Cornwall bulky waste collection: booking and rules

How do I book Cornwall Council bulky waste collection?

Book and pay through Cornwall Council’s household bulky waste service, using the official page linked below. It is a paid service for domestic items too big for normal household rubbish or recycling collections. Check each item in the council’s price tool before confirming the order.

This guide covers Cornwall, England. SettleUK is an independent guide, not a government site. Council service details were checked on 12 November 2026. Use the live council pages for your address, item category and booking confirmation before arranging help or moving furniture outside.

The council does not collect bulky commercial waste through this service. Its examples include waste from businesses, holiday lets and charities. A household-looking sofa is therefore not automatically eligible: where the waste comes from matters as well as what the item is.

Before opening the form, make a separate list of everything you want removed. Note whether pieces are fixed to walls, contain food or water, or need dismantling. This lets you compare the actual collection load with the council’s categories instead of booking from memory.

How much does the collection cost?

Cornwall publishes three pricing categories: standard items, small special items and large special items. The first four standard items cost £44 per order. Up to four further standard items cost £16 each. Small special items cost £35 each, and large special items cost £53 each.

The council’s general guide says items you would typically take when moving house are standard, while fixtures and fittings you would leave behind are special. Very large or heavy items may be special or not collectible. That guide is a starting point, not an item-specific quotation.

Use the council’s Price Check tool to identify your item. You also see the price as each item is added to the booking basket. Check the final basket rather than assuming all furniture shares the standard charge.

For a mixed load, write down the category beside each item before paying. A special item is charged individually; do not assume it is included within the first-four-standard-items price. Ask the council about anything the tool does not clearly identify.

How many items can you book?

You can book up to eight items per order, in any mix of categories. Cornwall allows only one order per week. If you have more than eight items, the council says to place another order the following week. This is an order restriction, not permission to add unlisted items outside.

Only the item types and quantities on the order will be collected. The contractor will not take additional or alternative items. If you replace a booked item with something else, contact the council within its amendment deadline instead of leaving the replacement beside the original pile.

Count and describe your load carefully, particularly when furniture has separate sections. The terms require corner sofas and bedframes to be dismantled, but do not provide a universal counting rule for every dismantled object. Check the booking description rather than importing another council’s counting method.

If you are organising a whole-house clear-out, separate accepted domestic items from excluded material before choosing your order. Keeping everything in a single pile makes it harder to check the list and can leave you with waste the contractor cannot remove.

When will Cornwall collect the items?

Bulky waste is collected once a week in each postcode on a set day. The council’s main page links to its household bulky waste collection days document. Check your area there, but read the terms before treating that weekday as a confirmed appointment date.

The terms say that only the day of the week is advised during booking. The actual collection date depends on when you place the order, payment processing time and when the contractor receives it. The contractor will attempt to telephone you to confirm the date beforehand.

If the contractor cannot contact you, the terms say to leave the waste out by 7am on the day advised during booking. If you have not heard within the expected timescale, or suspect an order-processing problem, contact the council on 0300 1234 141.

Cornwall states that collections operate Monday to Friday, including bank holidays, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. This guide does not give a dated Christmas or New Year timetable. Check the council’s current service information and your own appointment before making festive arrangements.

Where should you leave bulky waste?

Items must be left outside at the boundary of your property, as close as possible to the normal household rubbish collection point, or at the collection point specified on the order. All items on the order must be together at the same location.

Do not leave the load where it obstructs the highway or pavement or poses a risk to others. The items remain your responsibility until the contractor collects them. A booking does not remove the need to keep the location safe and accessible.

You do not have to be at home for an outside collection, but the items must be accessible and ready for immediate removal. Check the route from the collection point to the vehicle, including gates, narrow paths and passageways, before putting everything in position.

The booking process asks whether the large collection vehicle can easily access your property and links to a vehicle-size photograph. Look at that photograph before answering. If your access is awkward, explain the problem rather than assuming the vehicle can reach your usual bin point.

For a flat or shared property, establish the collection point on the order before moving the load. Do not choose an unconfirmed communal spot simply because it is convenient. Ask the council to clarify access and positioning where the published boundary instruction does not resolve your situation.

How should furniture and appliances be prepared?

Cover absorbent items such as mattresses, sofas and carpets to keep them dry outdoors. The council warns that wet items may become too heavy to lift. Keep the cover practical for collection and make sure the booked items can still be reached.

Corner sofas and bedframes must be dismantled. Other items need disassembly if they will not fit through gates or along the route to the vehicle. The contractor will not dismantle them for you, so complete the necessary preparation before the collection visit.

Fridges and freezers must be emptied of food, drink and other perishables. The council says doors should be closed to prevent children or animals becoming trapped inside. Check the item’s booking category as well as these preparation instructions; preparation alone does not establish the price.

Items soiled with animal or human waste cannot be collected because of the health and safety risk to crews. Check condition before paying, especially for stored furniture. If the contractor cannot collect because the preparation requirements were not followed, the terms say there is no return visit or refund.

Can the crew collect from inside your home?

Ordinary collections are from outside, close to the property boundary. The council does not offer a general removals service from inside properties. Do not book an ordinary collection expecting the crew to carry furniture downstairs or remove it from an outbuilding.

Assistance from inside is available only to eligible households. You must confirm that nobody living in the household can move the items to the boundary because of a mobility issue, disability or medical condition. Arrange this in advance with the council.

Even an assisted collection requires preparation. If items will not fit through doorways, hallways or stairways, you must dismantle them first. The contractor will not do that work. Check both the assisted arrangement and the route out of the property before collection day.

If you are unsure whether your household meets the condition, ask the council before booking. Describe the moving difficulty and the items involved. Do not assume that living alone, having a heavy sofa or being unavailable on collection day automatically qualifies you for inside collection.

Which items are excluded?

Cornwall’s excluded list includes garden waste, hazardous waste, asbestos, chemicals, paints, solvents and liquid fuels. Gas bottles of any size and fluorescent tubes are also excluded. These need a different disposal route; unused space in the collection order does not make them acceptable.

Building and fitted-material exclusions include bathroom tiles, plaster, rubble, roofing tiles, plastic guttering and ceramic or porcelain toilets, sinks, pedestals, bidets and shower trays. Check the full list for renovation waste before arranging a bathroom or kitchen clear-out.

Other exclusions include pianos, mobility scooters, caravans, trailers, boats, tyres, car parts and engines. Cast-iron boilers and wood-burning stoves are excluded, as are night storage heaters with bricks and the bricks themselves. Do not rely on the ordinary meaning of “bulky” as an acceptance test.

The council’s hazardous waste guidance says some hazardous types can go to some recycling centres, while other types need a specialist contractor. Check the exact material and receiving site before transporting it. Do not put hazardous waste into ordinary rubbish.

For an unusual item, consult the live collection list and price checker together. If the item is excluded, asking for an amendment does not make it eligible. Ask the council which disposal route fits the material instead of leaving it out with accepted furniture.

Can you change, cancel or report a missed collection?

To amend or add items, telephone 0300 1234 141 by 5pm at least two working days before collection. Any additional payment must also arrive by that deadline before the council can amend the contractor’s order. Changes may affect the charge because categories have different prices.

To cancel, use the same telephone number and deadline: by 5pm at least two working days before collection. The council must receive the cancellation request in time for you to be eligible for a refund. Keep a note of the request and any confirmation.

If items are not collected, use the council’s missed collection page and choose the bulky waste route. Check the booked item list, agreed position and preparation first. Describe what remains and have the order information ready.

The reporting page covers several waste services. Use the specific bulky option rather than reporting a missed ordinary rubbish collection. For an update to an existing missed-collection report, the page provides a separate update route; avoid creating duplicate reports while the original is being checked.

What alternatives are available in Cornwall?

Before booking disposal, consider whether a usable item could be repaired or reused. Cornwall’s reduce, reuse, repair section links to repair cafés and Kernow Reuse Shops. Check acceptance and arrangements through the council’s current guidance rather than assuming every item can be donated.

For self-delivery, start with the council’s household waste and recycling centre directory. It links to local sites, visiting guidance, vehicle permits, charges and the tip booking route. Check the centre and vehicle conditions for your own visit.

Do not assume an item excluded from collection is accepted at every recycling centre. Identify the material first, then check the receiving site. Hazardous waste has separate instructions, and the council distinguishes household visits from commercial waste arrangements.

If you are clearing a holiday let or business, use the commercial route rather than the domestic bulky service. The council’s centre directory links to commercial waste information. Check that route before loading a vehicle or paying for a household collection that does not cover the waste.

SettleUK is an independent guide. It is not a government website and is not affiliated with GOV.UK, DWP, HMRC or the NHS.