HRCs - Opening Hours and Conditions of Use

From Monday 4th September 2023, Council will introduce a new online booking system to access its nine Household Recycling Centres.

Please read our Recycle Guide to help you manage your recycling and waste:

AND Recycling Guide (updated September 2023)

Household Recycling Centres Opening Hours (Times shown indicate first and last available booking times)

Bangor - Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.40pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 4.40pm
Comber - Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.40pm, Saturday from 8am to 4.10pm, Sunday: Closed
Holywood - Monday to Wednesday from 8am to 4.40pm, Thursday: Closed, Friday and Saturday from 8am to 4.40pm, Sunday from 10am to 3.40pm
Kircubbin - Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.40pm, Saturday from 8am to 4.10pm, Sunday: Closed
Ballygowan - Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.40pm, Saturday from 8am to 4.10pm, Sunday: Closed
Donaghadee - Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.40pm, Saturday from 8am to 4.10pm, Sunday: Closed
Millisle - Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.40pm, Saturday from 8am to 4.10pm, Sunday: Closed
Newtownards - Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.40pm, Saturday from 8am to 4.10pm, Sunday: Closed
Portaferry - Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.40pm, Saturday from 8am to 4.10pm, Sunday: Closed

Please note, there is no pedestrian access to our HRCs – entry in a vehicle only.

Household Recycling Centres - Conditions of Use

Ards and North Down Borough Council has made a commitment to STAND for Sustainability. Our HRCs are recycling centres, not dumps!

Full recycling participation will be required and disposal of recyclable waste in landfill skips will not be permitted. From week commencing 25 May 2020, all HRC visitors will be required to retrieve blue bin recyclable waste items and glass bottles/jars from any black bags they wish to dispose of in landfill skips, and place them in the blue bins/glass caddies provided beside the skips.
We have increased capacity for mixed dry recyclable materials (items that go into the blue bin). If you have extra such blue bin materials for disposal keep them separate and put them into the blue bins at the HRC. DO NOT PUT BLUE BIN RECYCLABLES IN THE LANDFILL SKIPS.
Cars, and cars with small single axle trailers, will be permitted with the full range of materials normally accepted at our HRCs.
Van Permits. Following the introduction of the HRC booking system (September 2023) please note, the system will recognise if you have a van and double-axle trailer or another vehicle that normally would have required a permit once you enter it online. There will be no need to separately apply for a permit. As previously, if you use a form of transport that normally would have required a permit, such visits will still be limited to six visits per residential address in a calendar year.
You must sort your waste before you come to the site. A bit of extra time at home will save you a lot of extra time on site – and this benefits everyone.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure you bring ID as proof of residency in the Borough e.g. Driving Licence, Utility Bill showing address. Show this to attendant at entrance to site.

Our kerbside collection services, if used to their full potential, should be sufficient to allow you to manage the majority of your waste and recycling at home. If you plan to visit one of our HRCs, please remember:

Sort your waste before you leave the house - separate all recyclables from non-recyclable (landfill) waste items.
You will not be allowed to dispose of recyclable waste in landfill skips.

Please respect our staff and the instructions they give you. We will take a zero tolerance approach to any verbal or physical abuse and will report any incidents to the PSNI.

Frequently asked questions

If I have a van, pick up or large trailer, do I still need to apply for a permit book?

The HRC booking system introduced in September 2023 will recognise if you have a van and double-axle trailer or another vehicle that normally would have required a permit once you enter it online. There will be no need to separately apply for a permit. As previously, if you use a form of transport that normally would have required a permit, such visits will still be limited to six visits per residential address in a calendar year.

What can I recycle/ Are there any restrictions to the type of waste that I can bring to the HRCs?

We encourage all our residents to to use the kerbside collection service we provide, for Recyclables, Green, Glass and General waste, to the maximum capacity for their individual households. If you need to visit one of our Household Recycling Centres, details of what you can recycle are below:

If disposing of an old oil tank, please note that it must be drained and cut in half before bringing to the HRC.

Balloo Recycling Centre - What you can recycle

Garden waste, wood and timber, scrap metal, fridges and freezers, large appliances, small appliances, TVs and monitors, portable batteries, car batteries, used engine oil, cooking oil, fluorescent tubes, paint, paint reuse, mixed glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, mixed paper, food and drink cans, ink cartridges, textiles, books, reuse container, plasterboard, rubble, carpet, mattresses and cardboard.

Newtownards Recycling Centre – What you can recycle

Garden waste, wood and timber, scrap metal, fridges and freezers, large appliances, small appliances, TVs and monitors, portable batteries, car batteries, used engine oil, cooking oil, fluorescent tubes, paint, paint reuse, mixed glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, mixed paper, food and drink cans, textiles, carpets, mattresses, books and cardboard.

Comber Recycling Centre – What you can recycle

Garden waste, wood and timber, scrap metal, fridges and freezers, large appliances, small appliances, TVs and monitors, portable batteries, car batteries, used engine oil, cooking oil, fluorescent tubes, paint, paint reuse, mixed glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, mixed paper, food and drink cans, textiles, carpets, mattresses, books and cardboard.

Holywood Recycling Centre - What you can recycle

Household waste, garden waste, wood and timber, scrap metal, fridges and freezers, large appliances, small appliances, TVs and monitors, portable batteries, car batteries, used engine oil, cooking oil, fluorescent tubes, paint, paint reuse, mixed glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, mixed paper, food and drink cans, textiles, books and cardboard.

Kircubbin Recycling Centre - What you can recycle

Mixed Glass, Cans, Paper, Cardboard, Textiles, Green Waste, Fridges and Freezers, Other White Goods, Small Domestic Appliances, Scrap Metal, Fluorescent Tubes, Car Batteries, Household Batteries, used cooking oil, Engine Oil, Paint, Wood and cardboard

Ballygowan Recycling Centre - What you can recycle

Garden waste, wood and timber, scrap metal, fridges and freezers, large appliances, small appliances, TVs and monitors, portable batteries, car batteries, used engine oil, fluorescent tubes, paint, paint reuse, mixed glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, mixed paper,used cooking oil, food and drink cans, textiles, books and cardboard.

Donaghadee HRC – What you can recycle

Garden waste, fridges and freezers, large appliances, small appliances, TVs and monitors, portable batteries, car batteries, used engine oil, fluorescent tubes, paint, mixed glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, mixed paper, used cooking oil, food and drink cans, textiles, books and cardboard.

Portaferry HRC – What you can recycle

Garden waste, wood and timber, scrap metal, fridges and freezers, large appliances, small appliances, TVs and monitors, portable batteries, car batteries, used engine oil, fluorescent tubes, paint, mixed glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, mixed paper, used cooking oil, food and drink cans, textiles, books and cardboard.

Millisle HRC – What you can recycle

Garden waste, wood and timber, scrap metal, fridges and freezers, large appliances, small appliances, TVs and monitors, portable batteries, car batteries, used engine oil, fluorescent tubes, paint, paint reuse, mixed glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, used cooking oil, mixed paper, food and drink cans, textiles, books and cardboard.

Disposal of Rubble (Balloo Only)

We don’t accept rubble from construction, building or demolition sites at our recycling centres.

We will accept a small amount of rubble from household DIY projects (no powdered plaster, gypsum products or hazardous wastes). This can be taken to Balloo recycling centre only.

It must be broken down into small pieces and is limited to a maximum of 25Kg in weight (approximately 3 buckets worth). Larger amounts of rubble or construction waste should be disposed of by engaging a private waste contractor to remove it.