Opening times for St Albans tip on Ronsons Way and Harpenden's Dark Lane site, the two days each shuts, the free ePass, what they take and Christmas closures.

St Albans tip opening times are simple once you know the two closed days. The St Albans recycling centre on Ronsons Way is open 10am to 5.30pm on Monday and Thursday to Sunday, and closed every Tuesday and Wednesday. Harpenden’s Dark Lane centre runs the other way: open Monday to Wednesday and at the weekend, closed Thursday and Friday. Both are run by Hertfordshire County Council, both need a free ePass linked to your number plate, and both shut on only three days a year: Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

The quick answer

Opening hours, side by side

The county council publishes one set of hours for each site. There is no separate summer and winter timetable on either page.

Recycling centre opening hours for the St Albans district, from Hertfordshire County Council's site pages, rechecked 13 October 2026.
DaySt Albans (Ronsons Way)Harpenden (Dark Lane)
Monday10am to 5.30pm10am to 5.30pm
TuesdayClosed10am to 5.30pm
WednesdayClosed10am to 5.30pm
Thursday10am to 5.30pmClosed
Friday10am to 5.30pmClosed
Saturday10am to 5.30pm10am to 5.30pm
Sunday10am to 5.30pm10am to 5.30pm

The two closed pairs do not overlap, so if Ronsons Way is shut on a Tuesday, Dark Lane is open, and the reverse on a Thursday. The county’s St Albans page carries a live queue camera and advises visitors to “try to avoid school and bank holidays”.

St Albans tip shut on a Tuesday or Wednesday? The nearest open sites

Ronsons Way closing two days a week is the main reason people search for the St Albans tip and find the gates shut. Hertfordshire’s other recycling centres all post the same 10am to 5.30pm hours, so the only question is which one is open that day. All of these were rechecked on the county’s site pages on 13 October 2026, and the same ePass works at every one.

Recycling centre Address Closed on
Harpenden Dark Lane, off Grove Road, AL5 1QB Thursday and Friday
Waterdale (Garston) St Albans Road, near Garston, WD25 0PR Open seven days
Welwyn Garden City Tewin Road, AL7 1BD Open seven days
Hemel Hempstead Eastman Way, HP2 7DU Tuesday and Wednesday, the same as St Albans

So on a Tuesday or Wednesday, Harpenden is the nearest, and Waterdale on the A412 St Albans Road is the pick for the south side of the city. Do not drive to Hemel Hempstead on those days: it shares the St Albans closures. (Waterdale recycling centre; Welwyn Garden City recycling centre; Hemel Hempstead recycling centre)

The ePass: what it is and who needs one

Hertfordshire moved its recycling centres to an ePass system. The county’s page says “if you live in Hertfordshire, you can apply for a free, instant ePass for your car”, supplying an email address, home address and vehicle registration. An automatic number plate recognition camera reads the plate at the entrance, so there is nothing to show on a phone. The car ePass lasts three years with no limit on visits (Recycling centre ePass for Hertfordshire residents).

The rules for households and other vehicles (Recycling centre ePasses):

  • A household can hold up to three ePasses at a time: three car passes, or two car passes and one van and trailer pass
  • A van and trailer ePass is valid for 12 visits in 12 months, one per household; if you arrive without one, site staff can help you apply on the spot if you have proof of address (Van and trailer ePass)
  • Hire vehicle ePasses last seven days, with three visits each, and a household can apply for four in a year
  • Bring proof of address on every visit: a driving licence, council tax bill, Hertfordshire bus pass or a utility bill. You must pay council tax to a Hertfordshire council to use the sites

What both sites take

Both pages list the same materials: wood, mixed recycling, hardcore and rubble, scrap metal, rigid plastics, garden waste, glass, paper, plasterboard, cardboard, fridges and freezers, large and small appliances, soil, soft furnishings, textiles and household batteries. Neither takes business waste. DIY and home improvement waste is accepted only in limited amounts, and the county warns that anyone over the limit “may be turned away”, so check its DIY restrictions before loading a car with rubble or plasterboard.

DIY waste: the free allowance and what extra costs

The county’s DIY waste page sets the limit. Free, per week, from work you did yourself on your own home: two 50-litre rubble bags or one bulky item, such as a bath, a toilet, a door, a fence panel or a kitchen worktop, no bigger than 2000mm by 750mm by 700mm. You can save up four weeks’ allowance and bring it in one trip, but then nothing more for four weeks, and no more than four visits in any four weeks. Waste left by a builder or any other paid tradesperson is not accepted at all.

Anything over the free allowance can now be paid for by card at the site:

Extra DIY waste Price
Soil, hardcore, tiles, ceramics, fencing, doors, timber, worktops, plastic baths £10 per 100 litres or large single item
Plasterboard, bagged offcuts or a sheet £12 per 100 litres or large single item
Bagged loft insulation £14 per 100 litres
Fibreglass bath or shower tray, window or door frames £14 per large single item

(Hertfordshire County Council, DIY waste)

Garden waste is on the list, which matters in January: Christmas trees can go to either site. Only garden waste subscribers get a kerbside tree collection, and that does not restart until 11 January 2027; the detail is on our Christmas bin collections page.

Christmas and New Year 2026/27

Both site pages say the same thing: “we’re open on all bank holidays except Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.” For this winter that means:

  • Friday 25 December 2026: closed
  • Saturday 26 December 2026: closed
  • Friday 1 January 2027: closed

Monday 28 December is a substitute bank holiday for Boxing Day this year (GOV.UK bank holidays). It is not one of the three named closure days, and Monday is a normal opening day at both sites, so on the county’s published rule both are open. We will check the site pages in December in case the county adds a closure for the substitute day, and update this page.

The bin rounds are the bigger Christmas story: the district council has already printed that collections will run up to four days behind and will not be back to normal until 18 January 2027.

Bulky items and what the district council does instead

The recycling centres are the county’s. Kerbside bins, garden waste subscriptions and bulky waste collections are St Albans City and District Council’s, and our bin collection days page covers those, including the 5am rule and the round 1 and round 2 split.

What is still to be confirmed

  • Any extra Christmas closure beyond the three named days. Checked against both site pages on 13 October 2026; we will look again in the first week of December.
  • DIY waste charges were rechecked on 13 October 2026; the county describes them as a new service, so check its DIY page before a big clear-out.

Frequently asked questions

What are the St Albans tip opening times?

10am to 5.30pm on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Ronsons Way site is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday.

Where is the St Albans tip?

14 Ronsons Way, Sandridge, off St Albans Road, AL4 9XR. Harpenden’s centre is on Dark Lane, off Grove Road, AL5 1QB.

Do I need to book the St Albans tip?

There are no time slots to book, but your car needs a free Hertfordshire ePass, which the entrance camera reads from your number plate. Bring proof of address as well.

Which tip is open near St Albans on a Tuesday?

Harpenden (Dark Lane), Waterdale at Garston and Welwyn Garden City are all open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10am to 5.30pm. Hemel Hempstead is shut on the same two days as St Albans.

Does the St Albans tip charge for rubble?

Not within the free allowance of two 50-litre rubble bags or one bulky item a week from your own DIY. Extra rubble, soil or timber costs £10 per 100 litres, paid by card at the site.