Worthing tip on Willowbrook Road now closes at 4pm until 31 March, and you must book a slot to drive in. Last winter it shut Thursdays and 25, 26 Dec and 1 Jan.

Worthing’s tip, the one locals call the Worthing dump, is the Worthing Recycling Centre on the Hambridge Trading Estate, Willowbrook Road, BN14 8NA. West Sussex County Council runs it, not Adur & Worthing Councils, and you cannot drive in without a booked slot. Most of what you take is free; tyres are the main exception.

The quick answer

  • Winter hours are now in force: 9am to 4pm until 31 March. Summer hours of 9am to 6pm return on 1 April.
  • Book a slot first, online or on 01243 642106. Walking, cycling or on a mobility scooter, you do not need one.
  • Last winter it was closed on Thursdays, and every West Sussex tip was shut on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Updated 2 October: winter hours began on 1 October, but the county has not yet published which day, if any, each centre will close this winter.

Opening hours

The county’s page for the Worthing centre gives summer hours of 9am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday, between 1 April and 30 September. Between 1 October and 31 March it “will be open until 4pm” (West Sussex County Council, Worthing Recycling Centre).

That page does not mention a closing day. Last winter there was one. On 26 September 2025 the county announced that from 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026 every centre would open 9am to 4pm, and that “some centres will close for an additional day each week” (West Sussex County Council, 26 September 2025). For the two centres nearest Worthing, that meant:

Opening days at the recycling centres nearest Worthing
CentreSummer (to 30 Sep)Winter 2025/26, 9am to 4pm
Worthing, Willowbrook Road, BN14 8NAEvery day, 9am to 6pmMon to Wed and Fri to Sun; closed Thursdays
Shoreham-by-Sea, Brighton Road, BN43 6RJWed to Sun, 9am to 6pm; closed Mon and TueWed to Sun

The county has still not announced this winter’s days. Its notice last year came out on 26 September. As of 2 October nothing has appeared on its news page, and the Worthing centre’s own page gives only the 4pm closing time. Until it does, check the booking system before you set off: it only offers slots on days the centre is open.

Booking a slot

You must book to drive into any West Sussex recycling centre except the mobile ones (Book to Recycle).

  • Up to five visits a calendar month.
  • Book up to 14 days ahead, or on the same day if a slot is free.
  • You need the registration number of the vehicle you will arrive in, your address and your email address. If you get the registration wrong you have to cancel and rebook; it cannot be changed.
  • The booking must be in the name of the person attending. If you hire a van, use the hired vehicle’s registration and bring the hire paperwork.
  • No internet? Call 01243 642106, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.
  • Staff can ask to see your booking confirmation and proof that you live in West Sussex.

The county warns that “demand is high over certain periods, such as bank holidays”, and asks people to cancel slots they will not use.

Vehicles and walking in

The Worthing centre takes vehicles more than 2.2 metres high. It does not take Luton vans, horseboxes, twin-axle trailers, tippers, flatbeds, drop-sides, or anything over 3.5 tonnes gross (Worthing Recycling Centre).

You can visit on foot, by bicycle or on a mobility scooter without booking. Hand your waste to staff. The county’s terms say that if you park off site and walk in, staff will not accept your waste.

What Worthing tip takes, and what it charges

Worthing is one of the better equipped centres in the county. It takes two things that some of its neighbours turn away, and it charges for very little. All of this is from the county’s A to Z of recycling, read on 2 October 2026.

Items people ask about at Worthing Recycling Centre
ItemAt Worthing?Charge and limits
Rubble, soil, DIY and building wasteYesFree, up to 200kg a visit (about eight 25kg bags). Charges for DIY waste were suspended on 11 April 2017.
PlasterboardYesFree, within the same 200kg. Littlehampton, Bognor Regis, Midhurst and East Grinstead do not take it.
Cement-bonded asbestos (garage roof sheets, downpipes)Yes, one of only four centresUp to 200kg, double wrapped or double bagged in clear 1,000-gauge polythene and taped. Only Burgess Hill, Chichester, Crawley and Worthing take it, so not Shoreham. Staff will not help you unload it.
Car, van and motorcycle tyresYes£6.00 per tyre or part tyre, by Visa or Mastercard only; no cash or cheques. Bicycle tyres are free. Commercial lorry tyres are refused.
Gas bottlesYesUp to 15kg; hand them to staff. A Calor bottle can go back to a Calor dealer instead.
Batteries, vapes and anything with a plug or cableYesFree. Do not put them in your household bins.

That last row is a live campaign. On 22 September 2026 the county, its contractor Biffa and West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service launched “Stop the Spark”, to cut the growing number of fires started by batteries that are crushed or punctured during collection and processing. Its message is simple: “If it has a plug, battery or cable, don’t bin it”, take it to a recycling centre instead (West Sussex County Council, 22 September 2026). At the tip, that means the electricals and batteries containers, not the general waste skip.

Rubble and DIY waste

Every West Sussex centre, apart from the mobile ones, takes up to 200kg of building, construction and demolition waste per visit. The county puts that at a small car boot load, a small domestic trailer or eight 25kg rubble bags. For more, it recommends a skip (terms and conditions). What each centre accepts is in the county’s A to Z of recycling.

The Worthing centre also has a reuse shop selling second-hand goods, and every centre has a container for leftover paint in good condition.

Christmas and New Year

Last year the county’s winter notice said: “All centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.” On their other normal days the centres kept winter hours.

In 2026 Christmas Day is a Friday, Boxing Day a Saturday and New Year’s Day a Friday. The county has not said whether it will close on the substitute bank holiday, Monday 28 December. The Christmas page from Adur & Worthing Councils sends residents to the county’s centre pages for festive hours (Adur & Worthing Councils).

Bin collection changes over the holiday are on Worthing Christmas bin collections, and normal bin days on Worthing bin collection days.

Still to be confirmed

  • This winter’s opening days. Last year’s notice came on 26 September; this year’s had not appeared by 2 October.
  • Christmas 2026 closures, in that notice or in December.

Frequently asked questions

What time does Worthing tip close?

4pm, from 1 October to 31 March. It opens at 9am. From 1 April it stays open until 6pm.

Do I need to book Worthing tip?

Yes, if you are driving. Book on the county’s Book to Recycle system or on 01243 642106, up to 14 days ahead. You do not need to book on foot, by bike or on a mobility scooter.

Is Worthing tip open on Thursdays?

Every day in summer. Last winter, from 1 October 2025, it closed on Thursdays. This winter’s days have not been announced yet.

Is Worthing tip open on Christmas Day or Boxing Day?

Last year every West Sussex recycling centre was closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Is Worthing tip free?

For almost everything a household brings, yes. DIY and building waste up to 200kg a visit is free, and has been since charges were suspended in April 2017. The main charge is £6.00 per car, van or motorcycle tyre, payable by card only.

Does Worthing tip take asbestos?

Yes, cement-bonded asbestos only, up to 200kg, double wrapped in clear 1,000-gauge polythene and sealed with tape. Worthing is one of only four West Sussex centres that take it; Shoreham does not.

Can I take batteries and vapes to Worthing tip?

Yes, and the county is asking you to. Its “Stop the Spark” campaign, launched on 22 September 2026, asks residents to take anything with a plug, battery or cable to a recycling centre rather than put it in a household bin.

Where is the tip in Worthing?

Hambridge Trading Estate, Willowbrook Road, Worthing BN14 8NA. The centre’s phone number is 01903 712632.

Sources