Buxton Tip (Waterswallows Recycling Centre): Opening Times, Rules and What You Can Take
Buxton tip at a glance
- Address: Waterswallows Industrial Estate, Waterswallows Road, Fairfield, Buxton, SK17 7JR
- Open: 8.30am to 6pm every day, longer than any other Derbyshire county tip. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
- Who can use it: Derbyshire residents with a registered vehicle. Vans need a permit every visit.
- Re-use shop: Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm.
- Too much for the car? Get free collection quotes.
Waterswallows Household Waste Recycling Centre, on the industrial estate at Fairfield, is the tip for Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Whaley Bridge, Dove Holes and the rest of the southern High Peak. It keeps longer hours than the other county tips, and it has its own re-use shop. Like every Derbyshire tip, you need a registered vehicle to get in. Here's what you need to know.
Buxton tip opening times
| Every day | 8.30am to 6pm |
| Closed | Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day |
| Address | Waterswallows Industrial Estate, Waterswallows Road, Fairfield, Buxton, SK17 7JR |
| Run by | Derbyshire County Council, with Suez |
That's an hour earlier and an hour later than the other county tips, which makes Waterswallows handy before or after work. The site can still close for short spells while skips are compacted.
The re-use shop
Waterswallows has a re-use shop selling good-quality items handed in at this site. It's open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm, and closes for lunch between 12.30pm and 1pm.
How Waterswallows is different
- Longer hours: 8.30am to 6pm, compared with 9.30am to 5pm at the other county tips.
- No free paint: every other county tip gives away donated paint, but Waterswallows doesn't.
- No carton banks, plastic bag and film recycling, or vape recycling. High Peak households can put cartons in their kerbside recycling instead.
Rather skip the trip up to Waterswallows?
Get a licensed collection from your door. Tell us what needs to go and we'll get you up to 3 free quotes.
Get free quotes →Before you go: register your vehicle
Waterswallows tip is a Derbyshire County Council site, so the county rules apply. Number plate cameras check every vehicle on the way in.
- Cars and pick-ups: register online with Derbyshire County Council before your first visit. You can register up to 2, and each registration lasts 7 years. If you registered before 9 November 2024, you need to register again.
- Vans up to 3.5 tonnes: you need a temporary permit for every visit. It's valid on the day you get it and the next day, so only apply once you know when you're going.
- Trailers: allowed with a load area up to 2 metres long, not counting the tow bar.
- Proof of address: bring a driving licence or a utility bill, as you may be asked for one.
What you can and can't take
The tip takes most household waste you've produced yourself: general rubbish, garden waste, furniture, mattresses, wood, metal, cardboard, glass, textiles and electrical items. There are limits on DIY waste:
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Rubble, concrete, soil and turf | About 50kg (2 × 25kg sacks) per visit per week |
| Plasterboard | About 50kg per visit per week, no whole sheets |
| Window frames or doors | 2 from a DIY project |
| Tyres | Up to 4 from a home vehicle, £4 each |
| Asbestos | Up to 2 sheets, £6 each, card only, wrapped and sealed |
| Carpet | One room |
Not accepted: trade or business waste, waste a builder has left with you, sheds, fencing and decking being taken down, fitted kitchens and whole bathroom suites, tree trunks and branches thicker than 150mm, Japanese knotweed, gas bottles and artificial grass. See our guide to every Derbyshire tip for the full rules.
Paid someone to take it? They can't use the tip
Once you pay someone to take your waste, it becomes their trade waste, and council tips won't accept it. A "man with a van" who says he'll drop it at the tip is a warning sign. Check anyone you pay on the Environment Agency register first.
High Peak council bulky collection
Buxton is in High Peak, and the borough council collects bulky items from your bin collection point:
| What | Price | On council tax or housing benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Bulky items | £21.63 for up to 4, then £4.84 each (up to 9) | £10.82 for up to 4, then £2.42 each |
| Large electrical items | £33.48 each | £16.74 each |
| Small electricals | Free | Free |
Bulky items are collected on Thursdays and electricals on alternate Fridays. In busy periods the next slot can be several weeks away. Fridges and freezers must be empty and under 80cm wide, so American-style fridge freezers aren't taken. Items go out at your bin point from 6am.
When the tip isn't the answer
| Your situation | Better option |
|---|---|
| A whole house, loft or garage to empty | House clearance |
| No van, or items too heavy to lift | Rubbish removal |
| Renovation rubble over the DIY limit | Builders' waste or skip hire |
| Sheds, fencing or a big garden clear-out | Garden waste removal |
| Business or trade waste | Commercial waste |
Get it collected instead
Too much for the car, no van permit, or items the tip won't take? Fill in the form or call 07348 454816. We pass your details to up to 3 licensed local companies and they quote you. Free, with no obligation.
Other tips near Buxton
Your registration works at every Derbyshire County Council tip. The other High Peak site is Glossop on Melandra Road, although the county council is deciding whether to close it. Heading south, the nearest is Northwood in Darley Dale.
Frequently asked questions
Waterswallows recycling centre near Buxton is open 8.30am to 6pm every day, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
Waterswallows Industrial Estate, Waterswallows Road, Fairfield, Buxton, SK17 7JR. It's run by Derbyshire County Council with Suez.
Yes. Register your car or pick-up online with Derbyshire County Council first. Vans up to 3.5 tonnes need a temporary permit for every visit.
Yes. The Waterswallows re-use shop is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm, closing for lunch from 12.30pm to 1pm.
No. Waterswallows is the only Derbyshire county tip that doesn't give away free paint.
High Peak Borough Council charges £21.63 for up to 4 bulky items, then £4.84 for each extra item up to 9. Large electrical items are £33.48 each, and small electricals are collected free.
This is an independent guide, not run by or affiliated with Derbyshire County Council. Details were checked on 26 October 2026 and can change, so check the council site before a big trip: Derbyshire recycling centres, Waterswallows recycling centre and High Peak bulky and electrical collections.