Rochdale Borough Council

​​​​​​​​​​​How to dispose of your unwanted bulky items

You can pay to use the council's bulky waste collection or you may consider one of the following alternatives:

• Donate your bulky items to a local charity shop or second hand shop, to local schemes such as Petrus Community Store or RBH Pass it on scheme, sell it through free ads, or take them for free to a recycling centre in Rochdale or Middleton.
• Return your electrical and electronic equipment to the retailer for free. Retailers must provide a way for customers to dispose of their old household electrical and electronic equipment when they sell a new version of the same item under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.
• Use a reputable local skip company.  Skip and Bin are a handy price comparison website for residents or businesses looking to hire a skip at their property.

Request a council household bulky waste collection

We aim to collect items you've reported on your normal collection day and within one week of your booking. It may take us slightly longer around bank holidays, Easter and Christmas when we're especially busy.

To book your bulky waste collection:

1. First submit the form below, giving details of what you want collecting.
2. Then call us on 0300 303 8884 Monday to Friday, between 8am and 6pm, to make your payment and agree a collection date. Please call within 5 working days of submitting the form and be ready to quote your reference number, otherwise you'll need to resubmit the form.

Please note we are unable to assist residents prepare items for collection.

Request a household bulky waste collection (opens in a new window)

(MyAccount is your faster, safer and more flexible way to access your council services.)

Items we collect and how m​uch it costs

• General household items: up to 3 items £19.80, includes mattresses, bed frames, bed headboards, carpets, armchairs, settees. £5 per additional item
• Fridges and freezers: £29.80 per item
• Washing machines: £29.80 per item
• Cookers: £29.80 per item
• Dishwashers: £29.80 per item
• Other large electrical items: up to 2 items £29.80. £5 per additional item
• Small electrical items: up to 5 items £29.80, includes music systems, microwaves, TVs. £5.96 per additional item

Please ring us using the contact details on this page to discuss any other household bulky waste items you would like us to collect.

Items we don't colle​​ct

We don't collect:

• ​Fluorescent tubes
• Gas bottles
• Concrete posts
• Car or motorbike parts
• Trees
• Asbestos

Contact us using the details on this page if you've items that aren't listed on this page as we'll need to speak to you or visit you to determine whether we can remove them. 

Businesses need to make their own arrangements for removing bulky waste. Commercial waste.

Household asbestos

We cannot accept unwrapped asbestos and you ​​should take these items to your local Household R​ecycling Centre.

Any household asbestos brought to our facilities should be wrapped up in heavy duty plastic wrapping such as household rubble sacks that can be bought from supermarkets.

​When an​d where to leave your items

Let us know using the online form where you'll be leaving your items on collection day. When we arrange a convenient collection date with you, we'll indicate the time we'll collect the items you've requested. Please keep them on your property if possible, as we're not able to pick them up from inside your house or garage.

To enable the potential reuse of your items, please only put them out on the collection day to avoid them getting damaged or becoming unusable.

Cancellations, amendments and refunds

If you cancel or amend your booking within 48 of your collection date you'll receive a full refund.

No refund will be given if

• You don't give us the correct notice period to amend or cancel your booking; or
• Your collection can't be completed for example if the items are not presented, presented in such a way that means we cannot safely collect them or if we can't gain access.

Use the contact details on this page to get in touch.

What we do with the bulky waste we collect

Where possible we recycle bulky waste items by setting aside good quality items for people who are looking for affordable furniture in their home.