Hemel Hempstead tip on Eastman Way opens 10am to 5.30pm, shut Tuesday and Wednesday. Berkhamsted shuts Thursday and Friday. Christmas days and the ePass.

Hemel Hempstead recycling centre, the Hemel tip on Eastman Way off the Maylands estate, opens 10am to 5.30pm and is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday. Berkhamsted’s, on Northbridge Road, opens 8.30am to 4pm and is closed every Thursday and Friday. Because the closed days never overlap, one of Dacorum’s two tips is open on every normal day of the week. Both are run by Hertfordshire County Council, not Dacorum (Hertfordshire County Council: Hemel Hempstead; Berkhamsted).

The quick answer

  • Hemel Hempstead, Eastman Way HP2 7DU: 10am to 5.30pm, shut Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • Berkhamsted, Northbridge Road HP4 1EF: 8.30am to 4pm, shut Thursday and Friday.
  • Every car now needs a free ePass, and both centres close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Hemel tip opening times, day by day

Day Hemel Hempstead Berkhamsted
Monday 10am to 5.30pm 8.30am to 4pm
Tuesday Closed 8.30am to 4pm
Wednesday Closed 8.30am to 4pm
Thursday 10am to 5.30pm Closed
Friday 10am to 5.30pm Closed
Saturday 10am to 5.30pm 8.30am to 4pm
Sunday 10am to 5.30pm 8.30am to 4pm

Both centres say they are open on every bank holiday except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. There is no tip in Tring; Berkhamsted is the nearest.

These hours have applied since January. The county council announced that recycling centre opening hours were changing from 2 January 2026 (Hertfordshire County Council on Facebook). Before that the hours moved with the seasons: an archived copy of the Hemel page shows 10am to 6pm in September 2025 and 8am to 4pm in December 2025 (Wayback Machine, 14 September 2025; 13 December 2025). The council has not said whether winter hours return this year. This page will be checked when the clocks go back on 25 October.

Christmas and New Year 2026

Applying the council’s published rules to this year’s calendar gives this. The council has not published a separate festive timetable, so treat 28 December in particular as provisional.

Date Hemel Hempstead Berkhamsted
Tue 22 Dec Closed Open
Wed 23 Dec Closed Open
Thu 24 Dec, Christmas Eve Open Closed
Fri 25 Dec, Christmas Day Closed Closed
Sat 26 Dec, Boxing Day Closed Closed
Sun 27 Dec Open Open
Mon 28 Dec, bank holiday Open Open
Tue 29 Dec Closed Open
Wed 30 Dec Closed Open
Thu 31 Dec, New Year’s Eve Open Closed
Fri 1 Jan, New Year’s Day Closed Closed
Sat 2 Jan Open Open

Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve fall on a Thursday, Berkhamsted’s closed day, so only Hemel is open on either. Monday 28 December is the substitute Boxing Day bank holiday. The “open on bank holidays” rule says it should open, but the council has not confirmed it.

Both centres take real and artificial Christmas trees with the decorations removed, according to the Hemel page as archived in December 2025. Dacorum’s kerbside Christmas tree arrangements are on our Christmas bin collections page.

You need an ePass, even in a car

The county council’s ePass page is clear: “You must have an ePass to visit any Hertfordshire recycling centre.” It is free, and the camera reads your number plate on arrival. If you turn up without one, staff will help you apply on the spot, but only if you have proof of address with you; otherwise you are sent away (Hertfordshire County Council: ePasses).

The individual centre pages still carry an older line saying only vans, trailers and out-of-county visitors need one. Go by the ePass page. Hire vehicles can get an ePass too, valid for 7 days, and you must bring the hire agreement.

Who can use the Hemel tip

The centre page now spells it out: you can visit if you pay your Council Tax to a Hertfordshire council, and you should bring proof of address. The council lists a driving licence, a Council Tax bill, a Hertfordshire bus pass or a utility bill as acceptable. That rules out Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire residents just over the border; the nearest tips for them are run by their own county.

What they take, and what they do not

Both centres list the same bins, including wood, rubble, plasterboard, soil, fridges and freezers, small and large appliances, soft furnishings, textiles, garden waste and household batteries. They do not accept business waste, and DIY waste is limited (next section). Both pages carry a live queue camera, and the council advises avoiding school and bank holidays if you want a short wait.

DIY waste at the Hemel tip: the free allowance and the charges

Rubble, plasterboard, old kitchens and bathroom suites are where most people get caught out. The county’s DIY waste page sets the rules for every Hertfordshire centre, Hemel and Berkhamsted included (Hertfordshire County Council: DIY waste).

  • Free allowance: two 50 litre rubble bags, or one bulky item such as a bath, toilet, sink, door, fence panel, window frame or kitchen cupboard, per week. A bulky item can be no larger than 2000mm x 750mm x 700mm.
  • Saving it up: you can bring up to four weeks’ allowance in one visit, but then nothing more for four weeks, and no more than four DIY visits in any four weeks.
  • Your own work only: waste a builder leaves behind after paid work at your home is trade waste and is refused, even if you bring it in your own car.

Over the allowance, you can now pay by card on site rather than be turned away:

Extra DIY waste Up to 100 litres Large single item
Soil, hardcore, tiles, ceramics, timber, doors, fencing, worktops, plastic baths £10 £10
Plasterboard (bagged offcuts or a sheet) £12 £12
Bagged loft insulation £14 n/a
Fibreglass bath or shower tray, window or door frames n/a £14

The council says it charges the cheapest price that fits and that the standard free allowance is unchanged. Trade waste is not covered; the nearest paid business drop-off is at Ware or Welwyn Garden City, not Hemel.

Frequently asked questions

What time does the Hemel tip open?

10am to 5.30pm on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday; Berkhamsted is open on those days, 8.30am to 4pm.

Is the Hemel tip open on bank holidays?

Yes, every bank holiday except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Do I need to book the Hemel tip?

No booking, but every vehicle needs a free ePass, read from your number plate. Without one, staff will sign you up on the spot only if you have proof of address.

How much rubble can I take to the Hemel tip?

Two 50 litre bags a week for free, or one bulky item. Extra is £10 per 100 litres for rubble and soil, paid by card on site.

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