If you want to take your household waste to one of our recycling centres using a van, pick-up truck or twin axle trailer you will need to apply for a permit.
This includes if you are hiring a van. The recycling centres are for Greater Manchester resident’s household waste only, strictly no trade waste.
No vans over 5.3m or 3.5 tonnes are allowed on any of the recycling centres.
If you have any issues or queries regards your van permit please email: gmcavanpermit.uk@Suez.com
Any van, car derived van or campervan.
Any pick-up truck.
Any vehicle towing a twin axle trailer.
Any hired van.
You do not need a permit to visit a recycling centre in a car or 4×4 (that isn’t a pick-up truck).
You do not need a permit if you are towing a single-axle trailer.
Answer a few questions to find out if you need to apply for a van permit
▶ Your vehicle must be registered to your home address, which must be in one of the nine councils in Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford). We may ask for proof of address.
▶ Permits can only be used to dispose of household waste from your own home.
▶ Business, trade or commercial waste is not allowed at our recycling centres. Find out more about business waste disposal.
✔ Once your application has been processed you will receive an email confirmation with your permit details. Please check your spam/junk folder.
✔ Your permit will be assigned to your vehicle , so you don’t need to show anything when you arrive – our system will automatically show us your permit details.
✔ Permits are processed within 2 working days (not including Bank holidays and weekends)
Make sure you have your vehicle details ready. You will need to apply for a permit account 2 working days before your first visit.
Take the test to quickly find out if you need a permit!
If you wish to use a van, hire van, pick up truck, or twin axle trailer to take your household waste to a recycling centre, then you need to apply for a permit before you visit.
The use of anything towed that is not a trailer originally designed for the purpose of carrying goods is not permitted and will be refused entry to the household waste recycling centres if carrying waste for disposal.
Any vehicle (including vans) carrying trade waste are not permitted at the household waste recycling centre. The sites are for residents who wish to dispose of their household waste.
The permit applies to any van designed to carry cargo, pick-up trucks and cars towing a twin axle trailer. It also applies to any car, MPV or SUV or other vehicle that appears to have been adapted to operate like a van (for example by the removal of seating to increase the space inside)
Site operatives have the right to refuse entry of such vehicles without a permit.
The permit applies to any van under 5.3 meters designed to carry cargo, all pick-up trucks and cars towing a twin axle trailer. It also applies to any car, MPV or SUV or other vehicle that appears to have been adapted to operate like a van (for example by the removal of seating to increase the space inside) and appears to be a commercial-type vehicle.
The use of anything towed that is not a trailer originally designed for the purpose of carrying goods is not permitted and will be refused entry to the household waste recycling centres if carrying waste for disposal.
Site operatives have the right to refuse entry of such vehicles without a permit.
Any vehicle (including vans) carrying trade waste are not permitted at the household waste recycling centre. The sites are for residents who wish to dispose of their household waste.
You will need to upload a copy of your V5C form (logbook) for the van, pick-up truck or the car that will be used to tow the twin axle trailer.
Also
You will need to upload proof of your address, this can be in the form of a valid full UK photo driver’s licence, utility bill (such as gas, electric, landline or broadband package contract). These bills need to be dated within the last 3 months of issue. Also accepted are a current annual Council tax or water bill. If you do not have access to a paper copy of these documents a screenshot of the online account can be uploaded but must clearly show name and address details.
Permits are processed within 2 working days (not including Bank holidays and weekends).
The permit is free of charge.
The permit is valid for 12 months (1st April to 31st March). The visit limits are reset each year, you do not have to reapply.
If you do not visit within a 12 month period, the account will be deleted according to data protection rules.
Once your application has been approved, your permit is attached to your vehicle registration – when you arrive on site an operative will enter your vehicle registration into our system to validate.
Vans and trailers can visit the recycling centre 18 times per year.
The number of visits automatically reset to 18 from the 1st April. Any application made part way through the Permit Scheme year will be pro-rated so that applicants receive an allocation of 1.5 visits per calendar month (including the month the application was accepted). Where remaining visits include a half visit (for example, if the application was accepted in January, 4.5 visits would be allocated) this will be round up to the nearest whole visit.
Definition: Based on a car design, having no rear seats, seatbelts, or mountings.
Your permit is valid at any household waste recycling centre in the 9 council areas of Greater Manchester. Find your nearest recycling centre here.
For residents living in Wigan, please visit https://www.wigan.gov.uk/
If you have a pick up truck, campervan or minibus you can only use some of our larger sites, listed below:
If you are visiting your local Household Waste Recycling Centre to dispose of household waste using a hire van, pick-up truck or a twin axle trailer you will need a permit. The hire van must be less than 5.3 metres long.
Please note: You will need to apply for a permit account 2 working days before your first visit.
Before hiring the van, pick-up truck or twin axle trailer you will first need to create an account to confirm you are a Greater Manchester resident.
If you have a lease hire vehicle, please upload your lease hire agreement. This needs to be in the applicant’s name showing, address, postcode along with the registration plate of the vehicle. You will still need to provide proof of address.
Yes, but the van must be under 5.3 metres and the owner of the van must apply for the van permit and be a resident of Greater Manchester (excluding Wigan). Applications can take 2 working days to process.
If you have access to a company vehicle please upload a letter from your employer stating that you can use the company vehicle for personal use. This needs to be on a letter headed document showing the company name, address, postcode and contact details along with the registration plate of the vehicle. You will still need to provide proof of address. The vehicle must be less than 5.3 metres long and less than 3.5 tonnes.
Again, such a vehicle can only be used to deliver the resident’s own household waste to the recycling centre.
Yes, you can bring a trailer into the site. The reason for this is if a vehicle has an attached trailer, they are articulated and able to get around tight bends at some of the recycling centres. Residents using twin axle trailers need a permit to access the recycling centres.
A trailer (whether single or double axle) that was not purposely designed and built as a carrying trailer (for example, trailers adapted from caravans, trailer tents, sub-frames), will be refused a permits and/or entry into the HWRCs.
No, if you drive a vehicle adapted to carry a wheelchair, you do not need to apply for a permit. If your disability adapted vehicle is over 5.3 metres long you must now visit one of the following 10 sites but do not need a permit:
Campervans and minibuses greater than 5.3 metres in length must now visit one of the following 10 sites listed below but do not need a permit. These sites have better access for larger vehicles and allow us to avoid obstructions and safety issues.
You can visit any of these sites in this vehicle to dispose of household waste, even if you live in a different area of Greater Manchester.
The recycling centres are for household waste, the road layouts and parking bays are designed for cars. Large commercial type vehicles over 5.3 metres long cannot safely move around all the sites. For the safety of all users, we have reviewed the access arrangements for pick up trucks at the recycling centres we operate in Greater Manchester. You can visit any of these larger sites to dispose of household waste, even if you live in a different area of Greater Manchester. Please note you will still need a permit.
If you have a pick up truck, campervan or minibus you can only use some of our larger sites, listed below:
No only one permit is allowed per household.
No, only one permit is allowed per household.
No, if you are having work done by tradespeople, then this is classed as trade waste and is chargeable. Your trader should remove their waste and dispose of it at a trade waste facility or by using a skip. Traders may build these costs into your overall service charge.
We process your application within 2 working days (excluding bank holidays and weekend) please check your spam folder on your emails. Please contact gmcavanpermit.uk@Suez.com if it has been longer than 2 working days.
New build postcodes are sometimes not recognised on our database system, please contact gmcavanpermit.uk@Suez.com. You will be required to upload a copy of your council tax bill. Once it is verified that the address is in Greater Manchester (excluding Wigan) you will be notified that you can apply for a permit.
