Household waste recycling centres (HWRCs)
There are eighteen Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in Hertfordshire. They accept a wide range of materials for recycling and are for household waste only and are open every day except Christmas day, Boxing day and New Year's day.
You can find your nearest HWRC here
Currently 60% of the waste received is recycled. With your help we are confident that we can achieve a recycling rate of at least 70% of the waste that is brought to HWRCs - please make sure you separate your waste and place it in the correct containers.
At HWRCs householders can recycle paper, magazines, cardboard, green garden waste, glass bottles and jars, cans, plastic bottles, wood, textiles, engine oil, fridges, TVs, tyres, fluorescent lighting tubes, batteries, toner cartridges, metals and mobile phones.* The household waste that you can not re-use or recycle can be taken to an HWRC.
* Cole Green HWRC does not have facilities to recycle plastic bottles or mobile phones.
Construction, demolition and excavation waste
Waste arising from works of construction and demolition around the home is not classed as 'household' waste. Therefore, there is a limit to how much can be disposed of at a HWRC. This quantity is defined as that which will fit into the boot of a 'normal' saloon car with the seats kept upright. This amount is the equivalent of:
- A single bathroom suite comprising 1 sink, 1 toilet, 1 bath and 1 bidet
- 8 fence panels and 9 posts
- 8 window frames
- 8 internal or external doors
- A set of kitchen cupboards including the worktops and sink
- 1 shed (maximum size 3m x 2m)
Just one such amount of construction and demolition waste will be accepted at the HWRCs every thirty days.
Please don't bring more than this - you will be refused access! You can find out more about construction and demolition waste here.
If you do have more construction waste you can hire a skip, use a skip bag, or use a private waste disposal/recycling company.
Commercial waste is not accepted at the HWRCs. For information on commercial and industrial waste disposal, check here.
What do we do with the waste that you bring?
- Scrap metal is recycled via scrap metal dealers.
- Cardboard is pulped and recycled into new cardboard packaging.
- Glass bottles and jars are separated by grade. The higher grade clear and brown glass is made into new bottles and jars. The green is used in road building.
- Good quality clothes are cleaned and re-used and other textiles are recycled into industrial wipes.
- Cans and foil are recycled into new steel and aluminium products.
- Engine oil is cleaned and recycled into low grade engine oil and heating fuel.
- Green garden waste is shredded and composted to make soil improver.
- Tyres are formed into large bales and used for coastal defenses or road building at landfill sites.
- Plastic bottles are sorted by type of plastic. They are shredded and used to make a variety of products including furniture and fleece material.
- Folourescent tubes are crushed. The mercury is separated and reused, and the glass and aluminium recycled.
- Toner cartridges are remanufactured into new cartridges. Inkjet cartridges are cleaned and refilled.
- Fridges and freezers are broken down and the separate parts recycled. The chloroflourocarbons (CFCs) and insulating foams are removed.
- Car batteries are completely recycled. The lead is resmelted and the plastic is made into a variety of goods.
- Waste paper and magazines are broken down into fibres. These are made into paper for newspapers and low grade packaging.
- Waste batteries are shredded and recycled into a variety of products.
- Mobile phones are either re-used or the component parts are recycled.