Council Bulky Waste Collection in Nottingham — Cost, Booking & the Faster Alternative
The quick answer
- Nottingham City: free from 26 October 2026. Every city household can book two free collections a year, up to six items each. Bookings opened online on 19 October.
- Ashfield (Hucknall, Kirkby, Sutton) gives one free collection of up to three items a year.
- Gedling, Broxtowe, Rushcliffe and Erewash still charge, roughly £24 to £36 for a first collection.
- Council crews only collect from outside, early in the morning, and you wait for a slot.
- Upstairs, heavy, a whole house, or need it gone this week? A licensed company carries it out for you. Get free quotes.
Prices and rules checked on each council's website on 19 October 2026.
Got a sofa, mattress, wardrobe or old appliance to get rid of? Your local council will collect it from outside your home, sometimes for free and sometimes for a fee. Which council, what it costs and how long you wait all depend on where in Nottingham you live. This guide covers the new free collections in Nottingham City, what every other local council charges, how to book, and when it's quicker to pay a private crew instead.
How much does Nottingham City Council charge to collect bulky waste?
NewNothing, from 26 October 2026. Nottingham City Council has brought back free bulky waste collections for every household in the city: Bulwell, Lenton, Sneinton, Bilborough, the Meadows, Clifton, the centre and everywhere else inside the city boundary.
- Two free collections a year for each household.
- Up to six items at each collection, such as sofas, armchairs, beds, mattresses, wardrobes, tables, fridge freezers, TVs and tumble dryers.
- Booked online, first come first served, up to four weeks ahead.
- Bookings opened on 19 October 2026, and the first collections happen from 26 October 2026.
- Sofas and electricals may come on a different van, and on a different day, from the rest of your items. Sofas and other upholstered furniture have to be handled separately because of chemicals in the foam.
Once you've used both free bookings, the paid rates still apply: £26 for up to six items, and £12.50 for the first electrical item plus £7.50 for each extra one. The council lists electricals under these paid rates, so check when you book whether yours count as free. The council says its full terms and conditions for the free scheme are still to be published, so check its bulky waste page before you book.
Is bulky waste collection free in Nottingham?
It depends which council you pay council tax to:
- Nottingham City: yes, two free collections a year from 26 October 2026 (see above). People on Council Tax Support were already entitled to one free collection a year before the new scheme.
- Ashfield (Hucknall, Kirkby, Sutton): one free collection of up to three items a year for every household. After that you pay.
- Gedling, Broxtowe, Rushcliffe and Erewash: no. You pay for every collection. The prices are in the table below.
Free doesn't mean easy, though. Free collections are popular, the crew still won't come inside, and six items doesn't go far if you're clearing a whole house. More on that in when the council collection isn't enough.
How to book a council bulky collection
Wherever you are in the Nottingham area, the process is much the same:
- Find your council. If you're not sure, check your postcode on the GOV.UK find your local council tool.
- List your items on the council's online bulky waste form.
- Pay, if there's a charge, and choose from the collection dates on offer.
- Put the items outside early on collection day. Gedling and Ashfield say by 6am. Keep sofas and mattresses dry, because soaked items can be too heavy to lift and may be left behind.
What the council will and won't take
Council bulky collections take household furniture, mattresses, white goods and other large household items. They won't take:
- Business or trade waste
- Builders' rubble, bricks, tiles, plasterboard, soil or other DIY waste
- Paint, chemicals, gas bottles, batteries or asbestos
- Tyres and car parts
- Anything too big or heavy for the crew to lift safely
- In Nottingham City, waste from house clearances
If your load is a mix of these, a licensed carrier who takes the lot in one visit is usually simpler. See builders' waste removal or house clearance.
Live outside the city? Your council and what it charges
Greater Nottingham is split across several councils, and bulky collections are run by your district or borough council, not by "Nottingham" as a whole. (Recycling centres are separate again: those are run by Nottinghamshire County Council.) Here's who covers where, and what they charge:
| Area | Council | Bulky collection cost |
|---|---|---|
| City (Bulwell, Lenton, Bilborough, Clifton, centre) | Nottingham City Council | Free from 26 October 2026: two collections a year, up to 6 items each |
| Arnold, Carlton, Mapperley | Gedling Borough Council | £26 for 1 item, £39 for 2, £52 for 3, £60 for 4, £68 for 5, then £8 each up to 9. Fridges and freezers currently paused. |
| Beeston, Stapleford, Kimberley, Eastwood | Broxtowe Borough Council | £13 booking fee plus £11 per item (£24 for 1 item, £35 for 2), booked online |
| West Bridgford, Radcliffe, Ruddington | Rushcliffe Borough Council | £25.80 first item, £12.80 each extra. Fridge freezers £26.90 (under-counter) or £38.70 (tall). |
| Hucknall, Kirkby, Sutton | Ashfield District Council | 1 free collection a year (up to 3 items). After that £19 for 1 item, £25 for up to 3, then £11 each up to 10. Fridges and freezers paused since 10 August 2026. |
| Long Eaton | Erewash Borough Council | £36 for up to 5 items, £8 each extra. Sofas and other foam items £26 for up to 3, £10 each extra. |
Council prices usually change each April, so check your council's page before you book. Whichever council it is, the pattern is the same: cheaper than a private collection, but you wait for a slot and leave everything outside.
Live further north? Mansfield, Newark & Sherwood and Bassetlaw run their own paid bulky collections. Our tip guides for Mansfield, Newark and Worksop cover your options.
Getting rid of a fridge or freezer? Check first (October 2026)
A national shortage of fridge recycling capacity means some councils have stopped collecting them. Gedling and Ashfield have both paused fridge and freezer collections. The Nottingham City tip on Redfield Road only takes one fridge or freezer per visit, one visit a week. Rushcliffe charges £26.90 to £38.70, and Erewash charges £26 for up to three electrical items, then £10 each. Licensed private companies are still collecting.
See every fridge freezer option →When the council collection isn't enough
A free or cheap council collection is the best deal going, if it fits your job. It often doesn't:
| Your situation | Why the council can't help | Better option |
|---|---|---|
| It's upstairs, in a flat or in the garden shed | Crews only collect from outside your home, and won't come in to carry it out | Rubbish removal |
| It's too heavy for you to get outside | You have to move it to the front yourself, before early morning | Rubbish removal |
| You need it gone this week | Slots are first come first served, and early ones go fast | Rubbish removal |
| Clearing a whole house or a loved one's home | Six items doesn't go far, and the city council won't take waste from house clearances | House clearance |
| A landlord clearing a rental | Council bulky services are for householders' own waste | End of tenancy clearance |
| A fridge freezer in Gedling or Ashfield | Those councils have paused fridge collections | Fridge collection |
| Rubble, plasterboard or garden waste mixed in | Councils don't collect it with bulky items | Builders' waste |
Doesn't fit the council's rules?
Licensed local companies will carry it out from any room, take mixed loads, and often come the same week. Tell us what needs to go and we'll get you up to 3 free quotes.
Get free collection quotes →When to wait for the council — and when to pay a man-and-van
The council route is the cheapest way to shift a bulky item if two things are true: you can get it outside yourself, and you're not in a hurry. Where it falls down is speed and access. You can't pick a time, and crews won't set foot inside, so a sofa stuck in an upstairs flat, or a fridge you can't move alone, isn't really a council job.
That's the gap a man-and-van collection fills. A licensed crew comes to you, carries the item out from wherever it is, loads it, and disposes of it properly, often the same or next day. It costs more than the council, but for anything heavy, upstairs, awkward or urgent, it's often worth it once you factor in the wait and the lifting.
| Council collection | Licensed man-and-van | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free in the city (2 a year); about £19 to £36 elsewhere | From around £60 per item |
| Speed | First come first served; can be weeks away | Often same or next day |
| Access | Outside only, out by early morning | Carried out from inside, any floor |
| Lifting | You get it outside | Crew does all the lifting |
| How much | Up to 6 items in the city; limits elsewhere | One item up to a full house |
| Mixed or awkward loads | Restricted or refused | Taken in one visit |
Get free collection quotes
Fill in the form or call 07348 454816. We pass your details to up to three licensed companies covering your postcode, and they quote you. Free, and no obligation.
Only use a registered waste carrier
Your waste is your responsibility until it's disposed of properly. If you hand it to an unregistered collector and it's later fly-tipped, you can be fined. Before anyone takes your waste, check them on the Environment Agency register and get a receipt. More in our fly-tipping guide.
Frequently asked questions
Yes in Nottingham City, from 26 October 2026. Every city household can book two free bulky waste collections a year, with up to six items at each one, booked online. Bookings opened on 19 October 2026. Ashfield (Hucknall, Kirkby and Sutton) gives every household one free collection of up to three items a year. Gedling, Broxtowe, Rushcliffe and Erewash still charge.
Nottingham City Council opened bookings on 19 October 2026, and the first free collections take place from 26 October 2026. Booking is online, first come first served, up to four weeks ahead. Paid bookings stopped on 12 October 2026.
In Nottingham City it's free from 26 October 2026, as part of a free collection of up to six items. Elsewhere one sofa costs £25.80 in Rushcliffe, £26 in Gedling, £24 in Broxtowe, £26 in Erewash (up to three foam items) and £19 in Ashfield, or nothing if you use Ashfield's yearly free collection. Council crews collect from outside only. A licensed private collection costs more but carries the sofa out from inside your home.
Book online through your own council's website: Nottingham City, Gedling, Broxtowe, Rushcliffe, Ashfield or Erewash, depending on where you pay council tax. List the items, pay if there's a charge, pick a date, and put the items outside early on the morning of collection.
No. Council crews only collect from outside your home, and items must be out early on collection day (Gedling and Ashfield say by 6am). They won't come inside or carry anything down from a flat or upstairs room. A licensed private crew does the carrying for you.
Nottingham City Council covers the city, including Bulwell, Lenton, Sneinton, Bilborough and the centre. Gedling covers Arnold, Carlton and Mapperley. Broxtowe covers Beeston, Stapleford, Kimberley and Eastwood. Rushcliffe covers West Bridgford. Ashfield covers Hucknall, Kirkby and Sutton. Erewash covers Long Eaton. Recycling centres are run separately by Nottinghamshire County Council.
It depends on demand. Nottingham City's free collections are first come first served and can be booked up to four weeks ahead, so early slots can go quickly. Ashfield says free collections are made within 10 working days. You can't usually choose a time. A licensed private company can often collect the same or next day.
Council bulky collections don't take business waste, builders' rubble, plasterboard, paint, chemicals, gas bottles, asbestos, tyres or car parts, or items too big or heavy to lift safely. Nottingham City Council also says it doesn't collect waste from house clearances. Some councils have paused fridge and freezer collections.
This is an independent guide, not run by or affiliated with any council. Prices and rules were checked on 19 October 2026 and can change, so check before you book: Nottingham City, Gedling, Broxtowe, Rushcliffe, Ashfield and Erewash.