Written By
Banty S.
Kent County Council currently operates 19 household waste recycling centres. If you are bringing waste by car or another vehicle, you must book before visiting.
The published opening times are 8am to 4.30pm from Monday to Saturday and 9am to 4pm on Sundays and bank holidays. Temporary closures and access problems can happen, so check your chosen centre’s official page before setting off.
You should also confirm that the site accepts your items. Charges, quantity limits and vehicle restrictions may apply, even when the waste has come from your home.
Information and charges on this page were checked on 17 August 2026.
Kent County Council currently publishes the following standard hours for its 19 household waste recycling centres:
|
Day
|
Opening times
|
|---|---|
|
Monday to Saturday
|
8am to 4.30pm
|
|
Sunday
|
9am to 4pm
|
|
Bank holidays
|
9am to 4pm
|
The gate may close at the end of the published session, so arrive within the slot shown on your booking. Check for a temporary closure, road restriction or service update before travelling.
All 19 sites below are operated through Kent County Council’s HWRC system. Their addresses and opening times were checked against the individual council pages on 17 August 2026.
|
Recycling centre
|
Address
|
Official information
|
|---|---|---|
|
Allington
|
Laverstoke Road, Allington, ME16 0LE
|
|
|
Ashford
|
Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate, Brunswick Road, Ashford, TN23 1EL
|
|
|
Canterbury
|
Vauxhall Road, Canterbury, CT1 1HD
|
|
|
Dartford
|
Old Rochester Way, Dartford Heath, Dartford, DA1 3QU
|
|
|
Deal
|
Southwall Road, Deal, CT14 9QB
|
|
|
Dover
|
Honeywood Road, Whitfield, Dover, CT16 3EH
|
|
|
Faversham
|
Preston Forge, Salters Lane, Faversham, ME13 8YD
|
|
|
Folkestone
|
Ross Way, Shorncliffe, Folkestone, CT20 3UJ
|
|
|
Herne Bay
|
Westbrook Lane, Herne Bay, CT6 8DD
|
|
|
Maidstone, commonly called Tovil tip
|
Burial Ground, Tovil, Maidstone, ME15 6RJ
|
|
|
Margate
|
Manston Road, Margate, CT9 4LX
|
|
|
New Romney
|
Mountfield Road, New Romney, TN28 8LH
|
|
|
Pepperhill
|
Pepperhill, Station Road, Southfleet, DA13 9PA
|
|
|
Richborough
|
Ramsgate Road, Richborough, Sandwich, CT13 9NW
|
|
|
Sevenoaks
|
Main Road, Dunbrik, Sundridge, TN14 6EP
|
|
|
Sheerness
|
Station Road, Sheerness, ME12 1RH
|
|
|
Sittingbourne
|
Gas Road, Milton, Sittingbourne, ME10 2QD
|
|
|
Swanley
|
Teardrop Centre, Pedham Place, A20/London Road, Swanley, BR8 8TJ
|
|
|
Tunbridge Wells
|
North Farm Lane, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3EE
|
You can also use Kent County Council’s complete list of household waste recycling centres to check the latest details.
Yes, for a normal vehicle visit. You must book a slot before taking waste to a Kent County Council recycling centre by car, van or trailer. Entry without a booking is not normally permitted.
You can currently book for the same day when a slot is available or choose a date up to two weeks in advance. There is no published daily limit on the number of visits, but DIY waste allowances and vehicle-voucher limits still apply.
Book a Kent HWRC visit through Kent County Council.
When booking, make sure you choose the correct site, date, time and vehicle. Keep the confirmation details available for your visit.
Deal HWRC currently allows visits on foot or by bicycle without a booking, but its inner gate is kept locked for security. KCC recommends calling ahead to avoid a delay. Check the official Deal centre page before travelling this way.
Most ordinary household waste can be taken to a KCC recycling centre without a disposal charge. Different rules apply to tyres, larger quantities of DIY waste and visitors who do not live in the KCC area.
Kent County Council currently allows:
The allowance covers materials such as soil, rubble, bricks, concrete, paving, ceramic bathroom fittings, tiles and plasterboard. Charges can apply when you exceed the allowance.
|
Material or visitor
|
Current charge
|
|---|---|
|
DIY waste over the free allowance
|
£5 per item or standard black bag
|
|
Plasterboard over the free allowance
|
£7.50 per sheet or standard black bag
|
|
Car or motorbike tyres
|
£3 per tyre, up to five per day
|
|
Visitor who does not pay Council Tax to a Kent district or borough
|
£10 per visit
|
Payments are currently taken by debit or credit card. KCC does not accept cash or cheques at its HWRCs.
Charges and allowances can change. Check the current KCC HWRC charges before travelling with DIY waste or tyres.
Kent County Council and Medway Council run different household recycling-centre systems.
Medway Council operates:
These sites are for people who live in Medway and pay Council Tax to Medway Council. A booking and proof of address are required. Kent residents who do not pay Council Tax to Medway cannot use the three Medway sites.
Medway residents can use a KCC recycling centre, but KCC currently treats them as non-Kent residents and charges £10 per visit.
Vehicle rules also differ. Medway currently accepts small private vans only at Capstone and Cuxton, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Vans are not accepted at Hoath Way.
Check the current Medway HWRC booking rules before choosing a site.
A household recycling centre can work well for a small, sorted load that you can transport yourself. It may be less suitable when waste will build up over several days, the amount exceeds the council’s DIY allowance or the job would require several journeys.
Skip hire may suit:
The right option depends on the amount, weight and type of waste, the space available at the property and whether you can transport it safely. Do not assume that one option will always cost less.
You can compare available skip sizes or check skip hire availability in Kent. Prices for standard 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12-yard skips are checked using the delivery postcode.
Before booking, read what can and can’t go in a skip if the load includes electrical items, plasterboard, mattresses, upholstered seating or other specialist waste.
