Household Waste Recycling Centre Booking System
We have introduced a booking system at the recycling centres to help reduce queues, ease traffic on nearby roads, and make visits smoother for residents.
Key dates
You can now book for visits starting from Monday 3 November 2025.
Bookings can be made up to 2 weeks ahead of your visit and up to 30 minutes before your visit, subject to availability.
How to book
You can now book a visit to the recycling centres by completing the online booking form, operational 24/7.
If you cannot book online, you can make a booking through our HWRC customer service team, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, on 0300 126 7000.
Bookings are required for all Household Waste Recycling Centres. Bookings are site-specific and cannot be transferred.
Eligibility for booking
The Household Waste Recycling Centres are for residents of West Northants only. You must have a West Northants household address to book a visit.
People outside of West Northants and traders can:
- visit the Reuse shops to donate reuseable items and browse items for sale
- use the paid-for small trade waste service at Sixfields and Ecton Lane
Arriving without a booking after November 2025
All visitors must book in advance.
If you arrive without a booking, you may be asked to:
- make a booking on site (if slots are available)
- return at another time once a booking has been made
Visiting Reuse shops
No booking is required to visit the Reuse shops whether donating reuseable items or buying items.
Information required for making a booking
You will need to provide your:
- name
- email address
- postal address
- vehicle registration, type, and colour
- e-permit number (if applicable)
Your personal information will be kept confidential and used only to manage your booking, in line with our terms and conditions and privacy notice.
Booking slots
Booking slots are:
- 15 minutes for cars
- 30 minutes for vehicles that require a commercial type vehicle e-permit (vans, pick-ups and crew cabs, any vehicles towing trailers, campervans and minibus with rear seats and fitting removed, horseboxes)
For example: a 10am slot allows arrival between 10am and 10:15am.
We ask that you stick to your time slot book. However, please don’t worry if you are slightly early or late - the system has a time tolerance around your booking slot to accommodate this.
Opening hours
All sites remain open 10am to 4pm, seven days a week. The last available slot is at 3:45pm.
E-permit requirement for commercial type vehicles and trailers
An e-permit is still required to make a booking for commercial type vehicles and trailers. Existing permits remain valid. If you are unclear if your vehicle needs an e-permit, check the criteria on our Apply for a waste e-permit page.
Booking confirmation
You will receive a confirmation email after booking and a reminder email the day before your visit. If you do not have an email address, please call our HWRC team to make a booking. Your booking reference will be provided verbally during the call.
You do not need to show the confirmation on site, but we recommend having it with you in case of any issues.
Changing or cancelling a booking
Your confirmation email will include a link to amend or cancel your booking. We ask that you cancel your booking as soon as possible - and at least 24 hours before your scheduled visit - to allow others to use the time slot.
If you have made a booking over the phone and need to cancel or amend, please phone 0300 126 7000 (available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
You can also modify your booking online.
Restrictions at Household Waste Recycling Centres
The amount of bookings you can make during a period is based upon the type of vehicle you arrive in and the waste you are bringing.
For example, a large car can make as many household waste trips as required and can make 4 free DIY waste trips per 2 months.
A vehicle requiring a E-permit can make 6 free trips per 12 months for household waste and/or DIY waste.
Find out more about Restrictions at Household Waste Recycling Centres.
We monitor visits to ensure fair use of the service.
Entry process
Entry is managed using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR). If you experience issues, please use the intercom at the entrance.
Slot availability
We have analysed current site usage and added enough slots to meet demand. The booking system allows us to monitor site use and add additional slots during busy times as required.
Occasionally, slots may be fully booked; for example, over a busy bank holiday. We would recommend booking early for these occasions.
On-site assistance
If you need assistance on site due to a protected characteristic, please indicate this on the booking form. You may be asked to provide supporting evidence of need.
Fly-tipping concerns
A review of other local authorities who have already introduced booking systems show that there is no evidence to suggest that the introduction of a booking system increased fly-tipping in their areas.
This is reflected in the results of a national report commissioned by Defra, which concludes that there is no evidence to suggest a link between booking systems and an increase in fly tipping.
We will be monitoring the introduction of the booking scheme very closely alongside our enforcement team.
Trade customer access
Trade customers of FCC (the contractor that operates our recycling centres) should contact them directly for advice on using the paid-for small trade waste service at Sixfields and Ecton Lane.
Trade customers do not need to book via the booking form.
Data storage and privacy
Please refer to our Data Protection and Privacy Statement and our Waste management HWRCs privacy notice for full details.
- Householders must comply with the site rules and all waste acceptance policies for the HWRCs in West Northamptonshire.
- A booking is required to visit all of the HWRC sites in West Northamptonshire. If no booking is made you will be asked to return at another time once a booking is made.
- The free HWRC service is for residents of West Northamptonshire residents to dispose of their household waste only.
- Householders must provide their personal details truthfully. Entering incorrect information to make a booking, or permit may result in your not being permitted use of the site, or enforcement action against you.
- Data collected through the booking system will be used to analyse activity and may be used to support enforcement activities.
- In certain circumstances we may need to request further information from you. We will hold your personal details for 15 months, unless they form part of an enforcement investigation and action. From that point all data will be anonymised. You can ask us to remove your personal data from our system at any point by contacting us on [email protected].
- Find out how we collect, use and share your data in our privacy notice - please see our Waste management HWRCs privacy notice.
- At site:
- We ask that you wear appropriate footwear, clothing and protective gloves.
- Only bring what you can handle or bring help for heavy items (if you have a requirement for help due to a protected characteristic or disability, help can be arranged). Please select required assistance on the booking form or contact us by emailing [email protected].
- There is no pedestrian access to any of our sites. If you require this, alternative arrangements can be made. Please contact us by emailing [email protected] or via Customer Services – 2 days prior to your intended visit.
- Keep children and animals inside your vehicle in the waste disposal areas (children may only exit vehicles in the reuse shop areas).
- Observe site staff guidance on site, follow the site speed limits, one- way system and park in the marked bays.
- Householders are asked to pre-sort their waste into waste type and ensure as much waste is separated as possible for reuse and recycling. Please place items in the correct containers. You may be asked to open bags of general waste and separate the materials into recycling containers. Find out what can be recycled.
- CCTV is in operation at all sites and staff wear bodycams. Intimidating, threatening or abusive behaviour towards staff or other site users will not be tolerated.
- We reserve the right to refuse access under certain circumstances, not limited to aggression, disruptive behaviour, safety concerns or non – compliance with the rules and policies.
- Action may be taken to pursue offenders and prevent a recurrence, and information may be passed to the police if necessary.
- Residents who live outside of West Northamptonshire are able to use the paid-for small trade waste service at our trade sites, Sixfields and Ecton Lane.
- An E-permit is required to visit in a commercial type vehicle or trailer. Find out what vehicle types this applies to on our Apply for a waste e-permit page.
- Hire vehicles require a booking and an e-permit, if applicable and we ask that you bring the vehicle hire agreement along to site.
- Householders can amend their bookings via our website or by calling our team.
- Sometimes we may need to cancel bookings due to an unforeseen circumstance. If this occurs you will be notified by email, if you have booked online. If you have booked via the phone without providing an email address this notification will not be possible.
- On occasion your booking may be delayed on site due to urgent site operations.
- Householders must comply with the DIY policy, which limits the number of visits you can make to dispose of waste deemed DIY and is dependent on the type of vehicle you drive. Find out more about Restrictions at Household Waste Recycling Centres.
- The HWRC service is strictly for domestic waste and recyclables from your own home: trade waste is not permitted to be disposed of free of charge.
- Trade Waste is defined as waste arising from any Trade, business, industrial or commercial activities. Anyone who has received any payment for carrying waste or produces waste from their work cannot take this waste to a HWRC for free disposal. See details of the small trade waste service at our HWRCs.
- By accepting these Terms and Conditions you are agreeing to abide with each clause. By accepting the Household Waste Declaration disclaimer, you are confirming that the waste is from a household source and is not from a business or being carried for profit. We reserve the right to refuse access to the service if the waste is of a trade nature.
Contact us
If you have a question or need to contact our team please email [email protected].
Last updated 20 October 2025