Recycling household waste is especially important considering the climate emergency but luckily, lockdown rules won't complicate this.

Read below to learn why recycling centres are allowed to stay open and which materials they might accept.

Why are recycling centres allowed to stay open?


The national guidance, which applies across England, is that all Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) should stay open.

This rule is actually protected by section 51 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, according to the government website.

The act states that local authorities are legally obliged to provide places for residents to dump their household waste.

This means HWRC sites across Surrey, including Guildford and Camberley, will be open for families to use.

Leatherhead community recycling centre

This is also good news for businesses which process recycling materials and rely on HWRCs to provide materials to make new products, such as fuel for biomass power generation.

People visiting Surrey County Council recycling centres will have to stick to site rules to be Covid secure.

These include keeping two metres distance at all times and staying inside your vehicle when queuing. Staff are not allowed to help you carry your waste.

Which materials are acc epted?

The type of materials that HWRCs accept depend on what the local authority determines. Local authorities speak to service providers to ensure what materials they can accept safely.

For example, you can safely take asbestos to Epsom Community Recycling Centre, but not to Woking 's.

If you're unsure about which materials each HWRC accepts before making your journey, don't worry because you can check online before you make the journey.

It's important to note that some waste items might be charged.

There might also be restrictions on non-household waste. For example, Woking Community Recycling Centre restricts business waste from being dumped at the site.