Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) – Tidy Tips
On this page...
Visiting a HWRC
Household waste only
HWRCs are provided to dispose of small volumes of household waste produced by Luton residents in their own homes.
The site will not accept waste from:
- businesses
- tradespeople working on your property
- landlords except tenants bringing their own waste
- schools and other educational establishments, clubs, charities and community groups
- taxis carrying customers waste
- places of worship and church halls
- public bodies including local or central government
- large scale construction, demolition or renovation projects such as loft conversions or extensions
If you want to dispose of waste from any of the above sources, you can use our site at Progress Way. This site accepts commercial waste, where you can pay by vehicle size (waste carrier licence required). Payments are only accepted by cards made on site to FCC Environment.
Alternatively, you can contact our trade waste services, commercial waste companies or skip/ bag waste hire companies. It's your responsibility to check who you give your waste to. You could be fined if your rubbish is fly tipped and you didn't use a licensed waste carrier.
HWRC access and waste acceptance policy
- No pedestrian or bicycle access allowed on both HWRCs.
- Children and animals must remain in vehicles at all times.
- Sort your waste before coming to site.
- Dress appropriately with sensible shoes.
- Please ask member of staff if not sure what to do with an item.
- Site staff will not remove waste from your vehicle or trailer.
- If you need help, please speak to a member of staff on arrival.
- The site operator has the authority to refuse access to the site to anyone suspected depositing commercial waste.
- You may be asked to complete a declaration form confirming that you generated the waste and that it comes from your own household. Permission to deposit the waste may be refused if you don't sign the declaration.
- Together with HWRC site operatives, we reserve the right to make further enquiries regarding the source of the waste, followed up by the visit by council officers.
- Leaving waste outside the gates of any of the HWRCs is illegal and the offenders will be prosecuted for fly tipping offense.
- Intimidating, threatening or abusive behaviour towards staff or other site users will not be tolerated.
Vehicle restrictions
You don't need to apply for a permit if you're using a family car.
Vehicles including trailers larger than 1.8m x 1.2m and those with double axel wheels are not permitted on site at any time.
The following vehicles require a permit to access HWRCs:
- vans
- pick-ups/ crew cabs
- cars towing trailers bigger than 0.9m x 1.2m
- campervans and minibuses
If using a hire vehicle, a copy of the hire agreement and proof of address must be shown to the site operative.
What can I take to HWRCs?
The sites are there so that you can take small volumes of general household waste, garden waste, recyclables and small amount of DIY waste to both sites with some limitations and restrictions. Please make sure you separate all items before visiting the sites and put them in the correct containers. If in doubt, ask a member of staff for advice.
- Batteries - all sizes and types including mobile phone and tool batteries
- Bicycles
- Black bag waste from your own household - this must be separated from other waste
- Bulky items such as furniture, sofas, mattresses, chairs
- Cans, tins and empty aerosols
- Glass bottles and jars
- Paper and cardboard
- Green garden waste
- Textiles and shoes
- Scrap metal
- Small electrical appliances
- Energy saving light bulbs
Waste limitations
- Fridges and freezers – domestic only, max 2 per year
- No commercial fridges and freezers allowed
- Car tyres (max 2 per year)
- Fluorescent tubes (max 4 per year)
- Cooking oil and engine oil (max 10 litres per year)
- Empty LPG gas bottles (max 2 per year)
- Fire extinguisher – household only (max 1 per year)
- Car batteries (max 2 per year)
- Paint, garden chemicals (max 5 litres per year) – please ask member of staff for assistance
- Small volumes of DIY waste – restrictions apply
Waste not accepted at HWRCs
- Animal waste, bedding and faeces - waste produced from litter trays or hutches of domestic pets should be wrapped carefully and placed in your normal household waste bin
- Flammable liquids or explosives (petrol, fireworks or ammunition)
- Clinical/ biological waste
- Asbestos
- Whole/ un- sectioned trees (more than 150 mm in diameter)
- Large vehicle parts and parts containing fluids
- Commercial/ trade waste (only accepted at Progress Way)
DIY waste restrictions
Construction and demolition waste
Waste from large-scale construction, demolition, renovation and DIY projects such as building extensions, loft conversions or demolition of buildings will not be accepted at any of Luton's HWRCs,
Any waste generated by a builder, glazier, gardener or other tradesman working on your property is classified as commercial waste. The cost of removal should be included in their quote. If you have more than 6 items of DIY waste you may need to make alternative arrangement such as hire a skip.
DIY waste
Waste from small scale DIY work includes:
- changing kitchen cabinets
- changing bathroom suite
- removing patio
- removing small garden wall
Waste from these projects are restricted to a maximum of 6 items every 30 days. As a resident, you must deliver the waste yourself, and it must be the result of your own work. This is to ensure fair usage and allow all Luton residents to dispose of small volumes of DIY waste.
If site staff are unsure whether or not the waste is from your household, they may ask you to sign a declaration form with:
- your name
- home address
- vehicle registration number
- confirmation that you generated the waste yourself and that it comes from your own household
Site staff have the authority to take a photo of waste to accompany the declaration form.
You may be refused to deposit your waste if you don't sign the declaration.
Repeat or regular visits with these types of waste will:
- be refused
- receive a visit from a council officer
Examples of one DIY item or one 100 litre bag:
- hardcore, rubble or bricks
- tiles and ceramics
- paving slabs
- plasterboard
- roofing materials
- soil, turf and tree trunks from landscaping activities
- baths, toilets and basins
- fitted carpets and underlay
- doors, windows and frames
- kitchen units and work surfaces
- built in wardrobes and cupboards
- shed and fence panels
- laminate flooring
- timber and MDF hardboard
- central heating system components
Location and opening times
Eaton Green Road Tidy Tip
- proof of residency such as a Council Tax or utility bill
- proof of ID such as passport or driving licence
Address
Eaton Green Road
Wigmore
LU2 9RT
Opening times:
Monday: 9am to 7pm
Tuesday: 9am to 5pm
Wednesday: 9am to 5pm
Thursday: 9am to 5pm
Friday: 9am to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday: 8am to 5pm
Last entry to allow enough time for all cars already on site to unload waste before closing time is:
- 15 minutes before closing time for cars with small loads
- 30 minutes before closing time for vans with permits
Progress Way tidy tip (please bring ID)
- proof of residency such as a Council Tax or utility bill
- proof of ID such as passport or driving licence
Address
Progress Way
Luton
Sundon
LU4 9TR
Opening times:
Monday: 9am to 7pm
Tuesday: 9am to 5pm
Wednesday: 9am to 5pm
Thursday: 9am to 5pm
Friday: 9am to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday: 8am to 5pm
Last entry to allow enough time for all cars already on site to unload waste before closing time is:
- 15 minutes before closing time for cars with small loads
- 30 minutes before closing time for vans with permits
HWRC permit
Do I need a permit?
The following vehicles need a permit to dispose of household waste at Luton’s HWRCs:
- vans
- pick-ups/ crew cabs
- cars towing trailers bigger than 0.9m x 1.2m
- campervans and minibuses
If using a hire vehicle, a copy of the hire agreement and proof of address must be shown to the site operative.
Vehicles including trailers larger than 1.8m x 1.2m and those with double axel wheels are not permitted on site at any time.
What you need to know
- Permits are free of charge
- Your permit is valid for one visit within 30 days of permit issue date
- Permits are issued only to Luton residents to dispose of small volumes of household waste only
- Permits are limited to 1 per household and a maximum of 12 permits per household per year
- If you're using a hired van, you'll need to bring a copy of hire agreement and proof of address
When we receive your online request, we aim to check, validate and process your permit in two
working days. Once your permit has been processed, it will then be printed overnight and posted to you 2nd class, which is subject normal postage delivery times.
Permit terms and conditions
You'll need to read and agree our terms and conditions before visiting HWRCs.
- This permit allows Luton residents to access Luton HWRCs in certain commercial type vehicles or with a trailer with a max acceptable size:
- cars towing trailers bigger than 0.91m x 1.2 m
- vans
- pick-ups/ crew cabs
- campervans and minibuses
- Vehicles, including trailers larger than 1.8m x 1.2m and those with double axel wheels are not permitted on site.
- f you're using a hired vehicle, a copy of hire agreement and proof of address must be shown to the site operative.
- This permit allows the resident to enter HWRC only and it is not a permit to deposit waste, which is subject to waste acceptance policies.
- Business waste is not accepted. It is defined as waste arising from any trade, business, charities, industrial or commercial activities. It also applies to anyone who has received payment for carrying waste or produces waste from his or her work.
- The HWRC site operator has the authority to refuse access to the site to anyone suspected of depositing commercial waste.
- Site users may be asked to complete a declaration form confirming that the waste is generated by the resident and it comes from their own household. Site staff have the authority to take a photo of waste to accompany the declaration form. Permission to deposit the waste may be refused if the declaration is not signed.
- Luton Council and HWRC site operatives reserve the right to make further enquiries regarding the source of the waste followed up by the visit by council officers.
- Luton Council and HWRC operators will not tolerate intimidating, threatening or abusive behaviour toward staff or other site users. Actions will be taken against offenders and your access to HWRC sites and permit can be withdrawn.
- The permit must match the vehicle registration you have driven to the HWRC.
- No pedestrian and bicycle access allowed on both HWRCs.
- Children and animals must remain in the vehicles at all times.
- Leaving the waste outside the gates of any of the HWRCs is illegal and the offenders will be prosecuted for fly tipping offense.
- Under Data Protection regulations (GDPR) Luton Council needs to inform you that any personal data collected and/or processed under this policy/procedure will be dealt with in accordance with Data Protection Legislation and the Council’s Data Protection Policy. Data is held securely and accessed by, and disclosed to, only individuals relevant to this policy/procedure.