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Tip rules

Taking asbestos to the tip? Check your council first

Somerset is split between three councils, and the one you pay council tax to decides whether you can drop cement-bonded asbestos at a recycling site, how you book and what it costs.

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Before you load the car

Everything on this page was read from each council's own website on 16 October 2026. Charges and limits get changed, and Somerset Council's page said it was due for review on 1 October 2026, so look again before travelling. These are household rules. Somerset Council states that trade asbestos cannot go to any of its recycling sites, so if you are a tradesperson, ask first.

Think it might be asbestos? Hands off. No drilling, sanding, scraping, snapping or sweeping. The Health and Safety Executive's line is that anyone untrained should not attempt to mend or take it out, and that undamaged material is frequently safer left exactly where it is until somebody has identified it. From the HSE FAQ page on asbestos.

Somerset Council: Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Frome, Wells, Minehead

  • Which sites: Bridgwater (Saltlands), Frome, Highbridge, Minehead, Street, Taunton (Priorswood) and Yeovil. Nowhere else.
  • Booking: in advance, at somerset.gov.uk/diy-waste, stating how much you are bringing and how many visits.
  • Cost: the monthly allowance is eight 50-litre sacks over up to four visits. The council's asbestos page does not say how asbestos counts towards it. Beyond the allowance it is £19.30 a sheet, and a storage heater containing asbestos counts as four.
  • Packing: double bag or wrap in sealed plastic, ideally clear and heavy-duty, with no holes or tears or it is refused. Put your protective clothing and cleaning cloths in with it. Don't break up big sheets. Staff cannot help you unload.
  • Collection instead: the council will collect from your door. Until 31 March 2027 that is £352.20 a load including VAT, plus £18.90 for each sheet or sack, up to a tonne (around 30 sheets of 6 ft by 3 ft, or eight storage heaters). Pay online beforehand; the contractor comes within 10 working days. Not available to businesses.

Where this comes from: Somerset Council: recycling-site rules; Somerset Council: collections.

North Somerset Council: Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, Portishead

  • Cost: £11.50 per bag or sheet, by card only. A bag is a standard 50-litre rubble bag; a sheet is about 1800 mm by 900 mm.
  • Packing: double wrap or bag in thick polythene and seal with strong tape. Otherwise it is rejected at the gate.
  • Which site, and booking: the council's page names no site and doesn't say whether booking is needed, so check its booking page or ring.

Where this comes from: North Somerset Council: what you can take.

Bath and North East Somerset: Bath, Keynsham, Midsomer Norton

  • Which site: Keynsham Recycling Centre, Worlds End Lane, BS31 1TW.
  • Limits: cement-bonded only. Up to three unbroken sheets, plus drainpipe or guttering no bigger than 6 ft by 3 ft, double wrapped and sealed.
  • Notice: you must tell the council beforehand, using its online form or by ringing 01225 39 40 41 at least 24 hours ahead. The page doesn't mention a charge, so ask.
  • Bath itself: the city's recycling centre is being replaced. The council says building was due to finish in autumn 2026, after which Midland Road closes. The list of items the new centre will take doesn't include asbestos, and the council points hazardous waste to Keynsham or Old Welton.

Where this comes from: B&NES: Keynsham Recycling Centre; B&NES: Bath recycling centre redevelopment.

At a glance

CouncilWhere it goesWhat it costs
Somerset CouncilSeven named sites, booked aheadFree within allowance, £19.30 a sheet beyond it
North SomersetIts recycling centres (ask which)£11.50 a bag or sheet
Bath and North East SomersetKeynsham, with noticeNot stated, ask

When the tip is the wrong answer

  • You have more than the council allows, or sheets bigger than it will take
  • The material is cracked, crumbling or otherwise damaged
  • It isn't cement: insulating board, lagging, or a textured coating you can't identify
  • A builder or tradesperson produced the waste at your home

In those cases a licensed contractor removes and disposes of it. Never put asbestos in a bin or skip, and never leave it where it could be found. Town guides: Taunton, Yeovil, Bath, Weston-super-Mare.

Would you rather someone else dealt with it?

Say what you have and where. One licensed contractor receives it and rings you. You are not committing to anything, and your details are not passed on to anyone else.

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