Flammable liquids
If you have more than 5 litres of flammable liquids or chemicals or more than 20 litres of paint to dispose of, please email wmt@cambridgeshire.gov.uk before attending any site.
Please note that paint is only accepted at March, Milton, St Neots, Thriplow, Wisbech and Witchford.
Please note that Petrol is only accepted at Milton, Whittlesey and Wisbech sites
Our Household Recycling Centres are provided for waste created by Cambridgeshire residents in their own homes.
They will not accept waste from:
- Businesses
- Tradespeople working on your property
- Landlords except tenants bringing their own household waste
- Parish councils, schools, charity shops or clubs
- Large scale construction, demolition or renovation projects
Visit our Household Recycling Centre Policies and Strategy page for further information.
Waste items accepted at all Household Recycling Centres unless otherwise stated
Waste is accepted at the site manager's discretion
- Aerosols
- Batteries (car/household - all sizes and types including those in mobile phones and power tools)
- Bicycles
- Black bag waste from your own household (must be separated)
- Bulky items
- Cardboard
- Car parts excluding tyres. Visit the Giveacar website for ways to scrap and sell your car for charity or dispose of your car free of charge
- Carpet
- CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes Find out other things you can do with CDs and DVDs on the Recycle Now website.
- Chemicals - please contact wmt@cambridgeshire.gov.uk to find out what chemicals are accepted.
- Coffee-pods, (both aluminium and plastic) are now accepted at all nine sites. Please deposit the pods individually, (not in bags). Watch a video of How your coffee pods are recycled (Youtube.com).
- Greetings cards
- Clothes and textiles
- Cooking oil - used to generate green electricity
- Electrical items small and large, including TVs, computers (ensure any data is removed), computer games, white goods and disposable vapes which contain lithium batteries that can cause fires
- Engine oil and filters
- Fire extinguishers (household only)
- Flammable liquids* (including petrol, methylated spirits, paraffin etc). A maximum of 5 litres of flammable liquid per household will be accepted each month at all sites provided it is in a labelled container. *Diesel is not accepted at any site due to environmental permit restrictions. Petrol is only accepted at Milton, Whittlesey and Wisbech sites. Please contact wmt@cambridgeshire.gov.uk for agreement before going to site. Delivery must be made in containers marked or labelled with the words: "PETROL" and "HIGHLY FLAMMABLE”, a hazard warning sign and the capacity in litres.
- Fluorescent tubes
- Fridges/freezers (*not ammonia fridges often used in vehicles, caravans, and boats as these are not classed as household waste and need to be disposed of via properly licenced commercial contractors who can be found through a Google search). If residents have any further questions, please contact the waste management team wmt@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
- Furniture (such as sofas, chairs, bookcases etc)
- Garden chemicals – we can accept limited amounts of garden chemicals, (weedkiller, slug-pellets etc) in their original packaging. When visiting a site residents must ask staff where to dispose of these items as they should not be placed in the general waste skips. If you have any questions about specific garden chemicals, please contact: wmt@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
- Garden waste (not Japanese Knotweed - Find out how to stop Japanese knotweed from spreading on the GOV.UK website
- Gas bottles
- Gas cookers - please ask site staff before disposing of these items.
- Glass
- Hardcore (concrete/rubble) - subject to our construction, demolition policy and DIY waste policy
- Hard plastics including garden furniture, storage boxes, tubs, pallets, buckets, rigid plant pots, dustbins and water butts
- Kitchen knives (ensure sharp parts are protected and cannot cause injury)
- Light bulbs (including energy saving bulbs)
- Loft insulation. Please ensure material is wrapped up securely. This is subject to our construction, demolition and DIY waste policy
- Mattresses
- Mercury thermometers – these are accepted if they originate from households in Cambridgeshire. Please inform site staff on arrival as they must be disposed of in the hazardous waste container.
- Metals
- Methylated spirits (see Flammable liquids)
- Mobile phones (ensure data is removed)
- Nitrous oxide canisters from household use only. You will be asked to sign a disclaimer form when disposing of these items. Canisters from commercial use should be returned to suppliers
- Pallets (non-returnable only)
- Paint is only accepted at March, Milton, St Neots, Thriplow, Wisbech and Witchford
- Paper (including shredded)
- Paraffin (see Flammable liquids)
- Petrol (see Flammable liquids)
- Plasterboard - Should be free from asbestos, foam, metal, plaster, polystyrene, rubble, tiles and wood. This is subject to our construction, demolition and DIY waste policy
- Plastic bottles are only accepted at Bluntisham, Milton, St Neots, Thriplow and Witchford
- Printer and toner cartridges
- Polystyrene
- Shoes
- Soil and spent compost (not turf)
- Timber- This is subject to our construction, demolition and DIY waste policy
- Vapes - Should be placed in the dedicated container available at each site
- Wrapping paper including foil or plastic should be put in your general waste bin
Remove personal information
Please ensure all personal information has been removed from electrical devices. Cambridgeshire County Council will not accept responsibility for the destruction of, or use of, any data left on the device.
Waste items not accepted
- Animal waste produced from the litter trays and hutches of normal domestic pets.
- Horse manure and bedding.
- Your district council will collect small pet bedding in your food and garden waste collections. Cat litter should go in your household rubbish. Please wrap animal waste carefully to avoid unnecessary health risk
- Bakelite – please contact wmt@cambridgeshire.gov.uk for disposal advice
- Car tyres
- Domestic heating oil - We are unable to accept this, (in any quantity) due to environmental permit restrictions. Please carry out an internet search to find a suitable hazardous waste disposal contractor, (charges will apply).
- Japanese knotweed and soil contaminated with it cannot be accepted at any Household Recycling Centre or placed in your kerbside residual or garden waste collection. Follow guidelines from Government and Environment Agency and the Royal Horticultural Society. Use of specialist contractors is recommended. You could be fined up to £5,000 or be sent to prison for up to 2 years if you allow contaminated soil or plant material from any invasive weeds you transfer to spread into the wild. Find out how to stop Japanese knotweed from spreading on the GOV.UK website.
