8 July 2021
Tip Charges
Read Time: 4 minutes
For many of us, tips and household recycling centres provide a useful option when looking to get rid of a few items. Even so, this free service does have its drawbacks and conditions that if not met, can result in a charge.
Tip Charges UK
Tips around the UK are obliged to provide a free service for waste but they are allowed to charge for items that do not fall into the category of household waste. Tips state that non-household items become a lot more expensive to dispose of so providing a free service would become unsustainable.
The list of items that can be charged for varies greatly from one tip to another.
Here are some examples from Buckinghamshire Councils website:
Bricks and rubble – £3 (per 25-litre bag)
Bathroom sink – £3
Kitchen worktop – £9
Fence post – £3
External door – £12
Tyre – £4.80
Fireplace – £12
Charges have been put in place to ensure waste that is tipped at waste facilities are coming from households. Without restrictions, businesses could abuse this free resource.
Another measure to dissuade businesses from using these services include waste restrictions. These rules put a cap on how much of any one item you can bring to the tip.
These also vary from one tip to another and examples of restrictions include:
2 car batteries every 6 months
2 fire extinguishers every 6 months
25 liters of engine oil every 6 months
200 kg of soil per month
200 kg of rubble per month
4 tyres per month
Tip Charges Near Me?
As we’ve seen rules, charges and restrictions can vary from one tip to another.
Below are a few examples of pages listing chargeable items:
How much does it cost to take rubbish to the tip?
Taking your waste to the tip can produce a varying cost as prices differ from one council to the other. To illustrate the point we’ve put together some example scenarios and how much they would cost. These prices were up to date as 2021 but may have since changed.
How much does it cost to take rubbish to the tip in Stafford
Scenario: Living in Staffordshire and cleaning up after renovating a bathroom.
Waste:
2 bags of tiles – £6.00
Shower screen – £3.00
Toilet – £3.00
Shower tray – £3.00
Old drainage pipes – £3.00
Total – £18.00
How much does it cost to take rubbish to the tip in Oxford
Scenario: Living in Oxfordshire and cleaning up after renovating a kitchen.
Waste:
Bag of tiles – £1.50
Kitchen sink – £1.50
Radiator – £1.50
Kitchen worktop – £1.50
Window frame – £1.50
Total – £7.50
How much does it cost to take rubbish to the tip in Pembrokeshire
Scenario: Living in Pembrokeshire and disposing of a vans worth of waste after performing your own house clearance:
A small load (pickup or small van): £71.00
As we can see, the price of your trip to the tip can vary massively and jumps a lot when you change from a car’s load to a van’s load. You can try to split up your loads into two cars worth but this means two journeys and double the work. Then you have to keep in mind your tip’s waste restriction, by going back and forth are you going to exceed your limit on bags of tiles for example.
Does the Tip Charge For Mattresses?
As we’ve seen throughout this article, the answer to this question will vary on a case-by-case basis and will be mostly influenced by where you live. It might sound like we’re repeating ourselves but be sure to check your local council’s website before setting out to the tip with a mattress to see if they charge. If you are looking for a convenient option that will always be able to accept items like mattresses on a same-day basis, try a Clearabee collection. We happily accept bulky items such as mattresses and our friendly waste operatives will do all the lifting for you.
Tip Permit Charges
For those looking to take bulky items or large quantities of waste, the capacity of your car may become a real hindrance. In these scenarios, you could look into hiring a van but this will quickly start adding costs and time commitments to your rubbish removal. Hiring a van normally costs between £50 – £100 but you’ll also have to add the cost of a tip permit which is normally £10. This is because most tips will have restrictions to not allow certain vehicles on-site without a permit. These tend to include:
Tractors
Vehicles with large trailers or with a tipper
Vehicles that weigh over 7.5 tonnes
Vans
Vehicles with more than 4 wheels
Want a Quicker and Easier Option?
If you are charged at a tip you’ll end up having to hand over cash for a service where you must load your own vehicle, carry all your waste or even have to hire a van and use a lot of your precious time. If you would like waste clearance performed on a same-day basis where you won’t have to lift a finger you should consider a Clearabee collection. For maximum convenience, you can try a ‘Man and Van’ collection or a Skip Bag which you can fill in your time over a few days. We even have a waste calculator which you can use to receive an instant quote based on the waste you have.
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