What you can take to the Tidy Tip
Tidy Tips are for small amounts of:
- general household waste
- garden waste
- recyclables
- DIY waste
There are some limitations and restrictions.
What you can bring to the tip
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.
You can bring:
- 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 and 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
Limits to what you can bring
We limit the amount you can bring of certain items, including:
- fridges and freezers – domestic only, maximum of two a year
- car tyres – maximum of two a year
- Fluorescent tubes – maximum of four a year
- cooking oil and engine oil – maximum of ten litres a year
- empty LPG (liquified petroleum gas) gas bottles – maximum of two a year
- fire extinguisher, household only – maximum of one a year
- car batteries – maximum of two a year
- paint, garden chemicals – maximum of five litres a year (ask member of staff for assistance)
- small amounts of DIY waste
What you cannot bring to the tip
You cannot bring:
- animal waste, bedding or 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 or biological waste
- asbestos
- whole or un-sectioned trees (more than 150mm in diameter)
- large vehicle parts and parts containing fluids
- commercial or trade waste
DIY, construction and renovation waste restrictions
We do not accept waste from large-scale construction, demolition, renovation and DIY projects such as:
- building extensions
- loft conversions
- demolition of buildings
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.
Small scale DIY waste
Waste from small scale DIY work includes:
- changing kitchen cabinets
- changing a bathroom suite
- removing a patio
- removing a 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 we are unsure if the waste is from your household
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 do not sign the declaration.
If you repeatedly bring DIY waste
If you repeatedly visit with these types of waste, you will:
- be refused
- receive a visit from a council officer
Examples of one DIY item or one 100 litre bag
Examples include:
- hardcore, rubble or bricks
- tiles and ceramics
- plasterboard
- roofing materials
- soil, turf and tree trunks from landscaping activities
- baths, toilets and basins
- fitted carpets and underlay
- doors, windows and frames
- shed and fence panels
- laminate flooring
- timber and MDF hardboard
- central heating system components