Bulky waste

Use this service to arrange a collection of large household items that do not fit in your bin.

You can book a collection of up to 5 items from a residential address.

Before you book, check whether we can collect your item and how much your collection will cost.

Check if we can collect your items

We collect household items that you would normally take with you if you moved home.

Before booking, check:

• which items we collect
• which items we do not collect
• what to do if your item is not listed

View the list of bulky waste items we can collect.

Upholstered furniture

Due to Environment Agency guidance, upholstered seating items must be collected separately from other bulky waste. This does not include mattresses.

If you want us to collect upholstered and non-upholstered items, you must book and pay for separate collections.

Collection prices

• £60 for 1, 2 or 3 items
• £9.50 for each additional item
• £55 for each fridge or freezer

Preparing your collection

Leave your items out before 6am on your collection day.

Place them:

• where your bins are normally collected from
• as close to the highway as possible
• together in one place

You do not need to be at home when we collect your items.

Cover mattresses, bed bases, sofas, armchairs and footstools with a waterproof cover to stop them becoming wet or frozen and too heavy to lift.

Fridges and freezers must be empty of all food, shelves, trays and baskets.

We do not collect items from inside:

• your property
• garages
• rear gardens
• behind locked gates

Cancelling a collection

If you cancel with fewer than 3 working days’ notice, you will be charged £12.30.

Collections cancelled after noon on the working day before the collection are not refundable.

Other ways to dispose of bulky items

Other ways to dispose of bulky items include:

• selling items you no longer want
• giving them to friends or family
• offering them on Freegle or Freecycle
• donating them to a charity that accepts furniture, such as the British Heart Foundation or Christian Community Action

If you can’t find your address on the booking form

If your address is not listed, it may not have been added to our system yet. 

First, check your address is within Reading Borough.

If your address is within Reading Borough, and it’s still not showing, please complete our bulky waste contact form to let us know.