Oxfordshire bringing in booking system for people using household waste recycling centres

Oxfordshire County Council is to introduce a booking system for residents visiting the county’s seven household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).

The council already operates a booking system for residents wanting to dispose of small quantities of DIY waste and, in the future, this will be extended to all users. Currently, people can visit the sites during opening hours without pre-booking.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, approved the measure today (14 November) at his cabinet member’s decision meeting.

Cllr Sudbury said: “Our residents have helped Oxfordshire top the national recycling, reusing and composting table for 10 years in a row, so we know they are committed to reducing waste. We are confident that they will see the benefits of this new system, which will help them avoid long queues by booking a time slot in advance, and 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, West Berkshire, Suffolk, Kent and Gloucestershire, for several years. We consulted other authorities where similar systems are in place and received strong feedback about how it can improve the service.”

Advantages of a booking system include better traffic management, reduced queues, better 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.

A study carried out in 2022 revealed there was no evidence that the introduction of booking systems 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.

The booking scheme is due to come into operation on 14 January 2026. The council aims to have it in place before the temporary closure of Oxford’s Redbridge HWRC for around three months to enable essential stabilisation work to be carried out. This work is expected to begin around May 2026.

As Redbridge would normally receive 40,000 customers in these three months, it is anticipated that these people would 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.

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