Canterbury’s Kent County Council tip is on Vauxhall Road, close to the city centre. It’s a busy site, so booking the right slot matters as much as having the right vehicle.
Kent County Council can change rules and hours, so check its website before you set off. Details below were checked in October 2026. For a whole-house job, our house clearance in Canterbury team can clear everything in one visit.
Where is the Canterbury tip?
The recycling centre is on Vauxhall Road, on the north side of the city, a short drive from the ring road. Searches for “Canterbury tip” and “Canterbury recycling centre” lead to this one site.
| Official name | Canterbury Household Waste Recycling Centre |
|---|---|
| Address | Vauxhall Road, Canterbury, CT1 1HD |
| Run by | Kent County Council |
| Booking | Required for every visit |
Opening times
| Day | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 8am to 4:30pm |
| Sunday | 9am to 4pm |
| Bank holidays | 9am to 4pm |
The hours are the same all year. Sites can close at short notice, 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 it takes
The Canterbury site takes standard household waste: general rubbish, furniture, electricals, garden waste, cardboard, textiles and scrap metal. Kent County Council’s “what you can bring” guide lists the full range and what is chargeable.
You can’t carry waste in on foot, and children and pets should stay in the car. Staff can’t lift heavy items for you.
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
Most household waste is free. You pay for tyres and for DIY waste over the 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.
Vans, trailers and 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
- Flatten cardboard and tie paper in bundles to save time at the containers.
- Book an early slot on weekdays, as weekends and bank holidays are the busiest.
- Wrap mattresses and soft furnishings so they stay dry in the car.
- Take good-condition items to a charity shop first. Our furniture disposal guide lists the options.
Other tips near Canterbury
- Faversham tip at Salters Lane (ME13 8YD).
- Dover tip at Whitfield (CT16 3EH).
- Margate tip on the Thanet coast.
- Folkestone tip on the south coast.
Every site is covered in our Kent tips and recycling centres guide. Leaving waste outside a closed site is fly-tipping: see fly-tipping in Kent: fines and how to report it.
When a house clearance makes more sense
A few loads suits the tip. A whole house, a probate property or a student let at the end of term usually doesn’t, because slots, vouchers and DIY limits turn it into a week of runs.
Clearing a property in Canterbury? We’ll take it in one visit. See our house clearance in Canterbury page, our probate house clearance in Canterbury service, or get a free quote below. Our cost guide shows what it typically costs.