Special (bulk) uplifts

You can request an uplift using our online form below.

Charges

Your first standard bulk uplift request from 1 April to 31 March is free of charge. Further uplifts in the same year will be charged at the normal rate of £34.04. Payment for further uplifts will be made online using a credit or debit card at the end of the booking process. Please have your payment card details to hand when starting your booking.

Standard uplift

A standard uplift includes the collection of up to 20 items. We will only collect items detailed in the bulk uplift request. Non-standard uplifts (for example large-scale DIY projects such as renovations materials, kitchens and full bathroom suites) will not be treated as a free uplift or charged at the normal rate and will be assessed and charged accordingly. For further information on non-standard uplifts please call 0303 123 1020. Our special bulk uplift service is not for use by letting agents, landlords, contractors, or any commercial organisations.

Collection timescales

Under normal circumstances, a request for a bulk uplift would be actioned within five days of the collection day that we specify.

Uplifts over the festive period

Special bulk uplifts will be suspended over Christmas and New Year, the last uplift date will be Friday 22 December 2023. The first uplift date of 2024 will be on Monday 8 January 2024.

Assistance with bulk collections

Unfortunately, we are unable to enter homes to assist with bulk collections.

If you are elderly or disabled and have no one else in the household able to assist, we can uplift items from your driveway or garden.  Our customer contact centre can help arrange this service on your behalf.

Items we don't collect

We will not collect garden waste, car batteries, chemicals (unless specifically arranged), gas bottles and canisters, asbestos, oil, car tyres, clinical and hazardous waste, supermarket trolleys, concrete foundations, slabs and lintels, creosote, motorized wheelchairs, and fluorescent tubes. We will only collect items detailed in the bulk uplift request. You can also dispose of all these items at our waste and recycling centres.

White goods and scrap metal

We take some items such as fridges, freezers and scrap metal such as radiators and boilers separately for recycling.

Fridges/freezers MUST be emptied of all food and defrosted before being presented for uplift.

Mirrors and panes of glass can be collected as part of the special uplift service if the items are suitably wrapped as per the guidance provided in How to prepare your special uplift. You can also dispose of all these items at our waste and recycling centres.

How to prepare your uplift

You should read How to prepare your special uplift before putting it out for collection. We can uplift a maximum of 20 items at a time.

Please do not place your bulky items out any earlier than the day before your scheduled collection date as this may be reported as an incidence of fly-tipping.  

How to cancel an uplift or make changes

If you have booked an uplift and no longer need it, please contact Waste and Grounds Services. If your bulk uplift is due, and you no longer need it or would like to make changes, please phone our customer contact centre on 0303 123 1020.

Uplift not collected

If your waste isn't collected please leave it at the kerbside and we will get to it as soon as we can. Bad weather or a vehicle breakdown can mean we run late with collections.

Charity donations

To help reduce the waste that you put into your bins you could also consider donating the following items to local charity shops:

• clothing
• DVDs, CDs, and games
• crockery and ornaments
• books
• small general household items
• toys and jigsaws

Recycle for Scotland

If your item is still in good condition Zero Waste Scotland’s Re-use Line will list the local charities and social enterprises that can collect items suitable for re-use in your area. They can accept a range of large household items, including furniture in a re-useable condition, soft furnishings such as sofas, mattresses and armchairs that have fire regulation labels attached and electrical items such as washing machines, fridges and cookers in good working order.

Simply enter your postcode below to find a local re-use organisation that can collect near you and then contact them directly to arrange a collection. Only items the organisations think they can sell will be uplifted, so collection cannot be guaranteed. You can also visit Zero Waste Scotland - Recycling for more information.