Terms and Conditions – Wealden District Council Bulky Waste collections 2023.
1. Charges
1.1 Bulky Waste collections start at a fixed price for up to 3 items, with additional items charged individually (up to a maximum of 12 items). Details of the current costs can be found at https://www.wealden.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/bulky-household-waste-collections/.
1.2 There are no concessions to this charge.
2. Payment
2.1 At the time of booking, you will be required to make full payment by debit or credit card. Bookings can be made online or over the phone.
2.2 We do not accept cheques or cash as a form of payment.
3. Booking a collection
3.1 The Bulky Waste collection is only for residential waste and the collection address needs to be residential.
3.2 Bookings can be made either online https://my.wealden.gov.uk/ or by calling 01323 443322.
3.3 Collections can be booked up to 14 days in advance, providing booking slots are available. The booking system has a limited number of slots available each collection day. Each bulky waste collection, will take a minimum of 1 slot (based on up to 3 items), depending on the number of additional items above the minimum 3, this requires additional slots. (For example, 4-6 items require 2 booking slots, 7-9 items require 3 booking slots and so on).
Where there are insufficient slots to cover your booking, you will automatically be provided with the next collection days, where sufficient slots are available to avoid the collection being booked over two separate days.
3.4 Bulky Waste collections operate between 7am and 5.30pm on a set day, based on the location of your property within Wealden. In general, properties to the north of the district are collected on a Tuesday, whilst those to the south are collected on a Friday. The collection day for your property will be confirmed at the time of booking.
3.5 At the booking stage, you will need to provide details of each item to be collected. Once booked, you cannot make any changes unless you contact us within the time scale as detailed in section 6.1.
3.6 Where your property is not easy to find, in the additional comments section of the booking form, provide clear instructions on how to find your property. Our collection operatives are unable to contact residents on the day of collection, therefore please do not include any personal contact details in the additional comments section.
4. Collection requirements
4.1 All items need to be placed outside of the property, at one location, as detailed within the booking form, by 7am on the day of collection.
4.2 The collection location should be clearly visible and easily accessible for our collection operatives. The items must be placed at the boundary of the property as close to the road as possible. However, items should not be left on a public highway or footpath where they may restrict access or become an obstruction.
4.3 Where possible the collection location should be hard standing (not deep gravel or grass) and free from steps or steep slopes.
4.4 Our collection operatives will not enter your home, rear garden, or any other outbuilding (including a shed or garage or bin store) to collect items.
4.5 If you live at a communal property (for example flats, or retirement scheme), items for collection still need to be presented outside of the building, at a suitable collection point. (Not within a bin store where they may restrict access for other users).
Please ensure the managing company or scheme manager is happy for items to be left outside for collection, otherwise they may be removed by the managing company prior to the scheduled collection and additional charges made against your management fees.
4.6 You do not need to be present at the time of collection, but you will need to ensure that any gates are left open or unlocked (including electric gates).
4.7 Please ensure that vehicles are not parked blocking access to items, which are left for collection on a driveway or within another parking area.
4.8 Only items that have been pre-booked will be collected. If the items need to be changed you will need to notify us in advance. See section 6.1
4.9 All items should be suitable to be safely manoeuvred or carried by two operatives.
4.10 Please ensure that none of the items are larger than 2.5m (8.2ft) in length, as anything larger than this will not fit within the collection vehicle.
4.11 Large items may be broken down or dismantled into manageable pieces, for example flat pack furniture can be dismantled into its original parts but we would not expect the item to be broken down further than this. Please ensure any sharp edges, nails, screws or other fittings are suitably covered to avoid injury when being handled.
4.12 Chest of drawers, cupboards, fridges, freezers etc. should be empty and not contain other items.
4.13 All electrical items need to be disconnected, unplugged, and placed at the collection point. Our contractor will not enter the property and is not responsible for disconnecting from the electrical or water supply.
4.14 Ideally soft furnishings should be placed out on the day of collection to reduce the likelihood of them absorbing water (rainfall or snow) making them excessively heavy.
4.15 Heavily soiled furniture, rugs or mattresses should be covered (wrapped in plastic) to protect operatives handling them.
4.16 The Council assumes no responsibility for damage to the customer’s property when making a collection. Any claim for damage to the property will need to be reported via the waste complaint form accessible at https://my.wealden.gov.uk/.
5. Failure to collect
5.1 The Bulky Waste collection will be made on the date arranged at the time of making the booking, except in circumstances outside of our control. For example, no access to your property due to roadworks or a road closure, vehicle breakdowns, crew medical emergencies, industrial strike action or adverse weather conditions. In these circumstances, the Council reserves the right to suspend the Bulky Waste collection service.
5.2 Where a collection fails to take place, for reasons such as those listed at 5.1, collections will be attempted again as soon as operationally possible. Where this is not possible, our contractor will notify Wealden District Council and we will contact you with an action plan for returning. In most cases this will (but not limited to) the following day, which may include a weekend for those collections booked on a Friday.
5.3 The Council and its contractor reserve the right to refuse to collect items that are, too heavy/large, not presented correctly or not as detailed on the booking form. In these circumstances, the collection will be considered to have taken place and no refund will be issued for items not collected.
5.4 Where a collection cannot take place due to the actions of the customer, for example items are not accessible for collection, they are not as detailed on the booking form or they are unsafe to handle, the collection will not be rescheduled, and the payment will not be refunded.
6. Cancellations, refunds and amendments
6.1 Bookings may be cancelled or amended no later than two full working days before the scheduled collection date. For example, if the collection is scheduled for a Tuesday, you need to notify us by 5pm on the previous Thursday. For a Friday collection, you need to notify us by 5pm on the previous Tuesday.
6.2 Bookings can only be amended or cancelled by calling us on 01323 443322. Emails or letters regarding amendments and cancellations will not be accepted, since they may not be read within the timeframe detailed in 6.1.
6.3 Where a booking is cancelled within the timeframe set out in 6.1, and no further collection is required, a full refund will be provided. Please note a refund can take 3 to 5 working days to appear in your account.
6.4 Where a booking is cancelled within the timeframe set out in 6.1, because there is a need to change the booked collection day. The original booking will be cancelled, and a new booking will be made selecting one of the available future dates.
If the available dates, do not cover a date that you require a collection, a note will be placed on our customer database showing that you have paid for a bulky collection and will rebook in the near future. In this instance, no refund will be provided. When you contact us to make the future booking (unless there is a change to the number of items), no further charges will be made. If the new booking has less items, a partial refund will be provided as detailed in 6.8.
6.5 Where a booking is amended due to a change in the type or number of items to be collected, the original booking will need to be cancelled and rebooked. In these circumstances, it is not guaranteed that the same collection day will be available, as there may not be sufficient slots available, especially if you are adding items.
6.6 Where additional items are added to the original booking, if the number of items is still within the minimum charge for 3 items, there will be no further charge.
6.7 Where additional items are added above the minimum 3 items, or above the number on the original booking (whichever is greater), the additional items will be charged at the individual item charge, as detailed at https://www.wealden.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/bulky-household-waste-collections/ up to a maximum of 12 items in total.
6.8 Where items are removed from the original booking and this is amended within the timeframe set out in 6.1, a partial refund will be issued for each item removed, down to the minimum charge for 3 items.
6.9 These terms and conditions for Bulky Waste Collection Services do not affect your statutory rights.
7. Items we accept for Bulky Waste collection
7.1 A list of items generally accepted for a bulky waste collection can be found at: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/bulky-household-waste-collections/. This also includes a list of prohibited items and provides alternative options for their disposal.
7.2 Items we are unable to collect will require disposal at a household waste site (where there may also be a charge) or via a specialist disposal contractor. Do not attempt to include any of the prohibited items in your booking as these will not be collected and no refund will be provided.
7.3 Small electrical items (that will fit in a standard carrier bag) such as a kettle, toaster, iron etc. can be collected as part of the kerbside collection rather than via the bulky waste collection. Further details can be found in your collection calendar, a copy of which can be obtained using our bin day search https://www.wealden.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/bin-search/.
7.4 If you are unsure whether an item is suitable for a bulky waste collection, please contact Waste Management at recycling@wealden.gov.uk, who can confirm if the item you have, can be accepted.
Wealden District Council is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected and will only use and store your personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation 2016 and the Data Protection Act 2018. We collect and use your personal data in order to provide services you have requested from us or to carry out our legal obligations to you. We will not disclose your personal data to any third parties, unless we need to do so to provide a service to you or we are legally required to do so. We may share your personal data with other Council departments in order to provide the service you have requested.
Our Privacy Policy sets out how we collect, use and securely hold you data and can be viewed at: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/transparency-spending-andperformance/data-protection/privacy-policy/ and our Privacy Notice at: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/UploadedFiles/Privacy_Notice_for_Garden_Waste_and_Refuse_Collections-1.pd