Ashford’s tip is one of the most useful in Kent because it takes almost everything, including household chemicals that most sites turn away. It serves the town and villages from Kingsnorth to Charing.
Kent County Council can change rules and hours, so check its website before you set off. Details below were checked in October 2026.
Where is the Ashford tip?
The tip is on Brunswick Road inside the Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate, just north of the town centre and close to Ashford International. Use TN23 1EL in your sat nav.
| Official name | Ashford Household Waste Recycling Centre |
|---|---|
| Address | Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate, Brunswick Road, Ashford, TN23 1EL |
| Run by | Kent County Council |
| Booking | Required for every visit |
Ashford tip opening times
| Day | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 8am to 4:30pm |
| Sunday | 9am to 4pm |
| Bank holidays | 9am to 4pm |
Kent tips use the same hours all year. Sites can close at short notice for safety or maintenance, so check the council page on the day.
How to book a slot
- You must book a slot before you go. Entry without a booking is not allowed.
- Book online at hwrcbookings.kent.gov.uk, on the day or up to two weeks ahead.
- No internet? Call Kent County Council on 03000 41 73 73, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
- Bring your booking reference (on your phone or written down) and a vehicle voucher if your vehicle needs one.
What the Ashford tip takes, and what it doesn’t
- General household rubbish, furniture, garden waste, electricals and fridges.
- A dedicated mattress recycling container.
- Household chemicals and hazardous waste, including antifreeze. Ashford is one of only four Kent tips that take them.
- Pesticides.
- Books and good furniture, collected for reuse.
No Kent tip takes Calor gas bottles, petrol, fireworks, clinical waste, plaster powder, oil tanks, bitumen, commercial paint or business waste. Medicines go back to a pharmacy.
Charges at the tip
Most household waste is free. You pay for tyres, and for DIY waste once you go over the free allowance.
| Item | Free allowance | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Household rubbish, furniture, mattresses, garden waste, electricals | No limit | Free |
| DIY waste (rubble, soil, hardcore, tiles, bathroom ceramics) | 1 large item or 2 x 50L bags a visit, 4 visits in 4 weeks | £5 per item or bag over the limit |
| Plasterboard | Same DIY allowance (1 sheet = 1 bag) | £7.50 per sheet or bag over the limit |
| Car and motorbike tyres | None | £3 per tyre, up to 5 a day |
| Visitors who don’t pay Council Tax in Kent | None | £10 per visit |
Payment is by debit or credit card only. Business and trade waste is not accepted at any Kent tip.
Vans, trailers and vehicle vouchers
- No voucher needed: cars, estates, people carriers and 4x4s with windows and seats, and pick-ups.
- Voucher needed: panel vans, car-derived vans, and people carriers or 4x4s with panels instead of rear windows or no rear seats. Vouchers are free but can take up to 28 days to arrive, and they are only for a household’s only vehicle.
- Not allowed at all: hire vans, tippers, vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and anything over 2 metres tall, including roof boxes.
- Trailers: body no longer than 2.05m, no built-up sides, and it must stay hitched to the car.
Tips for a quicker visit
- Sort your load before you leave: electricals, paper, textiles, garden waste and general rubbish in separate bags.
- Bring someone to help. Staff can’t lift heavy items, builders’ bags or HIPPOBAGs for you.
- Wear sturdy shoes and keep children and pets in the car.
- Take good furniture and books separately so they can go for reuse.
Other tips near Ashford
- Folkestone tip at Shorncliffe (CT20 3UJ).
- Canterbury tip on Vauxhall Road (CT1 1HD).
- New Romney, which also has a small reuse container shop.
When a house clearance makes more sense
A few car loads is a job for the tip. A whole house, a packed loft or a garage full of heavy furniture usually isn’t. Multiple bookings, van vouchers and DIY charges add up fast, and you still have to do all the lifting.
Clearing a whole property in Ashford? We remove everything in one visit, recycle what we can and donate usable furniture. See our house clearance in Ashford page or get a free quote below.