9th January 2026
A new booking system for residents using the Oxfordshire’s seven household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) comes into operation next week.
From Wednesday 14 January, people must book a slot online on Oxfordshire County Council’s website before visiting their HWRC. Bookings are available up to two weeks in advance or 30 minutes prior, subject to availability.
The council already operates a booking system for residents wanting to dispose of small quantities of DIY waste for free, after introducing it in January 2024. This process is built into the new booking system, so when you make a booking for the 14 January onwards, please select the waste you are bringing, including any DIY waste to receive your free allocation.
Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “We know our residents are committed to reducing waste as they have helped Oxfordshire top the national recycling, reusing and composting table for 11 consecutive years.
“We believe they will see the benefits of this new system, which will help them avoid long queues by booking a time slot in advance, and help lead to better customer service from our HWRC employees.”
Booking systems have already been successfully introduced in many other parts of the country, including Swindon, Gloucestershire, West Berkshire, Suffolk and Kent for several years. The council consulted other authorities where similar systems are in place and received strong feedback about how it can improve the service.
The key advantage of the booking system will be reduced queuing for residents, but it will also provide better traffic management, increased recycling rates as staff can help visitors separate their recyclable from their non-recyclable waste, and more targeted communication with customers about their scheduled visit.
It will also save council taxpayers’ money by helping to prevent trade waste from being illegally disposed of at the HWRCs.
Some residents may be concerned that a booking system could cause fly-tipping to increase. However, an independent study carried out in 2021 revealed there was no evidence that the introduction of one led to an increase in fly-tipping.
Although the booking system will be online, residents without internet access will be able to book slots over the telephone by contacting our customer service centre.
Anyone can book a visit to dispose of household waste. However, people living outside Oxfordshire will be charged £15.
To make sure Oxfordshire residents are not charged, visitors must bring a document showing proof of address with them – such as a driving licence or recent utility or council tax bill.
Cllr Roberts added: “The booking system will also help manage demand across the HWRC network while Redbridge HWRC is temporarily closed later in 2026 for around three months, to facilitate essential safety work to be carried out.”
Redbridge would normally receive 40,000 customers in these three months. It is anticipated that these people will go to their nearest alternative site instead, increasing demand and queuing times. Therefore, a booking system would help alleviate any short-term issues arising from the temporary closure.
