Recycling Centre in Gosport
Household waste recycling and council waste services
Gosport's household waste recycling centre is located on Grange Road, in the northern part of the borough close to the Rowner area. It is operated by Hampshire County Council as part of the county-wide network of household waste recycling centres, often referred to locally as the tip or the dump.
The Grange Road site accepts a wide range of household waste that cannot go in the regular kerbside bins. This includes bulky items such as furniture, mattresses, and carpets, as well as garden waste, wood, metal, electrical items, textiles, batteries, cooking oil, paint, and small quantities of rubble and soil. There are separate skips and bays for different materials, and staff on site direct visitors to the right area.
The site is open seven days a week, though hours vary by season. In summer, it typically opens earlier and closes later than in winter. It is worth checking the Hampshire County Council website for current opening times before visiting, as these can change. The site is closed on Christmas Day and may have reduced hours around other bank holidays.
To use the recycling centre, Hampshire residents need to register their vehicle. This is done online through Hampshire County Council's website and is free. The registration system was introduced to prevent commercial operators from using the site and to manage demand. You need to book a slot in advance through the online booking system, which was introduced during the pandemic and has remained in place. Slots are usually available within a day or two, but busy periods, particularly after bank holidays and at the start of spring when people clear out garages and gardens, can see slots fill up quickly.
Vans, trailers, and larger vehicles may face restrictions or require a separate permit. The standard booking is for cars and small vehicles. If you are using a trailer, you need to declare this when booking, and there are limits on the size of trailer permitted. Commercial waste is not accepted at the household site, and businesses must use licensed commercial waste carriers.
For items that are too bulky to take to the recycling centre yourself, Gosport Borough Council offers a bulky waste collection service. This is a paid service where the council will collect large items such as sofas, fridges, and washing machines from your property. The cost depends on the number and type of items. Booking is done through the council's website or by phone.
Kerbside recycling in Gosport covers mixed dry recycling in the green bin, which accepts paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and containers, tins, and cans. Glass bottles and jars go in a separate box. Food waste is collected weekly in a small caddy. The council's website has a detailed guide to what goes in which bin, which is worth consulting, as contamination of recycling bins with the wrong items is a common problem that can lead to entire loads being rejected.
Textile banks and bottle banks are located at various points around the borough, including supermarket car parks, for items that do not fit the kerbside collection.
Fly-tipping is an ongoing problem in parts of the borough, particularly in alleyways and less visible areas. The council actively pursues fly-tippers and encourages residents to report incidents through the online reporting tool. Using the recycling centre, the bulky waste service, or kerbside collections is the right way to dispose of waste, and the systems in place make it straightforward to do so without resorting to dumping.