Council bulky waste collections compared
Almost every council in Essex and East London will collect big household items like sofas, mattresses and fridges, usually for a fee and in a few places for free. Here's what each one charges, what to watch for, and when a private collection is worth it.
By LM Waste Management Ltd · Updated October 2026
What each council charges
| Council | Price, and what's worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Southend-on-Sea | 1 individual bulky item £15; up to 3 bulky items £40; up to 5 bulky items £60; combined items (3 piece suite/corner sofa, or dining table and 6 chairs) £35. Each household can also book one free collection per service year (up to 5 individual items or 1 combination item), subject to availability.Fridge and freezer bookings are suspended for now. |
| Castle Point | Minimum charge of £49.18 for up to 3 items; additional items £7.60 each; maximum of 10 items. Upholstered items need a separate booking at the same rates. |
| Rochford | £23.22 for the first item, additional items are charged £11.09 eachUpholstered items are collected separately. No fencing, soil, glass or bagged rubbish. |
| Basildon | We couldn't confirm this year's price. See the council's page. |
| Chelmsford | £31 for the first item, £13.60 for each additional item (a corner sofa counts as two items); prices valid until 31 December 2026Eight or more items, or sheds, greenhouses and trampolines, are priced on estimate. |
| Brentwood | £25 for the first item, additional items are £15 (the same rates apply to upholstered POPs items, which are booked separately)No electrical appliances, pianos, sheds or garden waste. |
| Braintree | 1 item £20.00; 2-3 items £30.00; 4-6 items £55.00; 7-9 items £80.00 (including VAT, from 1 April 2026)No pianos, sheds, hot tubs, garden waste or bagged rubbish. |
| Maldon | We couldn't confirm this year's price. See the council's page. |
| Uttlesford | We couldn't confirm this year's price. See the council's page. |
| Colchester | Electrical and white goods: £19 per item (£39 for fridges and freezers). Other large household items such as beds, sofas and wardrobes: £77 for up to six items, £100 for six to twelve items.No glass or mirrors. Crews won't go into garages. |
| Tendring | The council does not offer a bulky collection service. Its refuse contractor Veolia offers a chargeable collection of up to three large items at a set cost; the current charge is given by phone (01255 431620). |
| Harlow | 1 to 5 items £35.50; 6 to 8 items £53.50; 9 to 12 items £77.50; 13 to 16 items £101.50. Upholstered furniture carries an additional fee per item (£3 to £30 depending on size). No collection fee for small electrical items and textiles.Upholstered items go out separately from the rest. |
| Epping Forest | 1 to 3 items £34.80; 4 to 7 items £52.80; 8 to 10 items £69.60 (totals including VAT)No carpets, fence panels, sheds, pianos, glass or large American-style fridges. |
| Thurrock | £44.00 for either 1 item, 2 items or 3 items; a further £12.00 for each item in addition to the first 3; up to 8 items per bookingNo business items. |
| Havering | For 1 to 3 items the cost is £71.50; for every additional item the cost is £18.50No refunds. Items up to 6 feet long. |
| Barking and Dagenham | Currently free under a pilot scheme: a standard collection of up to 4 items (the usual £35 fee has been removed for the trial)Slots can be up to 4 weeks away. |
| Redbridge | One free collection every 12 months (rolling) of up to three items; extra items cost £15.20 each, paid in advanceOnly the items named at booking are taken. |
| Waltham Forest | The charge for a standard large item collection is not stated on the council's page (it is shown in the online booking form). Up to 5 non-electrical items per booking; an express collection is available for a fee. Large electrical items are collected separately: £28.00 for one standard size item, £40.00 for two, £50.00 for three (Waltham Forest Service Store), or free through the North London Waste Authority booking (up to 4 items, Fridays). |
From each council's website, checked October 2026. Prices change, usually every April, so check the council's own page before you book.
The rules that catch people out
- It has to be outside, early. Most councils want items at the front boundary or kerb by 6am or 7am, and crews won't come into the house, the garage or the back garden.
- Sofas are often a separate booking. Because of the Environment Agency's POPs rules, Castle Point, Brentwood and Rochford collect sofas and armchairs separately from other bulky items, and Harlow charges extra for them. See how to get rid of a sofa.
- Item limits. Most councils cap a booking at somewhere between 3 and 10 items, and some count big things as two.
- Things they won't take. Common ones are sheds, fence panels, pianos, carpets, garden waste, rubble and bagged rubbish.
- Fridges are a problem this year. Southend has suspended fridge and freezer bookings because of a national shortage of treatment plants. See fridge freezer disposal.
- Household waste only. Council collections are for residents. Business waste isn't accepted.
- Payment is usually non-refundable, or refundable only with plenty of notice.
When the council is the better choice
If you can wait for a date, can get everything to the front early in the morning, and your items are on the council's list, the council is usually cheapest, even more so in Southend, Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham, where a collection can be free. We'd rather you knew that.
When a private collection makes more sense
- You want to choose the day. With us you choose from the available collection days when you book. Book by 4pm the working day before your collection day.
- It's still inside. We carry it out: £72 an hour (at least one hour), plus £18 a floor above the first floor if there's no lift. An adult needs to be there.
- It's a mix. A sofa, a mattress, a fridge and some bags can all go in one booking, with no separate upholstered booking.
- The council won't take it. We collect fence panels, dismantled sheds, carpets, bagged garden waste, rubble sacks, tyres and pianos. They're all on our price list.
- It's for a business or a let property. We collect from businesses and landlords, with a waste transfer note for your records.
What it costs with us
Pick items from the list online and see the total as you go. One £40 base fee covers the crew and van, then each item has its own collection price. Some examples:
| Item | On its own | With other items |
|---|---|---|
| 3-seater sofaStandard fabric or leather sofa. | £105 | £65 |
| Double mattressAny condition. Clean, dry mattresses are recycled; wet or damaged ones can't be, so they go to energy recovery. | £80 | £40 |
| Fridge-freezer, standardUp to about 190cm tall, 60cm wide. Degassed and recycled under WEEE rules. | £105 | £65 |
| Washing machine, tumble dryer, cooker or dishwasherAny white goods appliance. | £55 | £15 |
| WardrobeUp to a triple wardrobe. Dismantling available if it won't fit down the stairs. | £87 | £47 |
| Bin bag, per bagStandard black bag, tied. Household waste, garden sacks, packaging. | £45 | £5 |
All prices include VAT. "On its own" includes our £40 base fee, which you pay once per collection, so everything else you add costs the lower price.
So a 3-seater sofa, a double mattress and a washing machine in one booking come to £160, for items at the front of the house, on the drive, in a side passage or in a garage. Pay by card online and your confirmation comes by email.
Price your collection or see sofa and mattress prices.
Using someone else? Check their licence first
Whoever takes your rubbish, council or private, should be a registered waste carrier. If you hand your rubbish to someone unregistered and it gets fly-tipped, you can be fined too. Check the Environment Agency's public register before you pay, and ask for a waste transfer note. Our registration is CB/DU308513.
Questions people ask
Is bulky waste collection free?
Usually not. Southend gives each household one free collection a year, Redbridge one every 12 months, and Barking and Dagenham is free while its trial runs. Everywhere else charges.
How much is a bulky waste collection in Essex?
From about £15 for a single item (Southend) to £71.50 for up to 3 items (Havering). See the table above.
Will the council take things from inside my house?
No. Council crews collect from outside, at the front, and won't come in. If you need things carried out, a private collection is the way.
Can I add things to my council collection on the day?
Generally no. Havering and Redbridge, for example, only take the items you booked and paid for.