All five Shropshire recycling centres open 9am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Cars do not book; vans and trailers must.
All five of Shropshire Council’s household recycling centres are open 9am to 5pm, seven days a week. They close on three days a year: Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. If you arrive by car you do not need to book.
The quick answer
- Open 9am to 5pm every day, at Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Whitchurch and Craven Arms.
- Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day only.
- Cars: no booking. Vans, trailers over 1.2m and some 4x4s must book, up to six days ahead, and are limited to 12 visits a year.
The five sites
Every site keeps the same hours, Monday to Sunday, according to each centre’s own page on the council website.
| Recycling centre | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Shrewsbury | Vanguard Way, Battlefield Enterprise Park, SY1 3TG | 9am to 5pm daily |
| Oswestry | Mile Oak Industrial Estate, SY10 8GA | 9am to 5pm daily |
| Bridgnorth | Faraday Drive, WV15 5BA | 9am to 5pm daily |
| Whitchurch | Waymills, SY13 1TT | 9am to 5pm daily |
| Craven Arms | Long Lane, SY7 8DU | 9am to 5pm daily |
Christmas and New Year
The council’s wording is the same on every site page: “Recycling centres are open every day of the year, except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.”
On this year’s calendar that means:
| Date | Open? |
|---|---|
| Thursday 24 December 2026, Christmas Eve | Open 9am to 5pm |
| Friday 25 December, Christmas Day | Closed |
| Saturday 26 December, Boxing Day | Closed |
| Sunday 27 December | Open 9am to 5pm |
| Monday 28 December, bank holiday | Open 9am to 5pm |
| Thursday 31 December, New Year’s Eve | Open 9am to 5pm |
| Friday 1 January 2027, New Year’s Day | Closed |
| Saturday 2 January | Open 9am to 5pm |
That table applies the council’s standing rule to the 2026 dates. The council has not published a separate Christmas 2026 notice for the centres, and it did not list them among the services with special hours on its Christmas opening page last year. If it announces an early close on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, we will change the table.
The days after Christmas are the ones to use if your bin round has moved. See Shropshire Christmas bin collections.
Who has to book
The booking system began on 4 November 2024. Since 17 February 2025 it has applied only to larger vehicles, the council’s bookings page says. Some of the individual site pages still tell every visitor to book a slot. The bookings page is the one that is up to date.
No booking needed:
- cars, estates and people carriers, with no trailer or a trailer up to 1.2m by 0.9m inside
- 4x4s with rear seats and windows and no pick-up body
- camper vans and minibuses under 5m long and 2.1m high, with seats and fittings in place
Booking needed:
- cars towing a trailer between 1.2m and 2.4m long inside
- 4x4s with a goods or pick-up body, or without rear seats and windows
- camper vans and minibuses with the seats and fittings removed
- vans under 5m long and 2.1m high, owned or hired by the resident
Not allowed in at all: anything over 5m long or 2.1m high, flatbeds, pick-up trucks other than 4x4s, tippers, Luton box vans, agricultural vehicles, horse boxes and stock trailers (vehicle and trailer restrictions).
Trailers longer than 2.4m inside can bring garden waste only, and only between 9am and 11am on weekdays.
How booking works
From the council’s booking FAQs:
- Slots can be booked up to six days ahead, and often on the same day.
- A slot is 30 minutes on weekdays and 60 minutes at weekends.
- The limit is 12 visits a year. The waste team can allow more in some circumstances: wastemanagement@shropshire.gov.uk.
- For a hired van, enter the registration, or “Hire Van” if you do not have it yet.
- No internet: call 0345 678 9007 between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday.
What to bring
Bring proof that you live in Shropshire. The council accepts a driving licence, a utility bill or a council tax bill, on paper or on a phone. Car drivers “may be asked” for it; van and trailer drivers will be.
If you are clearing the home of a relative who lived in Shropshire, bring proof of their address.
Telford residents, and Telford’s tips
The council’s recycling centres page now carries a notice: following a decision by Telford and Wrekin Council, Shropshire residents cannot use Telford’s recycling centres. Telford and Wrekin residents can still use Shropshire’s, and must book if they come with a van or trailer.
Residents of other neighbouring council areas cannot use Shropshire’s sites.
What the sites will not take freely
- DIY waste is limited to 0.5 cubic metres a month, which the council describes as a small car boot. Staff can refuse a larger load.
- Asbestos needs a call to 0345 678 9007 first, to collect free wrapping from the site. The council asks people not to turn up with it unannounced.
- Business waste is banned. Bringing it is an offence under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
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