Using our household waste recycling sites – site rules and policies
Our sites only accept general household-type waste and recycling from residents own homes in East Sussex.
We cannot accept waste or recycling from businesses. For advice on business/trade waste disposal, see our page on Business and commercial waste.
You do not need to book a visit in advance or require a permit to use our household waste recycling sites.
There are some restrictions on what types of vehicles are permitted.
Some types of waste maybe charged for.
Not all household waste recycling sites accept the same materials for recycling or disposal. For details, check your local recycling site.
Residents can dispose free of charge per week:
- up to two 50 litre bags of hardcore, soil or plasterboard (or one sheet of plasterboard maximum 1800 x 900 mm), or
- one single item (maximum 2000 x 750 x 700 mm) such as a ceramic toilet, cistern, sink or pedestal
If residents have more than this free allowance, charges will then apply as detailed below.
All bonded asbestos and tyres are charged for as detailed below. There is no free allowance for these materials.
The free allowance applies to each household, not person. It should be a single visit to one waste site only (not multiple waste sites) no more than once per week. A week is classed as Monday to Sunday.
Hardcore charges
- After the free allowance detailed above, hardcore is charged at £6 per bag. Card payment only
- Maximum bag size 50 litres (ie a standard rubble type sack)
- Bags part filled will be rounded up to each full bag to calculate the free allowance or any charges due. For example, two half-filled bags will be classified as one bag
- For loose loads, an equivalent number of bags will be estimated by site staff
- Formed concrete and ceramic bathroom ware e.g. toilets, cisterns, sinks or pedestals are charged at £6 per item
- Hardcore includes (but is not limited to) stonework, sand, gravel, rock, clay, bricks, concrete, concrete blocks, paving slabs, tarmac, tiles and ceramic bathroom fittings
- Hardcore is accepted at all household waste recycling sites.
Soil charges
- After the free allowance detailed above, soil is charged at £6 per bag. Card payment only
- Maximum bag size 50 litres (ie a standard rubble type sack)
- Bags part filled will be rounded up to each full bag to calculate the free allowance or any charges due. For example, two half-filled bags will be classified as one bag
- For loose loads, an equivalent number of bags will be estimated by site staff
- Soil is accepted at all household waste recycling sites.
Plasterboard charges
- After the free allowance detailed above, plasterboard is charged at £6 per bag or sheet. Card payment only
- Maximum bag size 50 litres (ie a standard rubble type sack)
- Maximum sheet size 1800 x 900 mm (6 foot by 3 foot)
- Bags part filled will be rounded up to each full bag to calculate the free allowance or any charges due. For example, two half-filled bags will be classified as one bag. Similarly, part sheets will be rounded up to each full sheet
- Plasterboard and plaster are included in the scheme
- Plasterboard/plaster is accepted at Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings, and Newhaven household waste recycling sites only.
Bonded Asbestos charges
- All bonded asbestos is charged for at £7.40 per bag or sheet. Card payment only
- Maximum bag size 50 litres (ie a standard rubble type sack)
- Maximum sheet size 1800 x 900 mm (6 foot by 3 foot)
- Bags part filled will be rounded up to each full bag for charging purposes. For example, two half-filled bags will be charged as one bag. Similarly, part sheets will be rounded up to each full sheet. One part filled bag or one part sheet will be charged the minimum charge of £6
- Only cement bonded asbestos is accepted. Asbestos tanks are not accepted
- Limited to 6 bags or 4 sheets per calendar month, per household
- Bonded asbestos is accepted at Eastbourne, Hastings, Heathfield, and Newhaven household waste recycling sites only
- Bonded asbestos brought to these sites must be double bagged and sealed, or wrapped in plastic and sealed
- Staff will take a record of the resident’s name, address and vehicle registration so that the amounts brought to the sites can be monitored to help prevent abuse of the policy and ensure Council Tax payers money is not used to dispose of any trade waste
- See the Health & Safety Executive website for specialist advice when handling asbestos
- Do not break asbestos up yourself – as this will release harmful fibres into the atmosphere. We strongly advise you contact a licensed asbestos removal contractor instead who will remove the material from your property and arrange for its disposal.
Tyre charges
- All tyres are charged for at £2.50 per tyre (or part tyre). Card payment only
- Limited to 4 tyres per calendar month, per household
- Motorised vehicle tyres are charged for (not bicycle tyres)
- Tyres are accepted at Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Maresfield, and Newhaven household waste recycling sites only.
The above waste types should not be mixed together.
There are no charges for residents to dispose of household wastes such as general waste/recycling, green garden waste, electricals, wood, furniture, crockery, and clay flowerpots.
The charges allow us to continue accepting these types of waste at the household waste recycling sites. The charges partially cover the cost of waste disposal - they are not to make any profit.
Our scheme is in-line with new Government regulations which allow charges to be made on these types of materials after a free allowance.
Site staff’s decision is final.
Any one who does not pay the charges on site will be invoiced the disposal plus administration costs via Sussex Police's Operation Crackdown vehicle tracing scheme.
If you have large quantities of these types of waste, you can consider alternatives such as hiring a skip, buying a Hippo bag, or using a waste disposal company. Our sites are not designed to accept large quantities of these types of waste.
The waste must be from your own home. Waste from traders/businesses is not accepted at any of our household waste recycling sites.
The waste can only be accepted at our sites if the work has been carried out/removed by the householder themselves.
Where residents use a contractor to do works at their property the contractor must arrange for the disposal of the waste either by arranging a skip hire or taking it to a licensed commercial waste facility (not a household waste recycling site). In the case of asbestos, contact the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association for details of contractors who can remove and dispose of all types of asbestos.
Vans
Vans are only permitted to use our sites on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Van drivers must bring photo ID (for example a driving licence) and one other form of ID such as a recent utility or Council Tax bill that contains your home address.
It is illegal to tip any trade/business waste at our sites. Tradesmen, professional gardeners, landlords and other businesses should take their waste to a licensed commercial waste facility instead and pay for its disposal.
Vans are subject to trade waste checks. All vans and the waste will be checked and driver and vehicle details will be recorded for monitoring and enforcement purposes. The following details will be taken:
- vehicle registration number
- driver’s name and address
- company name from vehicle livery
- waste type and quantity
- date and time of visit
Banned vehicles
You are not permitted to dispose of waste at our recycling sites if your vehicle:
- is 3500kg or more in weight (Gross Vehicle Weight). Useful information to identify your maximum gross vehicle weight [631.1 KB] [pdf].
- has a Luton, or box style body (such as a horse box) or cage body
- has a flatbed, tipper, caged, dropside or similar body style
- is sign written containing matching waste types.
The above vehicles are not permitted at any site because they are too large and pose a danger to other site users. These vehicles do not fit in the parking spaces and their size is such that the driver may have difficulty seeing pedestrians particularly when reversing or turning. The health and safety of all site users is our top priority.
Hired vans
Hired vans are permitted on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only so long as they meet the above conditions and the waste is from your own home and not of a commercial nature.
All our recycling sites have height restriction barriers of 2 metres (6 feet, 6 inches). The barrier will only be opened for taller vehicles on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at all sites, so long as they meet the other site requirements.
The only exception is for Blue Badge holders with taller vehicles who are permitted entrance on any day at any site (except Eastbourne), provided they meet the other site requirements (see Vehicle restrictions section above) and are able to show their Blue Badge.
Why are there height barriers at the household waste recycling sites?
These measures are in place as part of our efforts to help prevent commercial waste from businesses entering the sites. This is often (although not always) brought to the sites in oversized vehicles such as vans. The household waste recycling sites are paid for by the Council Tax payer to dispose of waste from residents own homes. Businesses do not contribute to the household waste recycling sites through their business rates. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous traders try to access the sites to tip their business waste for free at the expense of the Council Tax payer. The sites are also not licensed to accept commercial waste.
The height barriers set at 2m (6 foot 6 inches) high prevent the majority of commercial vans from entering the sites. This height however, does not preclude the majority of domestic type vehicles (including most 4x4s).
Trailers are permitted at all sites subject to the site specific length restrictions below.
- Hailsham, Hastings, Maresfield, and Mountfield can accept trailers up to 1.2 metres (4 feet) in length.
- Crowborough, Eastbourne, Heathfield, Lewes, Newhaven, and Seaford can accept trailers up to 1.8 metres (6 feet) in length.
- On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Hastings and Maresfield can accept trailers up to 1.8 metres (6 feet) and Eastbourne can accept trailers up to 2.4 metres (8 feet) in length.
(All measurements do not include the tow bar).
Horse boxes are not allowed at any of the sites.
Some recycling sites offer pedestrian access for residents travelling to the sites on foot without a vehicle, for example if living nearby and are bringing a few small items by hand.
The following sites have a dedicated pedestrian entrance (please note there is no parking outside or near the site for oversize or other vehicles. It is therefore not permitted to park outside or near the site and bring waste into the site on foot):
- Crowborough
- Eastbourne
- Newhaven (pedestrian access allowed to a small area of the site)
- Seaford
The following sites allow pedestrian access via the main vehicle entrance so pedestrians should take extra care and beware of vehicles (please note there is no parking outside or near the site for oversize or other vehicles. It is therefore not permitted to park outside or near the site and bring waste into the site on foot):
- Hailsham
- Maresfield
The following sites do not allow pedestrian access due to the absence of a safe walking route:
- Hastings
- Heathfield
- Lewes
- Mountfield
The following sites allow access for residents arriving by bicycle (including with a bicycle trailer). All cyclists should dismount before entering the site for safety reasons:
- Crowborough (via pedestrian entrance)
- Eastbourne (via pedestrian entrance)
- Hailsham (via main entrance)
- Lewes (via main entrance)
- Maresfield (via main entrance)
- Newhaven (via pedestrian entrance)
- Seaford (via pedestrian entrance)
The following sites do not allow bicycle access due to safety reasons:
- Hastings
- Heathfield
- Mountfield
Our recycling sites have ‘reuse shops’ where pre-loved items are sold at a low-cost instead of being thrown away. If you want to buy or donate something, please ask the site staff. Opening hours and payment options vary at different sites.
All payments for items go to the site manager and proceeds go towards the running of our recycling sites. All sales are recorded for tax purposes and you should be offered a receipt if required for anything you buy.
Soil conditioner
Pro-Grow soil conditioner, made from green garden waste collected at the household waste recycling sites and from the kerbside collection schemes, is also available to buy at the sites. Card payments only.
The majority of accidents at our recycling sites involve people cutting themselves on their waste and recycling, or falling over. Cars and vehicles are another danger. Help prevent accidents by following these simple instructions:
- wear sturdy gloves to protect your hands
- wear suitable footwear
- dispose of your waste and recycling carefully
- don’t run or rush
- children and animals must not be outside of vehicles
- be aware of pedestrians and vehicles
- adhere to the speed limit and traffic signs
- fill your waste in liftable bags/containers
- large heavy bags like tonne bags or hippo bags cannot be used. Staff will not be able to help residents unload them if brought to the site. Containers are available on site to allow residents to decant their material if necessary.
- always follow staff instructions.
Please treat the Veolia site staff with respect and follow the site rules. We take verbal and physical abuse of site staff very seriously and will support Veolia if their staff are abused by site users. We will also deal robustly with people who fly-tip waste or illegally tip trade waste at the recycling sites.
If you have mobility problems and require assistance, please ask a member of site staff when you arrive. They will take your items and transfer them to the correct recycling containers for you if required.
Was this page helpful?
Click or tap the rating which best represents your experience.
