High Wycombe’s household recycling centre is at High Heavens, on Clay Lane in Booker, on the south-western edge of the town. It serves High Wycombe and the villages around it, and it is the closest Buckinghamshire site to Marlow, which has no recycling centre of its own.
It is a seven-day site with 11 unloading bays, and it takes things the smaller centres turn away: asbestos, plasterboard, garden chemicals, the largest trailers the county allows, and trade waste.
There is no booking system. There are, however, permits — for vans, DIY waste, asbestos and walking in — and a DIY price list that turns a renovation load into real money. Here is how the site works in 2026. Opening days, permit rules and charges are reviewed by the council (charges on 1 April each year), so confirm the current details on buckinghamshire.gov.uk before you load the car.
Where is the High Wycombe tip?
The council lists the site as High Wycombe HRC, High Heavens, Clay Lane, Booker, SL7 3DJ. SL7 is a Marlow postcode; the site itself is in Booker, on the south-western edge of High Wycombe.
It has 11 spaces for vehicles to unload. The council says it is busiest on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and quietest on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, and it runs live webcams at the entrance and inside the site so you can check the queue before you leave. There is a virtual tour of the layout on the council’s page too.
The reuse shop is closed for now
The reuse shop at High Wycombe is temporarily closed. The recycling centre itself is open as normal, you can still hand in items for reuse, and the reuse centre at Aston Clinton recycling centre is open.
High Wycombe tip opening times
High Wycombe is a seven-day site on Buckinghamshire’s seasonal hours:
| Period | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Summer (1 Apr – 30 Sep) | Monday to Sunday | 9am – 6pm |
| Winter (1 Oct – 31 Mar) | Monday to Sunday | 9am – 4pm |
| Bank holidays | Open | Except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day |
The switch to winter hours on 1 October takes two hours off the end of the day, and it catches people out: a 4pm close rules out the after-work run that works all summer.
Closing time is not the last-entry time. In busy periods, especially at weekends, last entry may come before closing so that everyone already on site can unload and leave before the gates shut. The council can also close sites at short notice in severe weather or for essential maintenance.
Two Buckinghamshire sites are closed this autumn
Aylesbury has been closed for drainage works since 2 September and is expected to reopen in December 2026. Langley closed on 9 September and is expected back before Easter 2027. Until then, High Wycombe, Amersham, Aston Clinton and Beaconsfield are the only open Buckinghamshire sites that take asbestos, plasterboard and business waste, so check the webcams before a weekend trip.
Do you need a permit for High Wycombe tip?
Not in a car. Bring proof of a Buckinghamshire address, such as a driving licence or Council Tax bill, and drive in: no permit and no booking. You need a free e-permit, applied for before you travel, in four cases:
| Permit | You need it for | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | A van, pick-up, minibus (8 to 11 seats) or flatbed truck, or a trailer bigger than 1.2m × 0.9m | 31 days, renewable up to 90 |
| DIY waste | Using your free DIY allowance | 1 visit within 7 days |
| Walk-in | Bringing waste in on foot | 31 days, renewable up to 90 |
| Asbestos | Bonded asbestos (charged) | 1 year, up to 3 visits |
Permits stack: a van carrying DIY waste needs a vehicle permit and a DIY permit, and you show both before you tip. They arrive by email as a QR code, you need a council customer account to apply, and if the van is hired you must bring the hire documents. Drivers cannot park outside and walk waste in. Our Buckinghamshire waste permit guide covers how to apply, the account change that catches returning users out, and the phone line for anyone without internet access.
Which vehicles and trailers are allowed?
A permit does not override the vehicle rules. High Wycombe takes bigger trailers than most Buckinghamshire sites, but some vehicles are refused outright:
| Vehicle | Allowed at High Wycombe? | Permit |
|---|---|---|
| Car, 4x4, SUV or MPV | Yes | None |
| Car towing a trailer up to 1.2m × 0.9m | Yes | None |
| Van, pick-up, minibus or flatbed, 4 wheels maximum | Yes | Vehicle permit |
| Trailer bigger than 1.2m × 0.9m, up to 2.4m × 1.8m and 60cm high with a cover | Yes — one of five Bucks sites that take trailers over 1.8m × 1.2m | Vehicle permit |
| Tipper or tail-lift vehicle | No, unless using the paid trade service | — |
| More than 4 wheels | No, unless using the paid trade service | — |
| Over 7.5 tonnes, tractor or horsebox | No | — |
If your vehicle breaks these rules, staff will turn you away. The tipper and tail-lift ban is the one that ruins weekend clearances: the borrowed work van that makes a heavy load easy is exactly the vehicle the site will not admit.
Two smaller rules: on a vehicle permit, fridges, freezers, TVs and computer monitors are limited to two items a year, and children under 12 and pets must stay in the vehicle.
What does DIY waste cost at High Wycombe?
Household waste is free. DIY waste is not: Buckinghamshire counts anything from work on your home or garden — rubble and soil, fencing and sheds, kitchen units, bathroom suites, doors, windows and plasterboard — as DIY waste.
A DIY permit gets you one free load every 7 days: two 50-litre bags of DIY waste or one large item up to 2m × 0.75m × 0.7m. After 7 days you can apply for another. Beyond the allowance, or without a permit, you pay per item by credit, debit or pre-paid card — not cash:
| Price | Items |
|---|---|
| £4.20 | Bricks and rubble, cement, roof tiles, stones, gravel, sand or soil (per 25-litre bag) · paving slab · turf · fence panel or post · shed panel · internal door · flooring, decking, skirting or door frames (2m × 1m) · timber offcuts (per 25-litre bag) · loft insulation or roofing felt · guttering (up to 10m) · radiator · artificial grass · bath panel · sink · tiles (per 25-litre bag) |
| £6.50 | Car or motorcycle tyre (up to 5 car tyres a year) |
| £8.30 | Bath and panel · toilet pan · toilet cistern · bidet · bathroom sink and pedestal · fitted bathroom cabinets · kitchen unit · empty oil tank |
| £10 | Plaster or gypsum (per 25-litre bag) |
| £11.80 | Plasterboard sheet (2m × 1m) |
| £12.50 | Kitchen worktop (2m × 1m) |
| £16.60 | Window · external door · greenhouse panel · shower tray · shower screen or door · toilet pan, cistern and seat · fireplace · storage heater · wood burner or stove · empty water tank |
| £25.20 | Whole shed (up to 2m × 2m, about 7 panels) |
| £29.40 | Boiler |
| £5.80 per m² | Bonded asbestos (asbestos permit needed) |
Anything not on the list is priced by site staff from the current price list, and their decision is final. Plasterboard must be stripped of tiles, wood and other materials first, and only six of the ten Buckinghamshire sites take it — High Wycombe is one.
Do the arithmetic before you load
A bathroom refit — bath and panel, toilet pan, cistern and seat, basin and pedestal, shower tray and four bags of tiles — comes to £66.60 at these prices, less whatever your one free item covers, and it needs a vehicle that will carry a bath. With us, a small load starts from £95 and a quarter load from £195, with the carrying done for you. For one small job the tip is still cheaper; for a whole renovation spread across several weekly permits, the gap closes quickly.
What you can take to High Wycombe for free
With proof of a Buckinghamshire address, High Wycombe takes the full household range free: general waste, garden waste, paper and cardboard, furniture (including broken-up or dismantled furniture), mattresses, carpet, fridges, cookers and other large appliances, small electricals, TVs and monitors, clothing and textiles, batteries, aerosols, gas bottles, cooking oil, coffee pods and vapes. Books and plant pots are collected for reuse, and paint is taken if it has hardened — or donated to the paint reuse scheme if more than half the tin is left.
Hazardous household waste is capped each year at normal household amounts:
| Item | Limit per year |
|---|---|
| Fluorescent tubes | 4 |
| Car batteries | 2 |
| Engine oil | 10 litres |
| Chemicals, including garden chemicals | 5 litres |
| LPG gas cylinders | 2 |
Garden chemicals, paraffin, petrol and diesel are taken free, up to 5 litres, in their original containers or a proper fuel can, which you leave at the site.
Asbestos is accepted with an asbestos permit, under strict rules: bonded asbestos only, with all wood, glass, plastic and metal removed, double-wrapped in 1000-gauge polythene and taped, and kept damp — never cut, broken, sawn or rubbed. You can bring up to three bin bags or four sheets a visit, at £5.80 per square metre. A member of staff dampens the container and you place the asbestos in it yourself. Items with asbestos inside, such as old storage heaters, need a specialist removal company instead.
What High Wycombe will not accept
Permit or not, these are refused at High Wycombe and every other Buckinghamshire site:
- Dead animals, carcasses and faeces
- Large quantities of animal bedding (1 to 2 bags a week from small domestic pets, double bagged)
- Materials presenting a direct contact risk
- Tree trunks and branches thicker than 20cm or longer than 2m
- Flammables and explosives, such as fireworks or ammunition
- Storage heaters containing asbestos — anything pre-1980, or models with SR at the end of the model number
The council’s wider list adds car parts, including bumpers, treated wood such as creosoted timber and railway sleepers, and invasive non-native plants — Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam and rhododendron ponticum. The 20cm and 2m limit on trunks and branches is the one that catches people after tree work: a trunk thicker than 20cm will not go in, however short you cut it.
Leaving waste outside the gates when the site is shut is fly-tipping, and the council says you could be prosecuted: it uses CCTV and number-plate recognition cameras to investigate offences.
Business and trade waste at High Wycombe
High Wycombe is one of five Buckinghamshire sites with the council’s paid trade waste service, alongside Amersham, Aston Clinton, Aylesbury and Beaconsfield — and Aylesbury is closed until December. Businesses can use it Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, in commercial vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes. See a member of staff before you unload: waste is charged by weight and type, and you leave with a waste transfer note.
| Waste type (prices incl. VAT) | Up to 250kg | 251–600kg | Over 601kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| General waste | £79.10 | £141.50 | £235.90 a tonne |
| Mixed clean recyclables | £59 | £108.60 | £145.20 a tonne |
| Clean green waste | £49.70 | £93.20 | £125.20 a tonne |
| Construction waste: soil, rubble, plasterboard, timber, windows, doors, bathroom and kitchen suites | £106.20 | £253.70 | £422.40 a tonne |
A mixed load is charged at the rate for the most expensive waste in it, so garden waste with general waste on top is charged as general waste. Cards and business cheques are accepted, cash is not. Businesses cannot bring air-conditioning units, asbestos, batteries, chemicals or paint, commercial fridges and freezers, computer monitors, fluorescent tubes, gas bottles, cooking or engine oil, TVs or tyres.
Landlords, take note: Buckinghamshire classes waste from a rented-out property, cleared by or for the landlord, as commercial waste. An end-of-tenancy clear-out does not go through the household gate for free.
Using High Wycombe from outside Buckinghamshire
If you do not live in Buckinghamshire you can still use the site, but you pay an access fee every visit, set by your vehicle and your waste, with any DIY charges on top:
| Vehicle | Garden waste | Mixed recycling | General waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small car (Fiesta, Corsa) | £28.80 | £33.40 | £37.40 |
| Medium car (Kuga, Sportage) | £65.60 | £75.50 | £99.20 |
| Large car, SUV or small van | £124.80 | £145.10 | £236.40 |
| Large van (Transit, Sprinter) | £187.10 | £217.70 | £472.70 |
Prices include VAT, and payment is by card only. The bands are by size: a small car is under 1.5m high and 4m long, a medium car up to 1.75m by 4.75m, and a large car or small van up to 2m by 4.75m; anything bigger counts as a large van. Slough residents do not pay the fee. Oxfordshire residents cannot use High Wycombe at all — Buckinghamshire admits them, for a charge, only at Bledlow Ridge.
Tip run yourself, or a man-and-van collection?
For a car-load of household waste on a day the site is open, High Wycombe is free, and nothing we offer beats free. The comparison only tips our way when a load needs permits, a vehicle the site will not admit, repeat trips, or lifting you cannot do:
| Your job | High Wycombe, doing it yourself | Collected by Van Thats Quick |
|---|---|---|
| A boot-load of household or garden waste you can lift | Free with proof of address | Minimum load £95; garden bag run (up to 8 bags) £59 — the tip is cheaper |
| A bathroom refit: bath, toilet, basin, shower tray, four bags of tiles | Up to £66.60 in DIY charges, less one free item on a DIY permit | Small loads from £95, a quarter load from £195, carried out for you |
| A big garden clearance | Free for green waste, a car-load at a time; nothing over 20cm thick or 2m long | Garden waste: minimum £79, quarter load £139, half £215, full Luton £345 |
| A borrowed tipper or tail-lift van full of rubbish | Refused at the gate, permit or not | Half load from £320, a full Luton van from £495 |
| Clearing a rented property as the landlord | Commercial waste: trade rates by weight, weekdays only | We clear rented properties between tenancies; see house clearance |
| You need a crew, not a tip — a move or a big lift | You load and unload it yourself | Man and van £89/hr for a two-person crew, 2-hour minimum £178; half day (4 hrs) £340; full day (8 hrs) £640 |
Every collection is priced by how much of our Luton your load fills, and a two-person crew does the loading:
| Load | Approx. volume | Our fixed price |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum charge | 1.5 cu yd | £95 |
| ¼ van | 7 cu yd | £195 |
| ½ van | 14 cu yd | £320 |
| ¾ van | 18 cu yd | £405 |
| Full van | 22.7 cu yd | £495 |
The honest summary: use the tip for anything you can lift into a car on a day it is open, and use your free DIY permit before you pay per item. A collection makes sense when the job needs a vehicle the site will not admit, would take several weekly DIY permits, or means carrying furniture down the stairs of a house you cannot empty yourself. We cover High Wycombe, Beaconsfield, Amersham and Chalfont St Giles. For bin days and the garden subscription, see our High Wycombe waste collection guide; for the council’s own bulky collection, our Buckinghamshire bulky waste guide; and for the other Bucks sites, our South Bucks tip guide.
High Wycombe recycling centre FAQs
Where is the High Wycombe tip?
High Wycombe Household Recycling Centre, High Heavens, Clay Lane, Booker, SL7 3DJ. It is run by Buckinghamshire Council and has 11 spaces for vehicles to unload.
What time does High Wycombe tip close?
6pm from 1 April to 30 September and 4pm from 1 October to 31 March. It opens at 9am every day, including bank holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. At busy times last entry can be earlier than the closing time.
Do I need to book at High Wycombe recycling centre?
No. Buckinghamshire has no booking system. Bring proof of a Buckinghamshire address, and get a free e-permit before you go if you are arriving in a van or pick-up, bringing DIY waste or asbestos, or walking in.
Do I need a permit for a van at High Wycombe tip?
Yes. Vans, pick-ups, minibuses with 8 to 11 seats, flatbed trucks and vehicles towing a trailer bigger than 1.2m by 0.9m need a free vehicle permit, valid for 31 days and renewable up to 90. Tipper and tail-lift vehicles are refused even with a permit.
How much does DIY waste cost at High Wycombe tip?
A DIY permit covers one free load every 7 days: two 50-litre bags or one large item. Beyond that the charges run from £4.20 for a 25-litre bag of rubble or soil to £29.40 for a boiler, with plasterboard at £11.80 a sheet. Card only.
Does High Wycombe tip take asbestos?
Yes, with an asbestos permit that lasts a year and covers three visits. Bonded asbestos only, double-wrapped in 1000-gauge polythene, up to three bin bags or four sheets a visit, at £5.80 per square metre.
Can I take business waste to High Wycombe tip?
Yes, on the paid trade waste service, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, in vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes. It is charged by weight: general waste is £79.10 up to 250kg including VAT. Cash is not accepted.
Is the High Wycombe reuse shop open?
Not at the moment. The reuse shop is temporarily closed, but the recycling centre is open as normal, you can still hand in items for reuse, and the reuse centre at Aston Clinton is open.
More than one DIY permit can handle?
Same-day collection across High Wycombe, Marlow, Beaconsfield and the Chilterns. No permits, no weekly allowance, and a two-person crew does the loading. From £95.