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Bulky items, assisted collections, medical collections, needles and syringes

Details of our bulky item collection service, assisted collections and medical collections. Advice on disposing of needles and syringes.

More information

Before booking a bulky collection, please consider whether the items are suitable for reuse. There are several groups which can collect or accept items for reuse in North Lincolnshire. For more information on these schemes read our furniture reuse page.

If you are replacing your fridge, freezer, cooker, washing machine or dishwasher there are several ways you can dispose of it.  See Recycle Now website for more information.

If you are unable to take your bulky household items to one of our Household Recycling Centres, we offer an effective and inexpensive solution to remove bulky items from your home address.

Online form

The quickest way to request a bulky collection is by using our online form. After selecting your address, you will be presented with available collection dates to choose from – including the earliest date we would be able to remove your items. Please leave your items ready for collection by 7am on your chosen date.

How many items can be collected?

Each North Lincolnshire residential property can have one free collection (of up to three items) per rolling 12 month period.  For example, if you request a bulky collection on 10 August one year, you will be entitled to your next free collection from 11 August the following year. Second and subsequent collections of up to three items can be requested within this period but there will be a charge. A fourth item can be added to a collection for which there will be an additional charge.

Charges must be paid in advance using our online form.

We can collect:

  • Chairs
  • Bed (base, headboard, mattress are classed as three individual items)
  • Bicycles
  • Carpets (rolled and tied)
  • Cookers (including microwaves)
  • Fridges and freezers (clean inside and empty)
  • Headboards
  • Mattresses
  • Settees (a three piece suite is classed as three individual items)
  • Televisions
  • Washing machines

and many more items…

We cannot collect:

  • Asbestos
  • Bathroom suites
  • Boilers
  • Car or motorbike parts
  • Construction or demolition waste
  • Excess household waste, including cardboard
  • Garage doors
  • Garden waste
  • Glass, including windows
  • Kitchen units (cupboards, sinks)
  • Radiators
  • Wood, including sheds and fences
  • Oil storage tanks

If you are unsure if your item(s) qualify, please contact us.

Household bulky waste

The bulky item collection service is for household waste. We are unable to collect waste arising from construction or demolition, which includes improvement, repair or alteration. Items such as bathroom suites (including bathtubs, sinks and toilets), kitchen units (such as sinks and cupboards) and radiators are classed as part of the fixtures and fittings of a house, which we will not collect.

Some of our Household Recycling Centres accept these items for a charge. Have a look at our ‘What you can take‘ page for more information.

Business bulky waste

If your bulky waste is from a business, please visit our bulky commercial waste page.

We provide an assisted collection service for residents who are unable to present their bins, boxes and bags for emptying.

We collect and return all containers to the usual point of storage outside your property.

You must meet the following criteria to receive this service:

No other able bodied people in the household plus one of the following:

  • A blue parking badge
  • Disability registration
  • A physical or medical condition, infirmity, temporary injury, or pregnancy, leaving you unable to present your waste containers for collection

To receive this service please complete the online form by following the link below or call the Customer Contact Centre for more information.

Medical (clinical) waste is any waste that poses a threat of infection to humans. This can include:

  • Blood or other bodily fluids
  • Human or animal tissue
  • Excretions
  • Drugs or other pharmaceutical products
  • Swabs or dressings
  • Syringes, needles, or other sharp instruments

Removal of medical waste from a domestic property is free via your NHS contact (district nurse/doctor). Please contact them for further details.

Other medical waste

We can provide a larger general waste bin or a larger recycling bin to families where a resident suffers incontinence or a similar medical condition. This is not classed by the NHS as hazardous waste and as such can be placed in your general waste bin. If you or a member of your household suffers with incontinence, please contact the Customer Contact Centre for further details.

Needle or syringe on private space or land

This includes:

  • Houses
  • Gardens
  • Private road
  • Private land

You should inform the owner immediately. They will need to arrange for it to be collected and disposed of.

How to move a needle or syringe

  • Find a suitable container, for example, a metal tin, hard plastic tub, empty water or soft drink bottle, preferably with a lid. Do not use anything that could be easily pierced.
  • Wear heavy duty gloves and use tongs, pliers or tweezers to lift the object. Do not use scissors.
  • Pick up the needle or syringe at the end of the syringe plunger or barrel.
    Hold the tongs or pliers in one hand and place the container on a flat surface in a horizontal position then place the object sharp end first into the container. Turn the container upright and let the object drop inside. If the container has a cap, put it back on.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly.
  • Take the sealed container to Waste Services, Cottage Beck Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 1TS where it will be properly disposed of free of charge. Monday to Thursday: 8.30am to 4.30pm, Friday 8.30am to 4pm. (01724 297000)

What to do if you are injured by a needle

If the skin is broken contact your local doctor or contact the NHS on 111, 24 hours a day.

Encourage bleeding for a minute or two by pinching around the wound with your thumb and forefinger to push out any germs. Do not digest any of the fluid released.

If possible, note as much as you can about the syringe (if there is one), such as did it have fluid in it and if so what colour it was. If safe to do so, retain the syringe for examination by medical staff.

There is a low risk of getting a blood-borne infection from a needle injury, for example, HIV or Hepatitis. However, it is important to get immediate medical advice if you are injured by a needle.

What to do if you find a needle or a syringe.

If it is on public space or land, please report it via our online form or to our Customer Contact Centre, with as much detail as possible about the location and what you have found. Do not touch or move the item.

Public space or land includes:

  • Roads and pavements
  • Bus stations
  • Car parks
  • Public parks, grass verges and other open spaces
  • Public toilets
  • School playgrounds

If you use needles and injecting equipment these need to be disposed of safely.  A sharps container is available free of charge via your doctor or district nurse. Please contact them for further details.

If you have any used needles such as those used for the administration of insulin for pets, they must be disposed of in appropriate “sharps” bins which, when full, can close to prevent injury occurring from handling the needles.  Your vet should accept needles and syringes at the practice or provide you with the appropriate containers.