Bournemouth Recycling Centre

Ringwood Rd
Bournemouth
BH11 9LQ

You can use Bournemouth Recycling Centre if you live in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole.

You can also use Christchurch Recycling Centre and Poole Recycling Centre. Please check individual web pages for restrictions before travelling.

Please take some identification with you to prove you live in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole. You can use:

• current Council Tax bill
• photocard driving licence
• any utility bill that shows your name and address

Some Dorset residents have access to BCP Council recycling centres, refer to the Dorset Council website for eligibility. Dorset Council residents may only bring cars to the site - vans are not allowed.

Van and trailer restrictions

Van and trailer restrictions apply at the recycling centre. If you are visiting with a trailer, it must be a maximum size of 6’ x 4’ (1.8m x 1.2m). Vans must have a valid permit or a hire agreement of a maximum of three days.

Vehicles that require a permit and are towing a trailer are not allowed to access our recycling centres.

• Vans over 3.5 tonnes
• Vans towing trailers
• Single-cab pick-ups towing trailers
• Luton box vans
• Flatbed vans

The following materials are recycled, composted, reused or recovered:

• garden waste (invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed or Hogwort must go in landfill)
• all metal items
• tyres
• household paints, garden pesticides and chemicals - must be clearly identifiable
• rubble/soil/glass
• car and household batteries
• cooking oil
• up to 10 litres of fuel/oil in their own containers (decanting may not be possible)
• light bulbs and fluorescent tubes
• gas bottles
• textiles such as clothes, shoes and handbags
• books
• excess recycling (paper, cardboard, cans, glass, plastic bottles and containers)
• excess household rubbish
• natural wood pallets
• wood
• furniture (please see a member of staff on site if you are bringing upholstered seating, for example, sofas, armchairs or dining room chairs)
• asbestos (see below)
• plasterboard
• bric-a-brac
• bikes
• electrical equipment such as TVs, monitors, small electricals and electronics (please delete your data where possible)
• white goods (fridges, freezers, washing machines - whole units only)
• mattresses
• single use vapes - batteries must be removed from mods before disposal

Residents can visit our recycling centres to dispose of a limited amount of DIY waste for free.

Free disposal of DIY waste will be limited to 1 visit per week per household with either:

• up to 2 x 50 litre bags of DIY waste (soil, rubble, plasterboard, asbestos (must be double bagged) (see the full list of accepted items), or
• 1 large item up to 200cm x 75cm in size (shower screen, toilet and cistern or sink and pedestal) 

The free allowance is for BCP Council residents only. DIY waste over a household's free weekly allowance will be accepted but will incur charges. 

Waste must be produced by householders whilst carrying out small scale DIY projects at their home. Waste will not be accepted where an income has been received by the person who has carried out the works.

For larger home renovation projects, please consider hiring a skip to dispose of your waste.

Asbestos must be:

• cement bonded type only
• double bagged
• paid for upon arrival

Commercial waste can be accepted at Bournemouth Recycling Centre and Poole Recycling Centre.

Charities are not permitted to use the recycling centres. However, charities in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area can apply for a charity permit, subject to our terms and conditions, to dispose of donated household waste. Access is only allowed via the commercial weighbridges at Bournemouth and Poole Recycling Centres (no access is permitted at Christchurch Recycling Centre). To apply for a charity permit and once you’ve read our terms and conditions, please call our customer services team on 01202 123 123.

Pedestrian access

Pedestrians (on foot or on a bicycle) are allowed to bring waste to the site but must report at the security gate and provide the appropriate evidence of BCP Council residency. Pedestrians must follow the guidance of site staff at all times. Pedestrians cannot bring waste onto the site that they cannot carry themselves and must be no larger than a bin bag or rucksack. Pedestrian access is not allowed by residents driving to the site, parking outside the site and taking their waste in on foot.

Tip Check app

Our Tip Check app tells you how busy the recycling centres are before you leave your home. A traffic light system indicates how busy our recycling centres are, whilst giving approximate traffic wait times. The app will also tell you the opening times for all of our recycling centres, along with general information about what you can dispose of at each of our sites.

You can download the Tip Check app on:

• the App store
• Google Play