Places you can recycle

Barrowell Green Recycling Centre (Winchmore Hill, N21 3AR) provides household rubbish and recycling services for Enfield residents only. There are a number of other options if you want to dispose of commercial waste and recycling. You may not be allowed to access the centre if we think your rubbish is commercial.

Barrowell Green Recycling Centre is closed on Mondays.

Barrowell Green is closed on all bank holidays except Good Friday.

The centre is monitored by Automatic Number Plate Recognition and CCTV cameras are in operation 24 hours a day. 

The site can be accessed by cyclists.

Items we accept

• Aerosols
• Bicycles
• Cans
• Cardboard and paper
• Cooking and engine oil (up to 10 litres per month)
• Electrical goods
• Food and drink cartons
• Fridges and freezers (we don’t accept large American style ones)
• Furniture (we can reuse good quality furniture)
• Household and car batteries
• Household DIY rubbish (up to six builders type sacks per household per month)
• Garden waste
• Gas cookers
• Glass
• Gypsum (place in the plasterboard container)
• Lighting tubes and energy-saving bulbs (old style light bulbs should go in general waste)
• Plastic
• Plasterboard with foil, paint, wallpaper, and small amounts of battoning and fixings (up to six builders type sacks per household per month)
• Rubble and hardcore (up to six builders type sacks per household per month)
• Textiles
• Scrap metal
• Wood (if DIY rubbish, up to six builders type sacks per household per month)

Items we don’t accept

• Asbestos
• Corrosive products
• Gas bottles
• Hazardous waste
• Plaster
• Plasterboard with attached materials
• Tyres
• Wet plasterboard

There may be times when we are temporarily unable to accept some items for recycling. If this is the case, you can still dispose of them at the site or you can arrange another means of recycling them. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Bag splitting

Black bag splitting has been introduced at Barrowell Green Recycling Centre.

There will be a dedicated area for residents to leave filled black bags which the staff will then open and sort through removing any recycling from going into the rubbish bin. This is not compulsory and residents can request for their bags not to be opened.

A similar process is used in household rubbish and recycling sites elsewhere and has significantly increased recycling.

Reuse shop

If you've got things to donate or would like to find a treasure or two, visit our Revive reuse shop.

You will need to apply for a free permit to use a commercial vehicle before visiting Barrowell Green Recycling Centre. You will not be able to apply for permits on site. You will need to show your permit and may be asked for photographic proof of identity on arrival at the site. Vehicle permits don't guarantee access to dispose of your rubbish and recycling, as normal site controls still apply.

Vehicles that will need a permit include:

• vans
• pick-up trucks
• taxis and minibuses (unlicensed) with more than seven seats
• trailers
• ambulances (unless in an emergency)

You will need to include the vehicle registration number, and the vehicle make, model and colour in your application. Or, if you will be hiring a vehicle, you will need to state this in the application.

If you are towing a trailer, you will also need to include:

• length of the trailer (in metres)
• make, model and colour of the vehicle the trailer is attached to
• make, model and colour of the trailer
• number of axles of the trailer
• vehicle registration of the trailer

If your application is successful, you will get six permits per year for either the specified vehicle or for any hired vehicle. If you are using a hired vehicle, you will need to bring the hire documents as well as your permit to the centre.

Permits are sent by post and should arrive within ten working days.

Apply for a free vehicle permit to access Barrowell Green

You must let us know if you change address or vehicle, or your permits will be revoked. If you have lost or damaged your permit, we will replace it at our discretion. For more information, see our terms and conditions (PDF).

To encourage reuse and recycling, we have opened the Revive reuse shop at Barrowell Green Recycling Centre. The shop sells donated items including:

• antiques
• artwork
• bikes and bike parts
• books, CDs and DVDs
• clothing
• furniture
• garden items
• ornaments, trinkets and glassware
• toys and games

Profits will be used to support local projects and charities such as the Mayor's Fund.

Reuse and recycling helps protect the environment by reducing the need to extract, refine and process raw materials, which create a lot of air and water pollution. It also saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, to help tackle climate change.

Our opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, from 8am to 4pm.

You can visit the shop at:

Barrowell Recycling Centre
Barrowell Green
Enfield
N21 3AR