A limited free allowance for DIY type waste is available to households.
This is limited to four single visits per household in any four-week period with either:
- Up to 2 rubble bags (which can be safely carried by the depositor) per visit;
or
- 1 single (unbagged) item up to a maximum of 2 metres in length per visit.
Any excess DIY waste material; oversize DIY material or additional visits over a households free allowance will incur charges.
Please ensure you have read the information below before visiting a recycling centre.
The following materials brought to any recycling centre in Devon are chargeable, subject to a free allowance where applicable.
For large home renovation projects, please consider hiring a skip or Hippo bag, or similar, to dispose of your waste.
This service is only provided to householders generating DIY waste produced by their own DIY works at their own domestic property. Waste generated by works for which payment has been made is not accepted.
| Type of waste | Free allowance applicable? | Charge (After free allowance, where applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Soil and rubble: Includes bricks, blocks, slates, tiles, rubble, paving slabs, concrete, gravel, tarmac, stones, soil, sand, hardcore and sanitary ware (ceramic toilet pan, toilet cistern, sinks, pedestals etc). |
Yes |
£3.60 per bag/item |
| Tyres: Car and motorcycle tyres only. Commercial and agricultural vehicle tyres not accepted. No charge for bicycle tyres. | No | £5.80 per tyre |
|
Plasterboard (clean only): Includes plaster and gypsum related products . Plasterboard with other materials attached such as tiles, insulation, wood, or any other materials will not be accepted. Please separate these materials from your plasterboard before visiting a Recycling Centre. (*facility not available at all sites – please see below) |
Yes |
£6.80 per sheet/bag |
|
UPVC/Plastic window: With or without glass. Single pane window only (double charge for multiple pane plastic windows). UPVC/Plastic door or door frame: With or without glass. Single door or door frame only (double charge for double door or door + frame combined). UPVC/Plastic Window/Door Frames/Framing (with all glass, glazing, infill panels and insulation/foam removed prior to visiting site) – No charge at the following sites: Exton Road, Pinbrook Road, Seven Brethren, Punchbowl, Bideford, Killacleave and Okehampton |
Yes Not applicable |
£5.80 each Not applicable |
| Bath or shower tray (plastic, fibreglass or composite): Single bath or shower tray only. |
Yes |
£5.80 each |
| Shower screen: Plastic or glass shower screen/single enclosure panel. |
Yes |
£5.80 each |
| Insulation materials: 1 sheet or 1 bag. |
Yes |
£5.80 per sheet/bag |
| Roofing felt |
Yes |
£5.80 per bag/roll |
| All DIY plastic: Plastic pipes, guttering, facia, soffit, skirting, cladding, loose plastics, artificial turf etc. |
Yes |
£5.80 per bag/roll, or up to 5 lengths/pieces |
| Water tanks, panels, roofing sheets, sheets, plastic sanitary ware etc. |
Yes |
£5.80 each |
|
Asbestos: bonded asbestos only (**facility not available at all sites – please see below). Please note that asbestos must be double wrapped in tough plastic and completely sealed. Site staff will not be able to assist with loading asbestos into the skip. There is a maximum sheet size of 10ft (3m) x 4.5ft (1.5m). We will accept a maximum of 10 sheets or bags. If you have a greater quantity, other options include contacting a commercial waste company who deal with asbestos disposal. |
No | £15.80 per sheet/bag |
*Plasterboard is accepted at all recycling centres with the exception of Totnes and South Molton. Plasterboard with other materials attached such as tiles, insulation, wood, or any other materials will not be accepted. Please separate these materials from your plasterboard before visiting a Recycling Centre.
** Asbestos is only accepted at: Honiton, Exeter, Tiverton, Kingsbridge, Newton Abbot, Great Torrington, Bideford, Okehampton and Tavistock. Please see Asbestos disposal for more information.
Further Information
-
DIY waste - free allowance
Limited free allowance of DIY waste per household
This is limited to four single visits per household in any four-week period with either:-
- up to 2 rubble bags (which can be safely carried by the depositor) per visit;
or
- 1 single (unbagged) item up to a maximum of two metres in length per visit (for example, one door or one bath).
Any excess DIY waste material; oversize DIY material or additional visits over a households free allowance will incur charges.
Terms and conditions
- The free allowance is only provided to householders generating DIY waste produced by their own DIY works at their own domestic property.
- Construction or demolition waste generated by works for which a payment has been made is not accepted.
- Loose waste (for example, soil or rubble) will not be eligible for the free allowance, waste must be in bags.
- Please do not overload bags and ensure bags are only filled in volumes you can safely manage. Site staff are unable to help lift or carry bags.
- Tyres and Bonded Asbestos are not subject to the free allowance and will incur charges
- A ‘bag’ is defined as ‘a proprietary rubble bag from standard DIY stores that can be safely lifted by one person’.
- For large home renovation projects, please consider hiring a skip or Hippo bag, or similar, to dispose of your waste
-
Chargeable waste - background
Devon County Council only has a legal obligation to provide recycling centre facilities for household DIY waste – subject to the free allowance detailed above. Waste resulting from the repair or improvement of houses (including from landscaping or garden alterations) in excess of the free allowance, is classified as construction waste and there is no requirement for us to provide any service for the disposal of this material or accept it free of charge.
In addition, vehicle tyres are not classed as household waste and therefore there is no requirement for us to accept them or accept them on a free of charge basis.
However, it is recognised that facilities are still needed for local householders generating small amounts of construction type waste and tyres, and so rather than withdrawing this service completely, we have made arrangements with site operators for this waste to be accepted for a charge.
If you are undertaking a large-scale DIY project that will generate significant volumes of waste, you should hire a skip or arrange for alternative private disposal using a suitable licensed company.
-
Chargeable waste - payments
The charges payable will be based upon the quantity of material to be deposited using the rates given as an indicative guide.
Payment for bags or sheets will be whole multiples of ‘bags’, for example, 3 x £4.00 not 2.75 x £4.00.
A ‘bag’ is defined as ‘a small, plastic sand/aggregate bag from standard DIY stores that can be safely lifted by one person’. A proprietary rubble bag is not classed as a small bag and may incur an additional charge.
A ‘sheet of asbestos’ is a ‘small domestic roofing sheet or similar’. For the avoidance of doubt; any item which the site staff deem to contain asbestos will be treated as asbestos (regardless of any analysis or certificates that may have been obtained to state the material is asbestos free) and restrictions/charges will apply. Please note that all asbestos must be double wrapped/bagged in strong plastic. See Asbestos for further information.
Items such as a toilet pan, toilet cistern; sink, sink pedestal, concrete block etc will be charged as single items and the relevant ‘per bag’ rate will apply.
Loose waste (for example, soil and rubble) will need to be bagged.
The site manager’s decision on the actual charge to be made is final.
The charge payable will be based upon the quantity of the material to be deposited using the stated rates as an indicative guide.
Charges, inclusive of VAT, are payable directly to the site contractor. Credit or debit card payments only. Receipts will be offered.
This is a service for which payment must be made. Legal proceedings will be taken against anyone using the service or attempting to use the service without payment in full.
-
Council Tax - what is covered?
Your Council Tax covers the cost of collecting, recycling and disposing household waste. Devon County Council only has a legal obligation to provide recycling centre facilities for household DIY waste – subject to the free allowance detailed above.
Waste resulting from the repair or improvement of houses (including from landscaping or garden alterations) in excess of the free allowance, is classified as construction waste and is not covered by Council Tax. There is no requirement for us to provide any service for the disposal of this material or accept it free of charge and if a service is provided, it should not be at a cost to the general taxpayer.
In addition, vehicle tyres are not classed as household waste and therefore there is no requirement for us to accept them or accept them on a free of charge basis.
Overall, it is not up to Devon County Council or the general taxpayer to pay for the disposal of construction waste generated from home improvement or vehicle maintenance projects.
-
Other options
Should you not wish to use the service, other options are available:
- Skip hire.
- ‘Hippo’ bag service – generally available via large DIY stores.
- People with larger loads may be able to take the waste directly to a landfill site or waste transfer station under a private, commercial arrangement with the site operator. It is recommended that you call the waste facility in advance.
- Re-use opportunities may exist (e.g. for re-usable building materials). Please visit the Recycle Devon website for more details, including websites such as Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle, Gumtree etc.
- Tyres can be disposed of via your local tyre fitting outlet.