Bulky household waste collection - terms and conditions and privacy notice
Bulky household waste collection terms and conditions and privacy notice for April 2025 to March 2026
Service description
The Bulky household waste collection (‘the service’) is available to residents (‘you’) of the West Suffolk Council (the council). The service is available on payment for collections of certain household items, such as furniture or white goods. By booking a Bulky Waste Collection with us you agree to our terms and conditions.
This service is for residential customers only - the service is not available to landlords clearing rented properties as this is classified as commercial waste.
The council reserves the right to suspend the service for a period if operational needs require or in exceptional circumstances such as a pandemic, adverse weather conditions, for safety or any other operational reasons. The exact time period will be decided at the council’s discretion.
This service is for household waste only. DIY, commercial or industrial waste will NOT be collected. We do not collect from commercial or business premises.
The list of acceptable items collected is detailed under section 4 of this document.
The collection team will not dismantle furniture, disconnect cookers (or any other household furniture) or remove loose waste or empty fridges or freezers.
We do not offer a house clearance service.
Payments
Payment needs to be made in full when booking the service. Payments can be made via the online system or via phone.
Please note, there is no reduction in the charge for booking fewer than 3 items for a collection.
A maximum of 3 slots are permitted per customer per booking
A maximum of 9 items of bulky household waste can be booked for collection from a house on a single day.
If you receive Council Tax reduction (not including single person or student discount) you are eligible to a 50 per cent discount on the charges above for one collection a year (one collection = 1 to 3 items).
We will charge you for another bulky waste collection if we have to return to collect an item and you have not followed the specified guidelines.
The item(s) booked for collection cannot be amended. Where an amendment is needed the original collection will need to be cancelled and a new collection booked. There is no guarantee this will be the same date as the original booking.
Collection days
We have a postcode-based bulky waste collection service. This means each ward in West Suffolk district has an allocated collection day for bulky waste items.
We make collections by area on weekdays only. We will confirm your collection date at the time of booking.
We make collections between 6.30am and 3pm. A specific time slot cannot be booked.
All suitable items must be left together, presented at your bin collection point by 06.15am on the specified day of collection. All suitable items of waste must be left together,
The item(s) must be clearly visible from the road and accessible for the crews without obstruction, be presented in a safe fashion which does not cause any obstruction or danger to the public or collection crew. If deemed unsafe to collect, crews may refuse the collection and no refund will be provided.
If you have an assisted bin collection, the collection place for any bulky items will be different, so please let us know when you make the booking.
You do not have to be home when we collect the agreed items.
We will only collect items that are pre-booked, any additional items left will not be collected. You are responsible for removing these items.
Items will not be collected from inside houses or outbuildings, or from up or down steps for health and safety purposes.
The council assumes no responsibility for damage to the customer’s property when making a collection.
Items placed out for collection remain your responsibility until collected and must not be left anywhere that obstructs the public footpath/highway or poses risks to others. If your items are removed by a scrap or other third-party collector or stolen/taken by an unknown person - we will not provide a refund for your booking.
We will not return if the items were not presented by 6.30am on collection day. If items are not presented in time for the booked collection, a new collection booking will need to be made by the resident and an additional charge will be made.
Whilst every effort will be made to collect on the date booked, this may be delayed due to unforeseen or exceptional circumstances. Where collections are delayed, they will be rescheduled at the next earliest available opportunity, but no refund will be given because of such delays.
Acceptable items
We will only collect suitable items as listed on our website. Those items can be found at Bulky household waste collection
Garden items will not be collected.
Only the items of waste listed on your booking will be collected - we will not collect any additional items presented or any different items to those originally listed i.e., items cannot be added, swapped, or replaced.
Any unlisted items will not be collected and left at your bin collection point and remain your responsibility. Please note, these items could be deemed as fly tipping.
If items e.g., bed frames, are dismantled, please securely tie or tape the bundle so it can be safely carried by two people. Ensure any sharp objects, for example protruding nails, are removed.
Please note, we cannot collect asbestos or other potentially hazardous materials or substances such as waste oils, waste fuels, heating and cooking gas cylinders, and fluorescent tubes. Hazardous items need to be collected by a legally registered waste carrier, or check on our website to see if they can be disposed of free of charge at a Household Waste Recycling Centre
We reserve the right for collection staff to refuse items upon inspection which breach safety and environmental legislation by collecting or handling them such as asbestos, chemicals and other hazardous waste. This includes commercial fridges.
Any items that are made of glass or contain broken glass or similar sharp materials will not be collected. If, on collection some of the items contain glass or broken glass, all of the items may be rejected for collection and no refund issued.
Any items stored within bulky items put out for collection MUST be removed prior to collection. This includes removing food and liquids from fridges and freezers. If food is left in the appliance, it will not be collected, and no refund will be given.
Commercial appliances cannot be collected, and no refund will be given.
All bulky waste items must be able to be lifted by a maximum of two people. We will not collect any items that are too large or heavy for our collection team to lift. We reserve the right to leave excessively heavy items that cannot be safely lifted and/or maneuvered by a two-person team. If this is the case, no refund will be provided.
If the item(s) come(s) apart, it is classed as one item e.g., a corner sofa that splits into two sections would be considered one item.
For verification purposes we may also take a photograph where items have not been presented, or where additional or different items to those booked have been left for collection.
Cancellation of the service
You need to contact us if you want to cancel your booking. You must quote the booking reference when you contact us. No refunds will be given.
This agreement is made under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act sections 45 and 46 and the Controlled Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2012.
Failure to meet these terms and conditions, may result in the collection not being completed and a new collection will need to be booked and paid for.
Privacy Notice
West Suffolk Council is a Data Controller and can be contacted at: West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3YU. Phone: 01284 757173.
The Data Protection Officer can be contacted at the same address.
We are collecting your personal information in order to process your application for the Bulky Waste Collection. Your data will not be shared with third parties unless they are used by us to deliver the service, Your data may be used for council purposes, in order to prevent or detect crime, to protect public funds or where we are required or permitted to share data under other legislation.
Your data will be kept for three years in line with our records management guidance.
You have the right to access your data and rectify mistakes, erase, restrict, object, or move your data in certain circumstances. Automated decision making and processing is not used during this application. Please contact the Data Protection Officer for further information or go to our website where your rights are explained in more detail. If you would like to receive an explanation of your rights in paper format, please contact the Data Protection Officer.
Any complaints regarding your data should be addressed to the Data Protection Officer in the first instance. If the matter is not resolved you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at: Wycliff House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, phone: 0303 123 1113.
If you do not provide the information required on the application form, we will not be able to process the application for Garden Waste Collection.
For further information on our Data Protection Policies please go to our website: ‘How we use your information’, or email: data.protection@westsuffolk.gov.uk