
If you are a householder, it is your responsibility to check that any trader removing waste from your property is a registered waste carrier.
You can check on the Environment Agency website.
Rogue waste operators will charge people for waste disposal but won’t pay to use the commercial waste sites that they are supposed to use.
If their fly-tipped waste is traced back to a particular household, the householder could be fined.
You can dispose of commercial waste for a charge at Thetford, King’s Lynn, Dereham, Ketteringham, Mayton Wood, Hempton and Caister recycling centres.
Read more about disposing of business waste.
