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Address

Wilverley Road
Somerford
Christchurch
BH23 3RU

Opening times

April to September

  • Monday9am to 5pm
  • Tuesday9am to 5pm
  • Wednesday9am to 5pm
  • Thursday9am to 5pm
  • Friday9am to 5pm
  • Saturday9am to 5pm
  • Sunday9am to 5pm

October to March

  • Monday9am to 4pm
  • Tuesday9am to 4pm
  • Wednesday9am to 4pm
  • Thursday9am to 4pm
  • Friday9am to 4pm
  • Saturday9am to 4pm
  • Sunday9am to 4pm

Last entry is 15 minutes before closing time.

Who can use the recycling centre

You can use Christchurch Recycling Centre if you live in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole.

You can also use Bournemouth Recycling Centre and Poole Recycling Centre. Please check individual web pages for restrictions before travelling.

Please take some identification with you to prove you live in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole. You will be turned away if you do not have identification with you. You can use:

  • current Council Tax bill
  • photocard driving licence
  • any utility bill that shows your name and address

Some Dorset residents have access to BCP Council recycling centres, refer to the Dorset Council website for eligibility. Dorset Council residents may only bring cars to the site - vans are not allowed.

Vehicles that are not allowed on site

Van and trailer restrictions apply at the recycling centre. If you are visiting with a trailer, it must be a maximum size of 6’ x 4’ (1.8m x 1.2m). Vans must have a valid permit or a hire agreement of a maximum of 3 days.

Vehicles that require a permit and are towing a trailer are not allowed to access our recycling centres:

  • Vans over 3.5 tonnes
  • Vans towing trailers
  • Single-cab pick-ups towing trailers
  • Luton box vans
  • Flatbed vans
  • Tipper vehicles
  • Tractors
  • Horse boxes
  • Agricultural vehicles
  • Hire vans – over 3 days hire.

What you can take to Christchurch Recycling Centre

The following materials are recycled, composted, reused or recovered:

  • garden waste (invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed or Hogwort must go in landfill)
  • all metal items
  • tyres
  • household paints, garden pesticides and chemicals - must be clearly identifiable
  • rubble/soil/glass
  • car and household batteries
  • cooking oil
  • engine oil (5 litres of oil per visit)
  • light bulbs and fluorescent tubes
  • gas bottles
  • textiles such as clothes, shoes and handbags
  • books
  • excess recycling (paper, cardboard, cans, glass, plastic bottles and containers)
  • excess household rubbish
  • natural wood pallets
  • wood
  • furniture (please see a member of staff on site if you are bringing upholstered seating, for example, sofas, armchairs or dining room chairs)
  • asbestos (see below)
  • plasterboard
  • bric-a-brac
  • bikes
  • electrical equipment such as TVs, monitors, small electricals and electronics (please delete your data where possible)
  • white goods (fridges, freezers, washing machines - whole units only)
  • mattresses
  • ink cartridges

Charges

Residents can visit our recycling centres to dispose of a limited amount of DIY waste for free.

Free disposal of DIY waste will be limited to 1 visit per week per household with either:

  • up to 2 x 50 litre bags of DIY waste (soil, rubble, plasterboard, asbestos (must be double bagged) (see the full list of accepted items), or
  • 1 large item up to 200cm x 75cm in size (shower screen, toilet and cistern or sink and pedestal) 

The free allowance is for BCP Council residents only. DIY waste over a household's free weekly allowance will be accepted but will incur charges. 

Waste must be produced by householders whilst carrying out small scale DIY projects at their home. Waste will not be accepted where an income has been received by the person who has carried out the works.

For larger home renovation projects, please consider hiring a skip to dispose of your waste.

What you cannot take to Christchurch Recycling Centre

These items cannot be disposed of at Christchurch Recycling Centre (please click the arrows to see what to do with them instead):

Clinical waste (waste containing human or animal bodily fluids such as poo, urine or blood)

Put in your rubbish bin, dog bins, chemists or clinical waste contractors.

Hypodermic needles

Residents using medical sharps at home should place them into a sealed sharps box, obtained from a GP or pharmacy, which may be returned to a GP’s surgery once full for safe disposal. If you are unable to transport your sharps box to a surgery, you can arrange a medical sharps collection from us. Find a needle and syringe service.

Ammunition

Take to your nearest Police Station or registered firearms dealer. Please contact Dorset Police on 101 for more information before you visit.

Flares

From 31 December 2022, HM Coastguard stopped offering a voluntary, public-facing flare disposal service to private individuals who have personal flares to dispose of. Private individuals will now need to use a third-party disposal service to dispose of their personal flares. Find out more on the GOV.UK website.

Car parts, interiors and bumpers

These should be taken to a local car scrap yard.

Caravan parts, dismantled caravans, boat and boat parts or motor bikes

Search online for a private scrap company who can arrange removal. Always use a licensed waste carrier to take your waste away.

Large demolition works or construction waste

Search online for a private company who can arrange removal. Always use a licensed waste carrier to take your waste away.

We are not able to list everything that can and cannot be accepted at our recycling centres. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please contact us before travelling.

What to do with asbestos

Asbestos must be:

  • cement bonded type only
  • double bagged
  • a maximum one off deposit of up to 3 cement bonded sheets of 1.8m x 1.2m (approximately 6ft x 4ft) or 6 bags maximum (a bag is equivalent to a small, plastic, sand or aggregate bag from standard DIY stores (or similar) that can be safely lifted by one person) - 2 bags equate to 1 sheet if taking a combination of sheets or bags
  • paid for upon arrival

Commercial waste

Commercial waste can be accepted at Bournemouth Recycling Centre and Poole Recycling Centre.

Charity waste acceptance

Charities are not permitted to use the recycling centres. However, charities in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area can apply for a charity permit, subject to our terms and conditions, to dispose of donated household waste. Access is only allowed via the commercial weighbridges at Bournemouth and Poole Recycling Centres (no access is permitted at Christchurch Recycling Centre). To apply for a charity permit and once you’ve read our terms and conditions, please call our customer services team on 01202 123 123.

Useful information

Pedestrian access

Pedestrians (on foot or on a bicycle) are allowed to bring waste to the site but must report at the security gate and provide the appropriate evidence of BCP Council residency. Pedestrians must follow the guidance of site staff at all times. Pedestrians cannot bring waste onto the site that they cannot carry themselves and must be no larger than a bin bag or rucksack. Pedestrian access is not allowed by residents driving to the site, parking outside the site and taking their waste in on foot.

Tip Check app

Our Tip Check app tells you how busy the recycling centres are before you leave your home. A traffic light system indicates how busy our recycling centres are, whilst giving approximate traffic wait times. The app will also tell you the opening times for all of our recycling centres, along with general information about what you can dispose of at each of our sites.

You can download the Tip Check app on:

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