re3 has replaced the 100-litre-per-visit rule at Longshot Lane: households can now leave 400 litres of DIY waste, or four large items, free in any four weeks.
The free allowance for DIY waste at the Longshot Lane tip in Bracknell has changed. Households can now leave up to 400 litres of DIY waste, or four large items, without charge in any four-week period.
The old rule allowed 100 litres, or one large item, per visit. It applied only when a household had made no more than four DIY deposits in four weeks. The total is the same, but it no longer has to be split across four trips.
The change is in re3’s revised Waste Acceptance Policy, dated October 2026 (re3, Waste Acceptance Policy, October 2026, PDF). re3 is the waste partnership of Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham councils, and runs the recycling centres at Longshot Lane and at Island Road in Reading. The document was posted on re3’s website on 22 October. The previous version, from November 2025, set out the per-visit rule (re3, Waste Acceptance Policy, November 2025, PDF).
What has changed
Comparing the two versions of the policy, the changes for residents are:
- DIY waste: up to 400 litres, or four large items up to 200cm by 75cm by 70cm, free in a four-week period. It was 100 litres or one large item per visit.
- Chemicals: a new limit of 2 litres of household and garden chemicals per day.
- Paint: water-based paint that cannot be used, or a tin less than half full, should be hardened before you bring it. Leave the lid off to dry it out, or mix in sand, sawdust or paint hardener. Tins at least half full still go to the re3Paint reuse scheme.
- Hired vans: if you hire a van for less than three days and do not know its registration when you book, bring the hire agreement to show staff.
- Trade waste: the old policy let traders with a permit use the recycling centres. The new one says trade waste is not permitted there.
re3’s trade waste page says its permit scheme for small businesses is “currently suspended for new applications” (re3, trade waste service). Businesses can still pay to use the transfer stations next to both recycling centres.
What counts as DIY waste
The new policy lists nine categories:
- rubble, including concrete, granite, bricks, gravel, sand and tiles
- soil from landscaping
- bathroom items, including sanitary ware and cabinets
- plasterboard or gypsum
- kitchen items, including sinks, cupboards and worktops
- wood, including fence panels, shed panels and flooring or decking
- windows and doors
- roofing materials, including guttering, felt and insulation
- asbestos
Metal DIY items are free.
Will your load be free?
re3 has added a table of approximate boot sizes to help people judge their load. A hatchback boot holds about 400 litres, the whole four-week allowance. A full estate or SUV boot, at about 650 litres, goes over it.
re3’s site facilities page says a household’s DIY deposits are tracked through the booking system. It asks residents to say they are bringing DIY waste when they book (re3, site facilities). Staff at the gate inspect the load and check your recent deposits. Their decision on charges is final, the policy says.
What it costs over the allowance
The charges in the new policy match re3’s October 2025 price list (re3, Waste Acceptance Policy, October 2026, PDF; re3, DIY waste charges, October 2025, PDF):
| Waste | Charge |
|---|---|
| Rubble, soil, tiles, timber, bathroom and kitchen items, windows, doors, roofing | £3.20 per 25-litre bag or per item |
| Plasterboard or gypsum | £1.60 per 25-litre bag |
| Bonded asbestos | £8.40 per 20kg |
| Refillable gas bottle | £3.00 each |
Where some of a load is free, the cheapest items are the free ones. Payment is by card only, including prepaid cards, and American Express is not accepted.
What it means for you
If you are clearing a bathroom or a garden over a weekend, you can now bring the whole free amount in one trip instead of four. You still need to book a slot, up to seven days ahead. Bring proof of residency that shows your full address, which the policy requires for DIY waste.
One thing to watch: re3’s own site facilities page still says an asbestos visit “will be classed as one of the four visits”, wording from the old rule. If you are bringing asbestos as well as other DIY waste, ask when you book.
Opening hours are unchanged: 8am to 6pm from October to March. Our Bracknell tip opening times page has the booking link, the Christmas hours and the proof of address list, and the bin collection days page covers what goes in which bin at home.
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