Recycling centre permits: car permit scheme

Your vehicle must be registered for an online permit to gain access.

You can register up to 3 cars for your household.

So long as you update or confirm the details you have provided us at least once every 3 years, your permit will remain valid. We will send you an email reminder to renew your permit one month before it expires.

What vehicles can/cannot use a car permit

An illustration of the types of cars permitted at our recycling centres.

Car permits can be used by vehicles that fall into the car group. These include:

cars
estates and people carriers
SUV and 4 by 4s

These are typically vehicles that:

are registered with the DVLA as a passenger vehicle with no more than 8 seats in addition to the driver's seat (9 seats total)
weigh less than 3 tonnes

If towing a trailer, the combined vehicle length must not exceed 8.2m (27ft) at Newtown Road or 8.8m (29ft) at Padworth Lane.

There are no restrictions on how frequently you can visit our centres using a car permit. However, we advise that you make the most out of each visit to minimise the number of journeys you need to make. You can find the layout of each centre on our Newtown Road and Padworth Lane site pages to help you load your car.

You still need to book an appointment before you visit, and we still only accept Household Waste.

Vehicles that cannot use a car permit

You cannot use a car permit for commercial type vehicles or prohibited vehicles. See our commercial type vehicle permit or temporary one-day pass pages for further information.

If your vehicle does not fall into the car permit category, but you are able to register for a car permit online, you may still be refused access.

You cannot register your vehicle if it has foreign plates. If the only vehicle you have access to has foreign plates and you are a resident of West Berkshire, please contact us on 01635 519080 or by email at recycle@westberks.gov.uk for further assistance.

How to register

Each household can register up to 3 cars.

To register, login or set up a My Account and then register your vehicle details.

To start, you will need to login or create a West Berkshire My Account. It’s very quick and easy.

Then simply complete the Register for an Online Recycling Centre Permit form.

The status of your permit will instantly show in your My Account and you will receive an email with your successful registration.

Once you complete the form, we'll send you a confirmation email and you will be able to view your permit in your My Account. You will also be able to update your information, including the vehicles registered, contact details and address whenever you like.

Once your permit is confirmed, you can then book an appointment.

Before you visit our Recycling Centres remember to book an appointment.

When you arrive at our recycling centre, your vehicle will be recognised by the cameras to allow you access.

If you move house or change your vehicle remember to update your details in your my account.

You do not need to print or have a copy of your online permit when you visit.

If we can't verify your vehicle type

If we advise you that we can't verify the type of your vehicle (M1 passenger, N1 light goods) during the registration process, we will ask you to tell us what type of vehicle it is before we verify your answer by undertaking some further checks. Please refer to our Icon for pdf Household Waste Recycling Centres user guide [1MB] before selecting the vehicle type.

It may take us up to 15 working days to complete this process.

If the system says you already have vehicles registered

Please check with the other members of your household to make sure that they haven't already registered before you continue. If you have recently moved into your address the vehicles may belong to the previous occupier.

If you are certain that you are ok to continue, please do. The registration information that you have inputted will override the current permit information at the property. The previous occupier will be notified by email that their permit has been closed.

If you don't have internet or an email address

Households who don't have access to the internet can either ask friends or family to register on their behalf, or they can call our customer service team on 01635 519080.

It may take up to 15 working days following receipt of your request for assistance over the phone to set up your permit. Residents are kindly requested to only call if they cannot do it online or do not have a friend or family member who can assist them. Please note that our phone lines are very busy and we would prefer to prioritise helping vulnerable residents.

How to update or amend your car permit details

If you need to amend any details on your permit, log into your My Account and select 'update my recycling centre permit'. Do this before your next visit to a recycling centre.

If you move outside of West Berkshire please cancel your permit via My Account.

Taking household waste on behalf of family, friends or neighbours

You are allowed to use our HWRCs to dispose of household waste belonging to a neighbour, family member or friend who is a resident of West Berkshire, providing that you do not advertise the service or receive payment in cash or kind in connection with the collection and / or disposal of the waste.