Reading tips: booking, vans and what they take
- A few quick questions
- A price from your photos
- No obligation
What were you taking to the tip?
Tap one to start. You'll get a price from your photos.
Get my priceor call 0118 230 9090
Before you go to a Reading tip
- Booking: yes. Every visit has to be booked in advance.
- Only with a van permit.
- Residents only
- Bring proof of address
- DIY and building waste is charged
- Visit limit: no limit on household-waste visits (one booking per visit). Free DIY allowance applies on up to 4 DIY visits in any 4 weeks.
Rather skip the booking and the loading? We load it, take it away and deal with the tip.
Get my priceThe nearest Reading tips
Smallmead Recycling Centre
2 kmIsland Road, Reading RG2 0RP
Every day 08:00 to 20:00 (1 April to 30 September); every day 08:00 to 18:00 (1 October to 31 March). Closed 25 December, 26 December and 1 January.
Opening times and rules
Longshot Lane Recycling Centre
14 kmLongshot Lane, Bracknell RG12 1RL
Every day 08:00 to 20:00 (1 April to 30 September); every day 08:00 to 18:00 (1 October to 31 March). Closed 25 December, 26 December and 1 January.
Opening times and rules
What the Reading tips take
Green is free, amber has a limit or a charge, red isn't taken.
- Plasterboard£1.60 a bag
- Rubble and hardcore£3.20 a bag
- Soil£3.20 a bag
- TyresYes, up to a limit
- MattressesYes, free of charge
- Sofas and armchairsYes, free of charge
- Fridges and freezersYes, free of charge
- Bathroom suites£3.20 a item
- AsbestosYes, up to a limit
- Gas bottles£3 a item£
- PaintYes, free of charge
- CarpetYes, free of charge
- Wood£3.20 a bag
- Fence panels£3.20 a item
- Car batteriesYes, free of charge
- Household chemicalsYes, free of charge
- Cooking oilYes, free of charge
- Electrical itemsYes, free of charge
- Fluorescent tubesYes, free of charge
- FurnitureYes, free of charge
- Garden wasteYes, free of charge
- Household batteriesYes, free of charge
- Scrap metalYes, free of charge
- Engine oilYes, free of charge
- Clothes and textilesYes, free of charge
- TVs and monitorsYes, free of charge
From reading.gov.uk
The questions people ask
Do I need to book the tip in Reading?
Yes. Every visit has to be booked in advance.
Skip the booking slot: we load it and take it away for you.Can I take a van to the tip in Reading?
Only with a van permit.
Too much for the car? We bring the van, so you need no permit.Can I use the Reading tips if I live somewhere else?
No, the tips are for residents only.
Clearing a relative's or a rental property? We collect wherever it is.What does the tip charge for DIY waste in Reading?
The tips charge for: rubble and hardcore £3.20 a bag, soil £3.20 a bag, plasterboard £1.60 a bag, bathroom suites £3.20 a item, wood £3.20 a bag, fence panels £3.20 a item and gas bottles £3 a item.
Renovating? We take building waste by the van load, sorted for you.Can I take plasterboard to the tip in Reading?
Yes, up to a limit: £1.60 a bag (up to 100 litres of DIY waste or one item up to 200 x 75 x 70cm free per visit, on up to 4 DIY visits in any 4 weeks free).
We take plasterboard away for you, so there's no trip and no tip charge to work out.Can I take rubble and hardcore to the tip in Reading?
Yes, up to a limit: £3.20 a bag (up to 100 litres of DIY waste or one item up to 200 x 75 x 70cm free per visit, on up to 4 DIY visits in any 4 weeks free).
We take rubble and hardcore away for you, so there's no trip and no tip charge to work out.Can I take soil to the tip in Reading?
Yes, up to a limit: £3.20 a bag (up to 100 litres of DIY waste or one item up to 200 x 75 x 70cm free per visit, on up to 4 DIY visits in any 4 weeks free).
We take soil away for you, so there's no trip and no tip charge to work out.Can I take tyres to the tip in Reading?
Yes, up to a limit.
We take tyres away for you, so there's no trip and no tip charge to work out.Can I take mattresses to the tip in Reading?
Yes, free of charge.
Can I take sofas and armchairs to the tip in Reading?
Yes, free of charge.
Can I take fridges and freezers to the tip in Reading?
Yes, free of charge.
Can I take bathroom suites to the tip in Reading?
Yes, up to a limit: £3.20 a item (up to 100 litres of DIY waste or one item up to 200 x 75 x 70cm free per visit, on up to 4 DIY visits in any 4 weeks free).
We take bathroom suites away for you, so there's no trip and no tip charge to work out.Can I take asbestos to the tip in Reading?
Yes, up to a limit.
Can I take gas bottles to the tip in Reading?
Yes, but there is a charge: £3 a item.
Can I take paint to the tip in Reading?
Yes, free of charge.
Can I take carpet to the tip in Reading?
Yes, free of charge.
Can I take wood to the tip in Reading?
Yes, up to a limit: £3.20 a bag (up to 100 litres of DIY waste or one item up to 200 x 75 x 70cm free per visit, on up to 4 DIY visits in any 4 weeks free).
We take wood away for you, so there's no trip and no tip charge to work out.Can I take fence panels to the tip in Reading?
Yes, up to a limit: £3.20 a item (up to 100 litres of DIY waste or one item up to 200 x 75 x 70cm free per visit, on up to 4 DIY visits in any 4 weeks free).
We take fence panels away for you, so there's no trip and no tip charge to work out.What are the opening hours of Longshot Lane Recycling Centre?
Every day 08:00 to 20:00 (1 April to 30 September); every day 08:00 to 18:00 (1 October to 31 March). Closed 25 December, 26 December and 1 January.
Rather not do the tip run? We collect from your door.What are the opening hours of Smallmead Recycling Centre?
Every day 08:00 to 20:00 (1 April to 30 September); every day 08:00 to 18:00 (1 October to 31 March). Closed 25 December, 26 December and 1 January.
Rather not do the tip run? We collect from your door.From the council's own pages, checked 20 October 2026: bookings.bookinglab.co.uk, reading.gov.uk, re3.fccenvironment.co.uk
How it works
Start with a photo- 1
Send a few photos
Tap through a few quick questions and add photos of what needs to go.
- 2
Get your price
A price up front before we start, from your photos.
- 3
We clear it
We carry everything out from inside, so you don't lift a thing.
More local guides
Where we work
Based in Reading, and out to the towns around it. Every postcode listed is in our area.
Boundaries: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3.0). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2024.
Rather not do the tip run?
Every visit to the Reading tips has to be booked, vans need a permit and DIY waste is charged.
- A few quick questions
- A price from your photos
- No obligation
