Totnes Recycling Centre

Opening times

Contact details

Totnes Recycling Centre
Babbage Road Industrial Estate
Totnes
TQ9 5JA
0345 155 1010

From the A38 (South Brent) take the A385 into Totnes.  The Recycling Centre is signposted on the first exit of the next roundabout, after passing over the railway bridge.

From Paignton take the A385 into Totnes, pass over the river via Brutus Bridge and the Recycling Centre is signposted on the fourth exit of the next roundabout.

Open all year round (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day).

Waste loading/skip changes may result in this site (or part of the site) being closed for short periods throughout the day. For your own safety, please remain in your vehicle and keep your waste on board until the loading/skip exchange is completed. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Site staff will aim to provide assistance when reasonable; however they are unable to lift excessively heavy and/or awkward loads. For example, if a bulky/heavy item required 2 or more persons to initially load the vehicle then it will be expected that the same amount of people arrive to help unload the vehicle once on site.

Materials accepted for recycling

Please ensure that your waste is separated before arriving at the site.

  • Aluminium and steel cans (including empty steel paint cans)
  • Bulky/rigid plastics
  • Cardboard
  • Card/Yellow Pages (cards, wrapping paper or any paper containing glitter must not go in the paper bank)
  • Car batteries (Alternatively, can be taken to a scrap metal merchant who may pay you for your battery)
  • Carpets
  • Clean mixed plastic packaging, e.g. food trays and yoghurt pots (must be washed) -Cling film type packaging is not acceptable
  • DIY engine oil
  • Domestic batteries
  • Energy saving light bulbs (recycled with fluorescent tubes)
  • Flat glass (e.g. window glass)
  • Fluorescent tubes: up to 5 in any 6 month period
  • Foil: clean aluminium foil only (recycled with metal)
  • Fridges/freezers (Commercial fridges/freezers/air conditioning units are not accepted as well as units from caravans/motorhomes/boats)
  • Furniture
  • Garden/green waste (branches up to 250mm or 10 inches in diameter are accepted)
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Large domestic appliances, e.g. cookers, microwaves, washing machines
  • Mattresses
  • Metal (including empty aerosol cans)
  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Petrol powered lawn mowers and strimmers (must be emptied of fuel)
  • Plastic bottles
  • Small domestic appliances, e.g. toasters, lawn mowers, hairdryers, computers, laptops etc (Please ensure all personal data is erased before bringing your items to be recycled)
  • Textiles
  • Timber
  • TVs / computer monitors
  • Vegetable oil

Chargeable household DIY waste including soil and rubble, plasterboard, plastic window and doors, show trays, shower screens, insulation materials, roofing felt, guttering and asbestos etc. Please note these items are chargeable and some are not accepted at all sites. See our chargeable waste page for further information.

Gas bottles: standard household gas bottles are acceptable, although restrictions apply. See restricted and non-acceptable materials for more information.

Hazardous/toxic waste: including weed killers, solvents, petrol and diesel. These types of waste must be handed over to a site operator in a suitable secure, clearly marked container. There is a 5 litre limit on this type of waste.

Non chargeable household DIY waste including wooden doors and window frames, kitchen units, construction timber and radiators. Please note these items are restricted to 0.5 tonne in a 6 month period. See our restricted and non-acceptable items for more information.

Old paint: please double wrap each tin in plastic bags (to avoid spillage) and hand to the site operator.

Restricted and non-acceptable materials

Restricted

  • DIY waste: 0.5 tonnes in 6 month period (limit Excludes Chargeable Waste)
  • Household chemicals (e.g. pesticides, white spirit, bleach, oil-based paint): 5 litres in 12 months
  • Gas bottles
  • Fluorescent tubes: 5 in 6 month period
  • Ash (must be cooled and well damped down)
  • Noxious weeds
  • NHS Equipment
  • Certain Hazardous Waste, including items such as DIY engine oils, solvents, bleaches/chemicals and asbestos are accepted in restricted quantities.

Non Acceptable

  • Commercial/trade waste.  Trade green waste and cardboard is acceptable for a charge at certain Recycling Centres by arrangement only, see Trade Recycling for further details
  • Food/putrescible/excess non-recyclable waste: not acceptable at this site.  Your nearest alternative is Brunel Road Recycling Centre, Newton Abbot by arrangement only, please contact your local district/city council in the first instance
  • Commercial fridges/freezers/air conditioning units are not accepted as well as units from caravans/motorhomes/boats
  • Sharps/clinical items: please contact your local district/city council
  • Asbestos: chargeable at certain Recycling Centres (Facilities available at: Bideford, Exeter (Exton Road and Pinbrook Road), Honiton, Kingsbridge, Newton Abbot, Okehampton, Tavistock, Tiverton and Torrington)
  • Plasterboard: chargeable at certain Recycling Centres – see Chargeable Waste for further information
  • Night Storage Heaters – only acceptable at Recycling Centres which accept Asbestos, the unit must be double wrapped in tough plastic and sealed. Sites will only accept full appliances
  • Fireworks (spent/unspent) – contact the manufacturer for disposal advice
  • Flares, explosives and ammunition – please contact your local coastguard (flares)/police station (explosives/ammunition) for disposal advice
  • Oil Tanks/Heating Oil Tanks – please see list of alternative service providers
  • Sewage/contents of drains
  • Vehicles, vehicle parts, boats, caravans, trailers. (Fridges/Freezers from caravans/motorhomes/boats are not accepted)
  • Flytipping – Please contact your district council to report any flytipping on public land. Flytipping on private land is the responsibility of the landowner.
  • Dead pets, pet faeces and soiled litter/bedding material. See household clinical waste for further information. Your local vet will be able to help you with the cremation of dead pets. You may wish to consider a home composting facility for pet faeces or soiled bedding.
  • Sanitary wastes (e.g. nappies, sanitary, towels) – not accepted at Recycling centres. These wastes should be wrapped and placed in your dustbin for normal collection by your district council.
  • Dead animals/pets: your local vet will be able to help you with regard to the cremation of dead pets.
  • Animal Faeces/bedding.
  • Railway Sleepers/Utility Poles.
  • Ground/Air Source Heat Pumps.

Chargeable waste

Further information about Chargeable waste.

Site health and safety

Further information about Site Health and Safety.

Location