Booking slots for waste recycling centres launched

A new booking system for residents using a county's seven household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) comes into operation on 14 January.

Oxfordshire County Council said that from Wednesday, people must book a slot online through its website before visiting their local HWRC.

Bookings will be available up to two weeks in advance or 30 minutes prior, subject to availability.

The authority said the key advantage of the booking system would be reduced queuing, as well as better traffic management, increased recycling rates and "more targeted communication with customers about their scheduled visit".

Oxfordshire's HWRCs are situated in Oxford, Stanford in the Vale, Crowmarsh Gifford, Stanton Harcourt, Drayton, Ardley and Alkerton.

The council already operates a booking system for residents wanting to dispose of small quantities of DIY waste for free, after introducing it in January 2024.

It said the process was built into the new booking system and requested that residents select the waste they would be bringing when they make a booking for Wednesday onwards.

The free service requires Oxfordshire residents to bring a document showing proof of address.

People living outside the county will be charged £15.

Residents without internet access will be able to book slots over the telephone by contacting the county council's customer service centre.

The authority said booking systems had already been successfully introduced in many other parts of the country, including Swindon, Suffolk and Kent for several years.

The council said it had received "strong feedback" about how it can improve the service after consulting other authorities.

It said the system would also "save council taxpayers' money by helping to prevent trade waste from being illegally disposed of at the HWRCs".

The authority said an independent study carried out in 2021 had revealed there had been no evidence that introducing of such booking systems led to an increase in fly-tipping.

Lib Dem Judy Roberts, cabinet member for place, environment and climate action, said: "We know our residents are committed to reducing waste as they have helped Oxfordshire top the national recycling, reusing and composting table for 11 consecutive years."

"The booking system will also help manage demand across the HWRC network while Redbridge HWRC is temporarily closed later in 2026 for around three months, to facilitate essential safety work to be carried out," she added.

Redbridge would normally receive 40,000 customers over the period of closure.

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.