Hazardous Waste Collection & Disposal Services at Household Hazardous Waste Events and Incidental Hazardous Waste

Norfolk County Council, as a Waste Disposal Authority, is required by the Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 51, to provide reasonably accessible sites for the free disposal of household waste by its residents.

The seven District, Borough and City councils in Norfolk as Waste Collection Authorities have a statutory duty to provide a collection service for household hazardous waste. In terms of hazardous waste disposal, Norfolk County Council has met this obligation by holding 'Hazardous Waste Events' on set weekends, at specific Recycling Centres (RC). Such events have been held annually since 2003. This is an opportunity for householders to deposit hazardous waste such as domestic paint and thinners, pesticides, fertilisers, fire extinguishers and household cleaning products.

Visitor numbers across the network of RCs for 2025 was over 910,000. Many households therefore visit the Household Hazardous Waste Days (HHWD) to dispose of such material. There were over 12, 495 visitors to the 14 HHWD in 2025 (two events).

The HHWD take place during dedicated weekends where an area of the participating RC is designated to receive household hazardous waste. Whilst the RC is normally only open 9am - 4pm, for the purposes of the HHWD, RC will have extended opening hours of 8am to 4pm. All visits to the RCs are made via a booking system. Without a valid booking, members of the public will be refused entry.

These events are primarily designed for the receiving of hazardous waste, and therefore normal waste is restricted. The site Contractor will still be making bin collections and exchanges, but these are kept to a minimum. Any HGV movements at Hempton RC ONLY will require it to be closed for safety reasons. Norfolk's service standard is that these exchanges must not exceed 30 minutes. Any closures will be kept to a minimum.

In addition to the hazardous waste events, the Council has a responsibility to respond to unplanned incidents where hazardous waste arises due to, for example, small or larger scale fly tipping or coastal pollution incidents, ensuring that appropriate arrangements are made for the treatment or disposal of the waste.