Chelmsford recycling centre guide

Chelmsford Recycling Centre and Rubbish Tip

16 August 2022

Recycling centre and rubbish tip information summary for Chelmsford residents

Everything you need to know about your local tip and recycling centre as a Chelmsford resident: this simple guide contains a map, address, contact information, opening hours, frequently asked questions and more.

Address & Opening Hours of Harrow Recycling Centre:

Address: Chelmsford Recycling Centre, Drovers Way, North Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 5PH. The nearest bus stop is Winsford Way.

Website: https://www.loveessex.org/find-your-nearest-recycling-centre/chelmsford-recycling-centre/ 

Telephone numbers: 0345 603 7625, 01245 615800

Location Map of Chelmsford recycling centre

Map view of Chelmsford Recycling Centre

When can you visit?

16th October – 28th February: Monday - Sunday 09:00 - 16:00

1st March – 15th October: Monday - Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

(Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day. Only open 9 am – 1 pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.)

  • Do not visit before opening time – queuing before 9:00 am blocks the staff from entering and slows down your whole day.
  • Arrive with lots of time – if you arrive too close to closing time, you may not be allowed to enter.

Booking process: Car users and pedestrians do not need to book!

ID required: Please bring proof of your address with you on the day (e.g., driving license, utility bill, council tax bill) as only Essex County residents are allowed to use the recycling centre.

 

 

 

What vehicle can you bring to Chelmsford Recycling Centre?

There is no height restriction at the entrance - any commercial vehicle carrying only your own household waste under 3500kg is allowed. However, staff at the entrance will check your vehicles to see whether the waste is from your household.

All cars and pedestrians can visit without a booking! If you drive to Chelmsford tip, please enter the site with your vehicle – you cannot park outside the site and walk your waste in.

You are not allowed to bring agriculture vehicles, tipping flatbeds, horse boxes or any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes to any Essex recycling centre.

 

Information for residents using vans, pickup trucks or towing a trailer with more than one axle to dispose of their household waste:

You MUST book before here within 2 weeks of your visit (you cannot make same day bookings and you cannot book more than one van/ trailer slot within one week). Bring your confirmation email along with proof of address when arriving for your slot.

Opening hours are slightly different if entering with these vehicles:

1st March – 15th October: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm

16th October – end of February: 9:30 am - 4:40 pm

(Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and only open 9:30 am – 1 pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.)

Vans, pickup trucks, and trailers with booking slots only have 20 minutes to unload all their waste – ensure you arrive with at least 20 minutes left of your slot, so you have enough time.

What can you bring to Chelmsford Recycling Centre?

A complete list of what you can bring to the tip provided it comes from your household:

  • Books, cardboard, paper
  • Mixed glass bottles and jars
  • Car batteries and other household batteries
  • Clothing, textiles, and shoes
  • Cooking oil, engine oil
  • Garden waste and Christmas trees
  • General waste
  • Lightbulbs and fluorescent tubes
  • Paint
  • Printer cartridges
  • Scrap metal, cans
  • Small electrical appliances e.g., mobile phones, kettles – make sure you remove sim cards and wipe personal details before tipping.
  • Small amounts of construction waste – provided it came from your household and a DIY job you did yourself.
  • Tyres (max 4)
  • Mattresses
  • Household/DIY furniture,
  • Wood and timbre
  • Large electrical appliances e.g., TVs, fridges and washing machines.
  • EMPTY fire extinguishers – asks a member of staff where to leave these.

Chelmsford also accepts small amounts of household and garden chemicals, but they must be given to a staff member on site.

Use the correct bins corresponding to each category and sort your waste out beforehand so your visit is as efficient as possible. Queues can be a problem, so the tip is keen to ensure everyone spends as little time as possible in order to maximise the centre's productivity.

What can’t you bring to Chelmsford tip?

These items are prohibited from Chelmsford recycling centre:

  • Asbestos – local asbestos collection service is available here.
  • Commercial, business and trade waste is not accepted at any Essex recycling centre (find more information here if you are a wanting to dispose of commercial waste in Essex)
  • Chemical Waste
  • Clinical Waste – Chelmsford clinical waste collection service.
  • Dead animals – this article has guidance on how to dispose of dead animals.
  • Fireworks, ammunition, or any other explosive materials
  • Fuel
  • Gas cylinders
  • Japanese knotweed – contact the Environment Agency for information on how to dispose of this invasive species.
  • Within 28 days: more than one boot full (three wheelbarrow loads) of soil, plasterboard, drywall lining and other hardcore or gypsum-based products or one wheelbarrow load of tiles within 28 days.
  • Within 6 months: more than three large ceramic items e.g., sinks, toilets, more than one wooden door, wooden window frame or uPVC, more than 3 wooden internal doors and more than one built-in kitchen component.

Try to avoid bringing waste you can recycle or bin from your house.

Items must be placed in the correct containers – if you are unsure about which container to use, ask a member of staff on site for guidance. Please do not take items out of the containers.

 

Other tips for your visit to Chelmsford Recycling Centre:

  • You may only use the Chelmsford tip if you are an Essex County resident – make sure you bring proof of address with you on the day such as a driving license or recent utility bill.
  • Queues can be a problem; sort your waste out beforehand so your visit is as efficient as possible.
  • The site sometimes closes temporarily if it gets really busy – avoid bank holidays and weekends if possible as this is when Chelmsford tip is at its busiest.
  • Staff are allowed to turn vans and trailer users away at busy times – when you’re making a booking, you can see how busy each slot is by looking at the capacity shown in the bottom right of the time slot.
  • There are no public toilets on the site.
  • Pets must always remain inside your vehicles – do not bring them if you are making a trip to the recycling centre as a pedestrian. Children must stay in vehicles or be closely looked after by an adult.

 

Recent reviews about Chelmsford Recycling Centre

Recent reviews of Chelmsford recycling centre

However, if you don't fancy or are unable to take stuff to the recycling centre, then why not pay a licensed waste carrier to take it away instead? To find a cheap local collector, publish a free listing on LoveJunk marketplace and see what the nearby waste companies (and reusers) would like to charge. Just click here.

 



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