Lead Member for Transport and Environment, December 2023

Changes to the Chargeable Waste Service at East Sussex County Council Household Waste Recycling Sites

Appendix 1

Amended Chargeable Waste Policy to comply with expected new Government regulations.

Draft new Chargeable Waste Policy

Subject to a free disposal allowance, residents still have to pay to dispose of hardcore, soil, plasterboard, bonded asbestos and tyres at the household waste recycling sites. There is no free allowance for bonded asbestos and tyres. There is no charge to dispose of other types of waste accepted at our sites. Card payment only.

 

The free allowance delivered to any site in a single visit, in line with Government legislation, is

·         Less than 100 litres and capable of being fitted into 2 x 50 litre bags of soil, hardcore or plasterboard

Or

·         A single item no larger than 2000mm x 750mm x 700mm in size

Tyres and asbestos remain classed as non-household waste so there is no free allowance for these

After the free allowance, charges apply – see below

Applying charges after the free allowance allows us to continue accepting these waste types at the recycling sites. The charges partially cover the cost of waste disposal, they are not to make profit.

Hardcore

  • Free allowance of 2 x 50 litre bags.
  • A maximum of 4 visits per household in any 4-week period is permitted (one visit per week).
  • £6 per bag after free allowance. Card payment only.
  • Maximum bag size 50 litres (i.e. a standard rubble type sack)
  • Bags part filled will be rounded up to each full bag for calculating the free allowance and any charges due. For example, two half-filled bags will be classified as one bag.
  • For loose loads, an equivalent number of bags will be estimated by site staff.
  • After the free allowance of one bulky or fitted item no larger than 2,000mm by 750mm by 700mm, further bulky or fitted items will be charged at £6 per item. This is applicable to items like formed concrete and ceramic bathroom ware e.g., toilets and sinks. No free allowance is permitted if this has already been used via bagged deposits.
  • Includes (but is not limited to) stonework, sand, gravel, rock, clay, bricks, concrete blocks, paving slabs, tarmac, tiles, and ceramic bathroom fittings.
  • Accepted at all sites.

 

Soil

  • Free allowance of 2 x 50 litre bags
  • A maximum of 4 visits per household in any 4-week period is permitted (one visit per week).
  • £6 per bag after free allowance. Card payment only.
  • Maximum bag size 50 litres  (i.e. a standard rubble type sack)
  • Bags part filled will be rounded up to each full bag for calculating the free allowance and any charges due. For example, two half-filled bags will be classified as one bag.
  • For loose loads, an equivalent number of bags will be estimated by site staff.
  • Accepted at all sites.

 

Plasterboard

  • Free allowance of 2 x 50 litre bags
  • A maximum of 4 visits per household in any 4-week period is permitted (one visit per week).
  • £6 per bag or sheet after free allowance. Card payment only.
  • Maximum bag size 50 litres (i.e. a standard rubble type sack)
  • Maximum sheet size 1800mm x 900mm
  • Bags part filled will be rounded up to each full bag for calculating the free allowance and any charges due. For example, two half-filled bags will be classified as one bag. Similarly, part sheets will be rounded up to each full sheet.
  • Includes plasterboard and plaster.
  • Accepted at Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings, and Newhaven sites only.

 

Bonded Asbestos

·         Asbestos remains classed as non-household waste so no free allowance is available

·         £7.40 per bag or sheet. Card payment only.

·         Maximum bag size 55cm x 85cm (i.e. a standard rubble type sack)

·         Maximum sheet size 1800mm x 900mm (6 foot by 3 foot)

·         Bags part filled will be rounded up to each full bag for charging purposes. For example, two half-filled bags will be charged as one bag. Similarly, part sheets will be rounded up to each full sheet. A resident arriving with just one part filled bag or one part sheet will be charged the minimum charge of £7.40.

·         Only cement bonded asbestos is accepted. Asbestos tanks are not accepted.

·         Limited to 6 bags or 4 sheets per calendar month, per household

·         Accepted at Eastbourne, Hastings, Heathfield and Newhaven sites only

·         Bonded asbestos brought to these sites must be double bagged and sealed, or wrapped in plastic and sealed.

·         Staff will take a record of the resident’s name, address and vehicle registration so that the amounts brought to the sites can be monitored to help prevent abuse of the policy and ensure Council Tax payers money is not used to dispose of any trade waste.

·         See the Health & Safety Executive website for specialist advice when handling asbestos.

·         Do not break asbestos up yourself – as this will release harmful fibres into the atmosphere. We strongly advise you contact a licenced asbestos removal contractor instead.

 

Tyres

  • Tyres remain classed as non-household waste so no free allowance is available
  • £2.50 per tyre (or part tyre). Card payment only.
  • Limited to 4 tyres per calendar month, per household
  • Motorised vehicle tyres are charged for (not bicycle tyres) 
  • Accepted at Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Maresfield and Newhaven sites only.

 

The above waste types should not be mixed together.

Site staff’s decision is final.

Anyone who does not pay the charges on site will be invoiced the disposal plus administration costs via Sussex Police's Operation Crackdown vehicle tracing scheme. 

If you have large quantities of these types of waste, you can consider alternatives such as hiring a skip, buying a Hippo bag, or using a waste disposal company. Our sites are not designed to accept large quantities of these types of waste.

There will be no charges for residents to dispose of household wastes such as green garden waste, electricals, furniture, crockery, clay flowerpots, recycling and general waste.

The waste must be from your own home. Waste from traders/businesses is not accepted at any of our household waste recycling sites.

The waste can only be accepted at our sites if the work has been carried out/removed by the householder themselves.

Where residents use a contractor to do works at their property the contractor must arrange for the disposal of the waste either by arranging a skip hire or taking it to a licensed commercial waste facility (not a household waste recycling site). In the case of asbestos, contact the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association for details of contractors who can remove and dispose of all types of asbestos.