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New booking system for household waste and recycling centres

On this page:

  1. Booking system
  2. Appointments
  3. Booking an appointment
  4. Changing your appointment
  5. Visiting our household waste and recycling centres
  6. How we will monitor the new booking system
  7. Privacy Notice

Booking system

Visit our household waste and recycling centres page to book a slot.

Over the last couple of years demand for this service has increased considerably and we have received numerous complaints about queuing and wait times. On occasions, queues can extend onto the main public highway impacting on main traffic routes as well as local businesses. 

The booking system has replaced the odd/even number plate system which was a temporary measure, as residents are limited to only visiting one day each weekend (the most popular days to visit). 

The new system provides more flexibility for when you can visit the site, while making the process smoother with residents able to get in and out more quickly and safely than before. 

Many other local authorities have successfully implemented a booking system, which residents have found to be beneficial. Introducing a similar system will help us make sure this service is primarily used by Gateshead residents, rather than people from across the region. 

The below video shows you how to make your booking using our online form.

Appointments 

Time slots are 30 minutes long, and are the time during which you should arrive at the household waste and recycling centre. You can continue unloading your items after the end of your time slot if needed.

You will be able to book as many time slots as you need to. 

Appointments will be available two weeks in advance. Depending on demand, we expect you will be able to get a slot within a few days or even the same day in some cases. 

This will be monitored along with the number of slots on offer. The system is flexible and can be changed in future if needed. 

Booking an appointment  

You can either book using the online form, or you can call our customer services team on 0191 433 7000.

If your vehicle requires a permit to visit the household waste and recycling centre, you should apply for your permit before booking your time slot.  

Changing your appointment 

If you provide an email address when booking, you will receive a booking confirmation email. This email has a QR code which can be scanned to access the household waste and recycling centre. It will also include a 'Manage my booking' button which you can use to cancel your booking if needed. You can also change your vehicle details here if needed.

Customers without an email address will be able to contact our customer services team who will be able to amend or cancel their booking. 

If you can't attend your appointment, you should cancel your booking so somebody else can book in instead. We will be monitoring bookings for 'no shows'.

Visiting our household waste and recycling centres 

You should arrive as close to your booked time slot as possible. If you arrive a little early or late, we may be able to let you in if there is space for your vehicle to be unloaded safely.  

You should show your QR code on your mobile phone through your vehicle window on arrival. Site attendants will be also be able to find and confirm your booking using your vehicle registration if you do not have a mobile device. 

If the site is busy you may be asked to leave and return during your booked time slot - or you may be asked to rebook if you are late. 

You may be asked to show your driving licence to verify your booking and confirm you live in Gateshead or Sunderland. Our household waste and recycling centres are only open to Gateshead residents (and Sunderland residents can use Campground).  

Currently our centres close at 6pm every day. If your time slot is later in the day, you should arrive as early as possible at the beginning of your appointment, so you have enough time to unload and leave the site by closing. 

How we will monitor the new booking system 

We have data on the average time spent at the site by residents and the number of vehicles that can use the site at any one time safely. This data is the basis of how many slots are being offered at each site. 

Vans or larger vehicles have been considered too since they often require more time to unload than a car. If a larger vehicle books, it changes how many other vehicles can access the site at particular times to accommodate for their longer visit time. 

Alongside the creation of the booking system, we also have also developed reports which include a "no shows" report, and reports to show the popularity of different times and days. We will be monitoring our reports, plus feedback from both customers and our on site staff closely, to ensure the sites are operating efficiently.  

The system has been created to be flexible, meaning the number of slots and the length of slots on offer can be changed if needed in response to the data being collected. 

Privacy notice 

Read our privacy notice for waste collection services, household waste and recycling centre (HWRC) bookings