Fix your Stevenage waste task in the right council route
Stevenage waste and recycling has two main routes: Hertfordshire County Council runs Caxton Way Recycling Centre and ePasses, while Stevenage Borough Council handles household bins, missed collections, food waste, clinical waste and bulky collections.
Start with what you need to do, then use the official link at that exact step. This avoids the common mistake of applying for the wrong service, visiting Caxton Way without an ePass, or reporting a missed bin too late.
Start here: recycling centre, bin, bulky item or special waste?
Use Caxton Way Recycling Centre, Stevenage, SG1 2DF for many household items that do not fit normal bins. Use Stevenage Borough Council for bin dates, missed collections, food waste, clinical waste and bulky home collection.
Caxton Way open-now helper
Uses the current published 10am–5:30pm daily pattern. It cannot see live queue camera, full containers or temporary notices.
Do this before acting
- Going to Caxton Way? Register the vehicle for a free ePass first.
- Taking DIY waste? Check the two-bag/one-item limit before loading.
- Missed bin? Report only within two working days.
- Food waste? Use the green food caddy, not the brown garden bin.
Choose your task and follow the micro-steps
This is the practical part. Pick the route that matches your problem and click the official link only after checking the short steps.
- Register the vehicle for an ePass.
- Check the live centre page for queue camera and bin availability.
- Bring proof of address.
- Sort the load before leaving home.
- Choose car, van/trailer, hire vehicle or out-of-county route.
- Enter the correct vehicle registration.
- Save the confirmation email.
- Take proof of address in case staff ask.
- Confirm it came from your own home, not paid work.
- Keep to two 50-litre rubble bags or one qualifying bulky DIY item.
- Do not exceed four visits in four weeks.
- Keep plasterboard separate from rubble and general waste.
- Find your address collection date.
- Put containers at the boundary by 7am.
- If missed, check no contamination sticker was left.
- Report within two working days.
- Put food scraps in the kitchen caddy.
- Use an accepted liner or newspaper if wanted.
- Move tied liners to the outdoor food-waste bin.
- Do not put food waste in the brown garden bin.
- Check accepted and excluded item list.
- Count items before booking; bookings cannot be amended.
- Leave items outside the property.
- Use assessed collection for excluded or unusual items.
ePass rules for Stevenage Recycling Centre
The ePass is linked to your vehicle registration and address. You do not need to book a timed slot, print anything or display a pass in the windscreen.
Car ePass
Apply online for free. The ePass reference is linked to your vehicle registration and address, and ANPR checks the registration on arrival.
Van or trailer
Use the van/trailer ePass route. Do not assume a normal car ePass covers a van, trailer, pick-up or commercial-style vehicle.
Proof of address
Bring proof such as driving licence, Council Tax bill, Hertfordshire bus pass or utility bill because staff may check it against your ePass.
Arriving without ePass
Staff can help you apply on site only if you bring proof of address. Otherwise, you may need to leave and return after applying.
Caxton Way Recycling Centre: hours, address and live checks
The current Hertfordshire page lists Stevenage Recycling Centre at Caxton Way, Stevenage, SG1 2DF, open 10am–5:30pm every day. It is open on bank holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
| Check | Current answer | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Caxton Way, Stevenage, SG1 2DF | Use the map, but trust the Hertfordshire centre page for live status. |
| Opening hours | 10am–5:30pm daily | Avoid late arrival with a large or mixed load. |
| ePass | Required | Apply before travelling and use the correct vehicle registration. |
| Queue and bin availability | Shown on live page | Check shortly before leaving, especially for rubble, plasterboard or bulky items. |
| Older conflicting pages | May show outdated hours/postcode | Use Hertfordshire’s current live centre page as the final source. |
Quick checker: what should you do next?
Choose your situation. This does not submit any council form; it gives the right route before you click.
Item quick check: bin, Caxton Way or special service?
Use this when you are not sure where something goes. If your item is unusual, use the official A–Z link after the table.
| Item | Use this route | Micro-step |
|---|---|---|
| Food scraps, bones, tea bags, coffee grounds | Green food caddy | Tie liner and move to outdoor food-waste bin for weekly collection. |
| Grass, leaves, twigs, plants | Brown garden bin | No food, soil, plant pots, treated wood or tools. |
| Paper and card | Blue recycling bag/container | Keep clean and dry; avoid food-soiled card. |
| Plastic bottles, tubs, trays, cans, foil, cartons | Black recycling bag/container | Empty and rinse; do not use black sacks for extra recycling. |
| Glass bottles and jars | Red glass container | No Pyrex, crockery, drinking glasses or window glass. |
| Batteries, vapes, small electricals | Caxton Way or safe battery/electrical route | Never hide batteries or vapes in black bags. |
| Rubble, soil, plasterboard | Caxton Way with DIY limits | Keep to two 50-litre bags or one qualifying bulky item. |
| Large furniture or appliance | Caxton Way or bulky collection | Use bulky collection if you cannot transport it safely. |
| Sharps or infectious waste | Clinical waste service | Do not put sharps in normal bins. |
| Business, landlord or builder waste | Commercial waste route | Do not use household recycling centre or kerbside bins. |
DIY waste limits before loading rubble, soil or plasterboard
Hertfordshire accepts small DIY waste from householders doing work at their own home. Waste from paid work, builders, landlords or commercial jobs is not accepted as household DIY waste.
Two 50-litre bags
Rubble, concrete, bricks, soil and similar material must fit within the small DIY allowance.
One bulky DIY item
Examples include one bath, sink, toilet, door, fence panel or window frame, no larger than 2000mm × 750mm × 700mm.
Four visits in four weeks
If the work produces waste more often than this, it falls outside the normal free DIY limit.
Builder waste is different
If a builder does the work and leaves the waste, it cannot be taken as household DIY waste.
Stevenage bin guide: what goes where?
Stevenage separates materials into different containers. The quickest way to avoid contamination is to match the item to the right container before collection day.
| Container | Use it for | Keep out |
|---|---|---|
| Black refuse bin | Non-recyclable waste such as crisp packets, nappies, plastic film, pouches, polystyrene and bagged pet waste. | Food waste, recycling, electricals and batteries. |
| Brown bin | Garden waste only: grass, leaves, twigs, hedge trimmings, plants and flowers. | Food, soil, compostable packaging, plant pots, tools and treated wood. |
| Black recycling bag/container | Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays, tins, cans, foil, aerosols and cartons. | Plastic film, carrier bags and dirty packaging. |
| Blue recycling bag/container | Paper, cardboard, newspapers, envelopes, egg boxes, card tubes and plain card. | Glittery card, food-soiled card, foil, plastic inserts and polystyrene. |
| Red glass container | Glass bottles and jars. | Pyrex, crockery, drinking glasses and window glass. |
| Green food caddy | Cooked and uncooked food, plate scrapings, bones, dairy, rice, pasta, tea bags and coffee grounds. | Liquids, oil, packaging and non-food waste. |
Food waste collection: simple weekly routine
Stevenage’s separate weekly food-waste collection started on Monday, 2 March 2026. Your brown bin remains for garden waste only.
- Use compostable liners, old bread/veg bags, plastic bags, newspaper or paper bags.
- All are accepted because they are removed at processing.
- Tie the liner first.
- Put the outdoor food bin out weekly on the correct day.
- Meat, fish, bones, dairy, bread, rice, pasta, fruit, vegetables, tea bags and coffee grounds.
- No packaging, liquids, oil, liquid fat, pet waste or garden waste.
Missed bin: check these before reporting
Stevenage aims to collect a valid missed bin within two working days of the report. But you should check the conditions first.
Bulky items: prices and booking mistakes
Use bulky collection for large household items you cannot safely take to Caxton Way. Count items carefully before booking because amendments are not possible.
| Items | Full price | Concession price |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 items | £51 | £51 |
| 4 items | £65 | £48.75 |
| 5 items | £79 | £59.25 |
| 6 items | £93 | £69.75 |
| 7–10 items | £107–£149 | £80.25–£111.75 |
| Cancellation | £12 admin fee | £12 admin fee |
Common accepted items
Cookers, carpets, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, mattresses, tables, settees, wardrobes, washing machines, beds, bicycles, fridges and freezers.
Not standard bulky collection
Business waste, builder’s waste, kitchen units, bathroom suites, gas bottles, vehicle parts, asbestos, fence panels, sheds and greenhouses.
Clinical waste and sharps: safe route
Do not put sharps or infectious waste in normal bins. Stevenage has separate clinical waste and sharps routes.
Non-hazardous clinical waste
Sanitary towels, nappies, incontinence pads, stoma bags, catheter bags and minor first-aid dressings can usually go in the black refuse bin if not infectious. Double bagging is recommended.
Infectious waste
Infectious waste is collected separately in special sacks and is incinerated. Collections are free and depend on need.
Sharps boxes
Sharps boxes are collected monthly on a Wednesday. New sharps containers are standard 5-litre containers.
New customer
You need a referral from a GP, hospital or community nurse if you are new to the clinical waste collection service.
Caxton Way map and before-you-drive check
Use Google Maps for directions. Use the Hertfordshire page for live queue, bin availability, ePass and temporary notices.
Address
Stevenage Recycling Centre
Caxton Way, Stevenage, SG1 2DF
Before pressing Start
Confirm ePass, proof of address, opening status, accepted material and live container availability.
Official Stevenage waste links for final action
Use this guide for plain-English help. Use these official links for the final action.
Hours, address, ePass notice, live bin availability, queue camera and centre guidance.
Apply for car, van, trailer, hire vehicle or out-of-county ePass.
Two 50-litre bags, one bulky DIY item, own-home rule and four-visits rule.
Use your address to view or download current refuse and recycling collection dates.
Check conditions and report within two working days.
Food caddy, outdoor bin, liners and weekly collection guidance.
Prices, item list, booking rules and cancellation fee.
Sharps boxes, infectious waste and referral guidance.
Stevenage waste and recycling FAQs
What are Stevenage Recycling Centre opening hours?
Do I need to book Stevenage Recycling Centre?
What is the postcode for Stevenage Recycling Centre?
What proof of address should I bring?
Can I take a van or trailer to Caxton Way?
How much DIY waste can I take to Stevenage Recycling Centre?
Can I take asbestos to Stevenage Recycling Centre?
How do I report a missed bin in Stevenage?
What changed with Stevenage food-waste collection in 2026?
How much does Stevenage bulky collection cost?
Information checked and update note
Information was checked on 4 July 2026 against Hertfordshire County Council and Stevenage Borough Council pages. Opening hours, ePass rules, live bin availability, collection dates, prices and temporary service notices can change. Use the official links above before travelling, reporting or paying.
Internal link note: no internal WasteCollection.org article link was added because a directly relevant live sitemap-verified post was not confirmed in this final pass.