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Household Waste Recycling Centres

Recycle Week 2010

Recycle Week 2010

21st to the 27th June marks Recycle Week and this year the theme is promoting opportunities to recycle small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (shortened to WEEE!)

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Latest News...

Lowestoft Household Waste and Recycling Centre has re-opened

Low... more >>

Coming Events...

Going Green on the Green - The Big Swap

25/09/2010 12:00:00

Location: Waveney  more >>

Education Pack

Household Waste Recycling Centres

<<<< STOP PRESS! Up to date Household Waste Recycling Centres service information is now available via twitter!>>>

<<<< STOP PRESS! Southwold HWRC is closed until 31st July to allow road resurfacing works to be completed.  We are also taking this opportunity to improve the customer experience at the site by intorudcing new containers for reuse, creating a new layout and undertaking surface repairs.>>>

What time are the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) open?

There are 18 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) throughout Suffolk and they are open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.

  • 1st Nov - 31st Jan : 8am - 4pm
  • 1st Feb - 31st March : 8am - 5pm
  • 1st April - 30th Sept : 8am - 6pm
  • 1st Oct - 31st Oct : 8am - 5pm

You may expect to queue at busy periods, particularly Bank Holidays and Weekends. All of the sites are self-serviced, with trolleys provided to help with heavy items. Site staff will provide assistance if requested - all you need to do is to sort your recyclables from general waste before visiting the sites. As the name suggests, we accept household waste (subject to some restrictions) for recycling or disposal. We are not licensed to accept trade or commercial waste, so please do not bring this sort of waste to the sites.

Where is my nearest HWRC?

Beccles Fen Lane, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 9BB On the North side of A145 roundabout with A146, opposite Morrisons supermarket
Bramford Somersham Road (C450), Bramford, Suffolk IP8 4NS 1 mile before you get to Little Blakenham Village
Bury St Edmunds Rougham Road (U8048), Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 2RN Off A134 Town Side of A14 i.e. opposite side of A14 to Sainsbury's
Brome (Eye) Brome Industrial Estate, Brome Eye, Suffolk IP23 7HN On B1077, 2 miles North of Eye
Chelmondiston Shotley Road (B1456), Chelmondiston, Suffolk IP9 1EF 1 mile east of Chelmondiston village
Felixstowe Carr Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 8UT Off the end of Langar Road (Tip of A14)
Foxhall Foxhall Road, Brightwell, Ipswich IP10 0HT Half a mile west of A12, 1 mile before Speedway Stadium
Hadleigh Crockett Way, Hadleigh, Suffolk IP7 6AH Off Lady Lane Industrial Estate
Haverhill Off Chalkstone Way, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7UR  near junction with A604 Sturmer and Halstead Road
Ingham Thetford Road, Ingham, Suffolk IP31 1NP North side of village, beside Speedway Stadium
Ipswich Portmans Walk, Ipswich, IP1 2DW Off Sir Alf Ramsey Way
Leiston Lovers Lane, Leiston, Suffolk IP16 4UJ U2822 (road to Sizewell Power Station)
Lowestoft Hadenham Road, South Lowestoft Industrial Estate, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 7NF Off Tower Road, via London Road (A12)
Mildenhall Off A1065, Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 7JQ 1 mile north of 5-ways roundabout
Newmarket Depot Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 0AN Off Exning Road (B1103) 1 mile south of A14 flyover
Southwold Blyth Road, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6AZ Beside sewage works and car breaker's yard
Stowmarket Old Bury Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 IJQ A1308 Close to north side of town
Sudbury Sandy Lane(C748), Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 7HG Off Ballingdon Hill (A131)

The main types of waste accepted at HWRCs are non-hazardous waste and recyclable materials that originate from your own home. Please see the table below for the main materials that can be recycled at each site. Please note - Up to 2 bags per day of clean and dry plasterboard can be accepted at Foxhall, Lowestoft, Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds HWRCs only.

 

 

Green Garden Waste

Wood

Paper

Cardboard

Plastics

 

Textiles

Metals

Cans

Car Oil

Household & Car Batteries

Fridges / Freezers

Tetra Pak / Cartons

Electrical goods (WEEE)
Beccles Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Bramford Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Bury St Edmunds Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Brome (Eye) Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Chelmondiston Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Felixstowe Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Foxhall Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Hadleigh Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Haverhill Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Ingham Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Ipswich Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Leiston Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Lowestoft Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Mildenhall Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Newmarket Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Southwold Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Stowmarket Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted
Sudbury Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted   Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted

What types of waste are not accepted?

Not accepted Trade & Commercial Waste These sites are only licensed to accept household waste. You may be questioned by staff about the source of your waste.
Not accepted Hazardous waste Such as paint, liquids, poisons, syringes. Contact your Borough/District Council for alternative collection and disposal.
Not accepted Tyres Tyres should be taken to a tyre and exhaust centre or garage where they can be disposed of safely, but a small charge may be required.
Not accepted Asbestos Call Customer Services Direct for advice on disposal of cement bonded asbestos

Contact us If you have any specific queries about the Household Waste Recycling Centres not covered below, or you wish to make a comment, telephone 0845 606 6 067 or email us at hwrc@suffolk.gov.uk

Please remember to...

  • wear gloves and sensible footwear when you visit your local Household Waste Recycling Centre to keep safe
  • place textiles in a bag to keep them clean and dry
  • tie shoes together and place in a carrier bag
  • clean and squash (where possible) your recyclables and remove labels and bottle tops before placing items in the recycling bins
  • adhere to the safety guidance given by site signs and staff

Soil, Rubble and Hardcore

You are allowed to deposit 2 bags or equivalent per vehicle per day of soil, rubble and hardcore. If you have large quantities of these and other waste material, it is usually easier to hire a skip or take them to a landfill or transfer station (please refer to your local Yellow Pages).

Pet Waste

You are allowed to deposit 1 bag of pet waste (e.g. rabbit hutch material) per week in the general waste container. Alternatively, the contents of the average rabbit or guinea-pig hutch (e.g. straw, wood shavings, vegetable trimmings) could be home composted in small amounts, providing your pet has a vegetarian diet. Any excess pet waste can be taken to a landfill site or waste transer station (please refer to your local Yellow Pages) or your local District or Borough Council may be able to arrange a collection for you. Please be aware that charges may be applied.

Do the HWRCs get very busy?

They can get very busy at weekends and bank holidays, so please be patient and expect queues at these peak periods. It helps enormously if you have sorted your waste before you arrive so that your time on site is reduced.

What about Hazardous Waste and cement bonded asbestos? What should I do with that?

Asbestos and Hazardous waste such as syringes, poisons or flammable liquids can not be accepted at HWRCs. Please contact your local District or Borough Council for disposal of these items.

Can the height barrier be opened to let me in as I drive a tall vehicle?

Height barriers are installed to prevent trade vehicles from entering the HWRC. Regrettably, they will also affect householders who have high vehicles and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. However, the height barriers can be opened for access for disabled users of the sites. To make things easier, various measures have been introduced to help; vehicle waiting areas outside the site; pedestrian access points close to the vehicle waiting areas; and trolleys provided at the vehicle waiting areas; Site operators will also help move bulky or heavy loads into the site if you need and request it.  

What happens to the recyclable materials?

The destination of reusable and recyclable materials collected at Household Waste Recycling Centres in Suffolk changes on a regular basis. This is because demand for materials is constantly changing depending on what is available in the international materials market and on what manufacturers are producing at the time. Destinations and final uses are always under review to ensure the best practical use is made of materials that the public have recycled. Materials are mostly sold to specialist companies who operate in the local area, who collect materials from a wide range of sources and sell them on for reprocessing. Their eventual destinations are shown below. This information is correct as of 6th October 2009 and will be updated on a regular basis.

  • PAPER - Paper is sent for reprocessing into new paper products. This is mostly done by a paper mill in the UK.
  • CARDBOARD - Cardboard is reprocessed into new packaging materials. This is mostly done outside of the UK.
  • WOOD - Wood is shredded and reprocessed within the UK. It is used to produce chipboard or animal bedding. A small amount may be composted.
  • GREEN WASTE - Green waste (i.e. garden waste) is sent to a number of local companies who compost it to produce soil improver. Soil improver can be purchased from any HWRC - please click here for information.
  • METALS - There are numerous different kinds of metals. Some of these are sold into the world commodities market before reprocessing, while others are reprocessed in the UK before reaching the world market as a raw product.
  • GLASS BOTTLES - Glass bottles are reprocessed in the UK. Where different coloured bottles are separated, they will be melted down and made into new glass products. Where different colours are mixed together, they will be ground down for use in the construction industry.
  • PLASTIC BOTTLES AND FOOD CONTAINERS - Plastic containers are exported for reprocessing abroad.
  • PLASTIC CARRIER BAGS AND FILM - Plastic films are reprocessed abroad.
  • TEXTILES - Clothes and fabrics are taken to a facility in the UK where they are sorted and separated into different types (jeans, jumpers, t-shirts etc). A large proportion is then exported for use in countries where people cannot afford new clothes. Items that are too worn for reuse will be ‘ragged’ for use as industrial cleaning cloths, or used as flocking or filling in the furnishing industry.
  • INERT MATERIALS - Inert materials (e.g. rubble) will be ground down for use in the construction industry.
  • COOKING OIL - Cooking oil is collected by a local company and turned into biodiesel similar fuels.
  • ENGINE OIL - Engine oil is collected by a company with a local depot and turned into heating oil.
  • LIQUID CARTONS - Liquid cartons (also known as ‘tetra-pak’) are reprocessed at a specialist facility within Europe.
  • GAS CYLINDERS - Gas cylinders are collected by authorised collection companies.
  • ELECTRICAL ITEMS - Electrical items are collected by UK based organisations. Some are refurbished for reuse and others are separated into their component parts and recycled.
  • FRIDGES AND FREEZERS - Fridges and freezers are recycled taking care to capture CFCs, thus protecting the ozone layer.

Reusable Items

Some of the items that are brought into Household Waste Recycling Centres are in good enough condition to reuse. We are looking to link up with local charities and community groups so that they can refurbish items for sale or for use. Please see the ‘News and Events’ section of this website for developments.


Recycle Week, 21st - 27th June

This website is produced on behalf of the Suffolk Waste Partnership – joint working between the Suffolk County, District and Borough Councils