What to do with

BUILDING MATERIALS

Where can I recycle? »

Bricks, building rubble, plasterboard and wood are not collected as part of your council’s household recycling scheme; however you can usually take them to your local household waste and recycling centre.

If you have building materials you need to get rid of, consider the following options:

Pass them on...  

Online

  • Go online to sites like Freecycle and Freegle to give it away for free;
  • Try advertising your surplus building materials online at sites such as eBayand Gumtree.

Friends, family and local events

  • Ask family and friends if they need them for any building projects they have planned;
  • Check locally - a community project near you may have a use for your building bits and pieces;
  • Advertise in local papers, shop windows or on community noticeboards.

Recycle it...

  • If you are unable to find any takers, you can get rid of most of your building materials at your local recycling centre. There are restrictions on how plasterboard is disposed of and this does vary across the country - so check with your council first;
  • You will need to provide your own transport. Contact the recycling centre to find out the opening hours which can vary for cars and vans;
  • If you are taking the building rubble in a van, check with the recycling centre whether you need any permission or ID to do so.

What else can I do?

  • Alternatively you can arrange for a skip to be delivered to your home to dispose of your building materials by a licensed waste disposal company.

Can it be reused?

  • If you have certain items like doors, radiators, sinks, taps etc that are in good condition why not try swapping them or giving them away?
  • Why not try making a homemade brick barbeque with any left over bricks and sand?

Can I do anything else with it?

  • Builder’s wood of any quality or grade can be used for many things, including a must-have for a keen recycler or gardener – a compost bin;
  • You could try selling your material to your local reclamation centre. Reclamation centres sell materials of all kinds – bricks, wood, fireplaces etc.