At the end of term there are a couple of ways to dispose of your unwanted items you can:
You can also find out more about reusing or recycling household items, bulky waste collections and our waste management pilot scheme.
Take extra waste to Hazel Court HWRC
If you have extra waste that doesn’t fit into a bag or your bin (if your street has a bin collection), then it is your responsibility to dispose of it in a responsible and legal way.
Please do not leave extra bags of waste next to your bin as this will not be taken by the refuse crews.
Take extra waste and recycling to Hazel Court Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) for disposal, free of charge.
If you use:
- a large vehicle (pick up, minibus, van or trailer), you must bring a current photographic Student Union card to avoid needing a permit
- a hire van, you must bring your hire agreement
- a car, you don't need a permit
If you use a large vehicle without a Student Union card, you must apply for a free permit.
Donate your unwanted goods to the British Heart Foundation
We're working with the British Heart Foundation ‘Pack for Good’ campaign, University of York and York St John University to make it easier to dispose of your unwanted goods, such as:
- clothes
- pairs of shoes
- books
- CDs
- DVDs
- small electrical items
- kitchenware
The British Heart Foundation provides a recycling bank for unwanted items at the following location:
- Jaipur Spice car park, Haxby Road
At York St John University, you will find recycling banks on Lord Mayor’s Walk campus and at residential sites.
At the University of York, you will find recycling banks on at each College. Off-campus, there are also recycling containers located at:
- Student Castle
- Hello Student accommodation
- The Boulevard
- Vita Students accommodation
- Brickworks
Reusing or recycling household items
Reuse or recycle furniture or electrical items through:
- York Community Furniture Store - collect and deliver furniture and electrical items free of charge
- British Heart Foundation - collect furniture and electrical items for free
- York Freecycle - open to all York residents who wish to offer an item for free rather than throw it away
Bulky waste collections
We provide bulky waste collections of up to 10 large items per week, such as furniture and domestic appliances.
Contact Waste, Highways and Environmental Services to arrange a collection.
Waste management pilot scheme
York has a large student population with many students living in residential areas with mixed household tenancies that change annually. Areas with a high tenancy turnover are often linked to increased complaints about waste presentation and fly tipping.
A waste management pilot scheme is taking place in Willis Street (Fishergate) and Eldon Street (Guildhall) from February 2026 to December 2028.
This is happening because there's a large student population on these roads and we'd like to educate students around waste management in advance of the end of their tenancies to reduce clean-up costs and prevent students leaving behind large quantities of waste when they move out as they are unsure of how to dispose of it.
This pilot scheme will involve posters about waste disposal being displayed on these roads as well as letters being sent out which provide information to landlords to help their tenants understand their legal responsibilities for waste. We'll also be sending surveys out to residents and we'd like your honest feedback. We would also ask that you report any waste presentation issues to us, to allow Officers to investigate and find a resolution.
If you live in Eldon Street or Willis Street and have any questions or would like surveys to be sent to you electronically email: neo@york.gov.uk.
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