Do it yourself: charges scrapped for disposing DIY waste at recycling centres

The government has announced households don’t have to pay to discard DIY waste at council recycling centres in a bid to combat fly-tipping problems.  

On the last day of 2023, the government unveiled plans to remove the fees attached to discarding DIY waste, which could cost up to £10 per item. As well as helping households to save funds, plans to remove the costs have come as part of the government’s wider plans to tackle waste crime, which is estimated to cost the economy £924m per year in England.

Now, all councils in this country will treat DIY waste the same as other household waste when it meets certain conditions, such as not exceeding 2x 50L rubber bags.

The new plans were welcomed with open arms as 93% of households agreed with the decision.

‘We have delivered on our promise to make it easier and cheaper for people making home improvements to get rid of their waste properly,’ recycling minister Robbie Moore said. ‘Removing charges for DIY waste at council recycling centres will help new year home improvement projects become a reality and ensure that those disposing of waste responsibly aren’t being penalised for doing so.’

As well as removing DIY waste charges, the government have also made significant progress with other plans to help tackle fly-tipping problems. For example, authorities have consulted on reforming the waste carrier, broker, dealer regime and on introducing mandatory digital waste tracking.

In addition, the government is likewise developing a fly tipping toolkit with the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to help spread best practice on tackling issues among local councils. The toolkit is being extended to raise awareness of waste duty of care among householders and businesses. 

Image: neelam279

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