DIY waste charges FAQs

From 1 April 2025, there will be a charge to take DIY waste to the county's Household Recycling Centres (HRC).

Why are we introducing charges for DIY waste?

Waste from any DIY works or improvements on your home is classified as industrial waste, and not household waste (waste created in the day to day running of your household). Council tax only covers the cost of collecting, recycling and disposing of household waste, not industrial waste, which means that we do not have to provide a service for this type of material. However, we understand that as a result of small home DIY improvements, residents can produce this type of waste, and we will therefore accept it at our HRCs, with a small charge to offset the costs of handling and processing.

The charges have not been introduced to make a profit and have been kept as low as possible.

We appreciate that charges are never welcome, but this will ensure we can continue to accept this type of waste and still afford to keep all five Household Recycling Centres open five-days a week.

When will the charges begin?

Charges for DIY waste will be implemented from 1 April 2025.

Do other councils charge for DIY waste?

Yes, some other Welsh councils have also introduced charges and or restrictions for DIY waste at their recycling centres.

What items are considered as DIY waste and what will the charges be?

Rubble and soil

(breeze blocks, concrete, bricks, ceramics, tiles, flagstones, gravel, slate, other stones, soil, tarmac, etc)

One bag, per visit free of charge. (Typical retail sand/aggregate bag size, up to 25lt. The bag must be safely lifted by one person. A part-filled bag counts as one bag. Loose material will be charged at an estimated equivalent number of bags.)

Thereafter:

£2.20 per bag (Typical retail sand/aggregate bag size, up to 25lt. The bag must be safely lifted by one person. A part-filled bag counts as one bag. Loose material will be charged at an estimated equivalent number of bags.)

£15.00 per small trailer (Trailer with bed length up to 1.4m, not requiring a CVT permit.

£30.00 per medium trailer (Trailer with bed length between 1.4 m and 2.44m, requiring a CVT permit.

Please note: soil and rubble should be brought to site in bags or buckets so that it can be tipped into the right container. We do not have specific machinery on-site to empty loose contents from a vehicle or trailer.

Plasterboard

(must be clean and dry and separated from other materials (wood, rubble, insulation, etc))

£4.40 per bag (Typical retail sand/aggregate bag size, up to 25lt. The bag must be safely lifted by one person. A part-filled bag counts as one bag. Loose material will be charged at an estimated equivalent number of bags.)

£22.00 per small trailer (Trailer with bed length up to 1.4m, not requiring a CVT permit)

£44.00 per medium trailer (Trailer with bed length between 1.4 m and 2.44m, requiring a CVT permit)

Wood and timber

(fitted furniture, doors, cabinets, fences, sheds, flooring, decking, etc)

One bag, per visit free of charge. (Typical retail sand/aggregate bag size, up to 25lt. The bag must be safely lifted by one person. A part-filled bag counts as one bag. Loose material will be charged at an estimated equivalent number of bags.)

Thereafter:

£4.40 per fence/shed panel

£22.00 per small trailer (Trailer with bed length up to 1.4m, not requiring a CVT permit.

£44.00 per medium trailer (Trailer with bed length between 1.4 m and 2.44m, requiring a CVT permit.

uPVC window and door frames

(without glass)

£3 per single window or single door frame

£6 per multi-pane window or double door

Window and door glass

£0.50 per pane (single glazed)

£1.00 per pane (double/triple glazed units)

Bathroom and kitchen sanitary appliances

(baths, shower trays, toilets, bidets, sinks, shower screens, etc)

£3 each

Insulation material

(PIR foam, wood fibre boards and batts, mineral or fiberglass wool, 'Cellotex', 'Kingspan', etc)

£3 per bag. (Typical retail sand/aggregate bag size, up to 25lt. The bag must be safely lifted by one person. A part-filled bag counts as one bag. Loose material will be charged at an estimated equivalent number of bags.)

Roofing felt

(Shed or garage roofing felt)

Plastic fixtures

(downpipes, guttering, facia, soffit, barge boards, fixings and joints, etc)

£1.00 per metre

£1.00 per 5 fixing/joint pieces

We do not accept asbestos as any of the Household Recycling Centres. Please use a relevant licenced company for disposable.

How will the staff work out what to charge me when I arrive at the HRC?

The charges are worked out on the quantity of each single type of material - as individual items, bags or trailer loads.

A bag is equivalent to a standard small, plastic sand or aggregate bag typically bought from DIY stores, that can be safely lifted by one person. A part-filled bag counts as one bag.

The costs for trailer loads depend on the size of the trailer:

Small trailers - bed length up to 1.4m, not requiring a CVT permit (see here for more details).

Medium trailers - bed length between 1.4 m and 2.44m, requiring a CVT permit (see here for more details).

Unbagged or loose waste will be charged at the estimated equivalent number of bags. A member of staff will assess the quantity and advise you of the charge based on their reasonable assessment of the load. You are under no obligation to pay the charge, but you will not be allowed to dispose of items without making payment. You will be able to dispose of any household waste free of charge.

Can I bring small amounts of DIY waste to the HRC for free?

You will be allowed to bring small amounts (one bag per visit) of rubble, soil and wood to the Household Recycling Centre for free. Other materials, as listed above will be charged for?

I have noticed there is a charge for plasterboard - can I take this to all HRCs now?

Yes, from 1 April all five of the HRCs will accept plasterboard at a cost.

How do I pay?

Please pay by card on site. If you cannot pay, we will ask you to leave the site with your DIY waste and return when you have a valid payment method.

Will the charges stay the same for the whole year?

All charges are valid for the current financial year.

What will the money raised by these charges be used for?

The charges offset the costs of handling and processing the material. The charges are not in place to make a profit and have been kept as low as possible.

We appreciate that charges are never welcome, but this will ensure we can continue to accept this type of waste and still afford to keep all five Household Recycling Centres open five-days a week.

What happens if I don't want to pay?

You will not be allowed to deposit any DIY waste (over and above the small free allocation) without a charge.

I'm doing a DIY/building project at home, what should I do with my waste?

Household Recycling Centres were never intended to take significant quantities of waste from large DIY or building projects. In these instances, hiring a skip would be more appropriate and probably cheaper.

If you are having work done by a builder or trades person, they are responsible for disposing of any waste generated as a result of their work.

For more advice about what to do with your waste please see the Natural Resources Wales guidance for disposing of your household waste: https://naturalresources.wales/guidance-and-advice/environmental-topics/waste-management/disposing-of-your-household-waste/?lang=en

I want to bring some DIY waste and some other household recycling in the same visit, is that okay?

Yes, that's fine. You can book a time slot to visit the HRC in the normal way. When you arrive onsite you can pay to deposit your DIY waste and recycle the rest of your household waste for free.

I need to bring some DIY waste to the HRC on behalf of someone else, do I still have to pay?

Yes, you will need to pay to deposit of any DIY waste.

Will I need to book a time slot to bring my DIY waste to the HRC?

Yes, you can book a time slot to visit the HRCs online here

I'm a builder, can I pay to take trade or commercial waste at the HRC?

No, trade and commercial waste and recycling cannot be taken to any of the Household Recycling Centres.

If you need any advice or assistance with commercial waste, please visit: https://en.powys.gov.uk/commercialrecycling

Will the opening hours of the recycling centres change?

No, the opening hours and days of operation will remain the same, you can find these Recycling Centres

Will the charges result in an increase in fly tipping?

It is important to remember that fly-tipping is illegal, offenders will be fined and could receive a criminal record. It is not something that residents generally resort to. Any incidents of fly-tipping can be reported at https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/4073/Report-fly-tipping

We believe that our residents are responsible and would not choose to illegally fly-tip waste rather than paying a small fee to appropriately manage their DIY waste.

In 2021 WRAP conducted a study on the relationship between fly-tipping rates and HRC charging. The research found no evidence of an association between fly-tipping and charging for DIY waste at HRCs.

Have the DIY charges been introduced by the new company running the Household Recycling Centres?

No, the decision to introduce a charge for disposing of DIY waste was made by the council back in February 2024 Its implementation falls in line with the start of the new contracts.

From 1 April 2025, Bryson Recycling will manage and operate the Newtown, Llandrindod Wells, Brecon and Lower Cwmtwrch Household Recycling Centres. Welshpool Household Recycling Centre will continue to be run by Potter Group.

All five of the county's Household Recycling Centres, whether run by Bryson Recycling or Potter Group, will provide the same service. This includes DIY charges.

Who can I contact for more information?

For more information, you can visit www.powys.gov.uk/recycle or email waste.contracts@powys.gov.uk

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