If your unwanted item is in re-useable condition, why not give it to someone who could use it, whether that’s family, friends, or a community group. A great website to use to donate your items is freecycle website (external link).
You could make money on your unwanted items by selling them locally on a car boot, Preloved (external link), Facebook or other selling websites and social media.
You can also take items to your local recycling centre at no charge.
Please also consider passing them on to your local charity. We have a variety of charity shops throughout the borough who will accept bric a brac, textiles, furniture, electrical items. Some charities/community groups even upcycle items. For more information, please see the details below.
Some charities/community groups even upcycle items.
Bulky Waste Collection Service
Alternatively, if your items are unable to be donated for reuse or upcycling, you can book a bulky waste collection.
By using the Council’s bulky waste collection, you know that you are disposing of your waste responsibly. If you give your waste to someone who is not a licensed waste carrier and it is dumped, you could face a fine or fixed penalty notice- just as if you dumped it yourself.
How much does it cost?
- 2 free collections of up to 5 bulky waste items per property in a 12 month period
- Extra collections in a 12 month period will cost £25 for up to five items.
Booking a collection
- Bookings are available three weeks in advance. There is a limit to the number of large items (like settees) that can be collected per day, due to the size and capacity of our delivery vehicles.
- Booking slots are made available daily on a rolling basis
- A single item is an individual piece, for example a dining table and chairs (up to 4) is considered two pieces. The same applies to a bed base, headboard and mattress which are taken as three items.
- Please make sure large items such as cupboards and fridges are empty (apart from their own fixtures).
Please note: clinical waste and trade waste will not be collected.
Where do I leave my items?
- Items must be covered and outside by 6:30am on the arranged collection day
- Easily accessible for the crew and any gates are unlocked
- Clearly identifiable on the front driveway or garden
- Only present the items booked for collection – other items not pre-booked will be left
- Pets are secured (collections may not take place where there is dog waste, or similar, or obstructing access to or around the items.
Important - Crews will not enter your property to remove items.
How do I book a bulky waste collection?
Please note, you cannot change or amend your booking online. You must contact bulkywaste@wigan.gov.uk to make any changes.
What we will collect
- Armchairs, sofas, pouffes
- Wardrobes (not dismantled)
- Bed bases, frames, mattresses, futons, sofa beds, headboards, cots
- Sideboards, cabinets
- Tables, chairs
- Bureaus, desks
- Bookcases
- Blanket box
- Chest of drawers, dressing tables
- Hi-fi units, TV stands/brackets
- Carpets, underlay, lino
- Ironing boards
- Suitcases
- Children's toys, car seats
- Bikes, exercise bikes, treadmills
- Step ladders
- Blinds
- Framed mirrors
- Lawnmowers, strimmers
- Garden furniture, sun loungers
- BBQs (no gas bottles)
- Wheelbarrows
- Cookers, ovens, hobs
- Freezers, fridges (Please ensure all food is removed)
- Microwaves
- Dishwashers
- Washing machines, dryers
- Computers (all parts), monitors
- Lawnmowers, strimmers
- Televisions, radios
- Small electrical items eg hairdryers, irons etc
- Free standing heaters
Items we won't collect
These items can be taken to your local waste and recycling centre instead.
- Any black bags of rubbish
- Any normal household waste
- Bathroom suite
- Bricks
- Doors (internal and external)
- Fire surrounds
- Fires
- Fish tanks
- Fluorescent tubes
- Glass
- Kitchen unit
- Ladders
- Piano
- Radiators/heaters
- Rubble
- Tiles
- Window frames
- Wood (including shelving)
- Wood flooring
- Worktops
- Any garden rubbish
- Fence panels
- Garage doors
- Gates (wooden and iron)
- Sheds
- Soil
- Trees
- Gas bottles
- Hazardous chemicals (oils, paint tins, asbestos)
Try to keep items clean and dry so they can be re-used or recycled.
Please note: clinical waste and trade waste will not be collected.
Private waste collectors
If you decide to use a private waste collector, remember to:
- Ask to see their waste carriers licence
- Get a receipt to confirm:
- What they’ve taken
- Where it will be disposed of
- Payment made
- Make a note of the vehicle registration
Find a licenced waste carrier near you (external link).
If you give your waste to someone who is not a licenced waste carrier and it is dumped, you could be fined up to £50,000, just as if you fly-tipped it yourself.