Find out more information about the Community Recycling Centre Booking System for Vans and Trailers.
Do I need to book before I visit?
To visit any of West Lothian's Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) you need to book an appointment in advance if you are travelling in:
- A van (liveried, unliveried or hired)
A pickup
A flatbed
A car towing a trailer
Vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes are not permitted. A car and trailer must weigh no more than 3.5 tonnes combined. All seats must be fitted and have a maximum of 8 passenger seats. These vehicles can be driven with a category B driving licence.
This system is for household waste only, commercial access for recycling is not yet permitted. Please note, we do not accept general waste from businesses, traders or charities at any time.
All five CRCs have time slots available from Monday to Friday for vans, pickup, flatbeds or cars towing a trailer to visit. These must be booked a minimum of two days in advance.
Please read all the information below before booking an appointment.
Before You Book
Do not visit a Community Recycling Centre (CRC) if you or anyone you live with has symptoms of covid-19, have tested positive for it or have been asked to self-isolate following close contact with someone who has tested positive. To make a booking, you must:
Householders transporting their own waste inside a car do not need to book.
If you turn up in a van, pickup, or flatbed or in a car towing a trailer without a booking you won't be able to enter the CRC.
To visit a CRC on a frequent basis in a van or with a trailer you will also need a Residential Exemption Permit. However, the application process has been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19. You will be able to make a booking without a Residential Exemption Permit until this is relaunched online. More information on these permits can be found here Residential Exemption Permits.
How Do I Book?
To book an appointment you will need to:
Select the Community Recycling Centre (CRC) you want to visit
Choose an available date and time slot
Enter the registration of the vehicle you want to visit in
Provide your email address and contact phone number
Enter your postcode, then select your address in West Lothian
Agree to the booking terms & conditions
A booking confirmation will then be emailed to you. Please make sure that you have photo ID and proof of address ready to display when you enter the CRC. Hire vehicles will also need to display the hire agreement.
Before You Travel
Do not visit a Community Recycling Centre (CRC) if you or anyone you live with has symptoms of covid-19, have tested positive for it or have been asked to self-isolate following close contact with someone who has tested positive. If you have already booked an appointment, please cancel your booking and re-book once you are fit and well again.
Slots are 40 minutes long. You must arrive promptly at the CRC you have selected, in the vehicle you have booked, on your chosen date.
Sort your waste before leaving home so that you can unload it as quickly as possible into the correct containers.
Remember staff will not be able to help you unload- only bring what you can carry.
Bring your booking confirmation number with you, in electronic form if possible.
Make sure you bring photo ID and proof of your home address in West Lothian with you.
If you have a Residential Permit, you must bring this with you.
When You Arrive
You may have to wait before you can enter the site, as we may need to temporarily close at short notice to exchange skips. If there is a queue then the driver should join and will be allowed access.
Ensure you display the following in your windscreen for staff to check on arrival:
Photo ID (for example a driving license or passport)
Proof of your home address in West Lothian (for example a council tax bill, bank statement or utility bill from last 6 months)
A copy of the hire agreement if your van is hired
A Residential Exemption Permit, if you have one
Follow the Site Rules when you arrive. Respect staff on site and follow their instructions - they are there to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is access for vans/trailers now controlled?
Access for vans/trailers is now controlled to:
maintain a steady flow within the sites,
reduce the risk of skips and site becoming full and
minimise queues internal and external to the site, which would result in the site temporarily having to close.
What is a van?
A van is a vehicle that is designed to carry goods rather than people. This includes pickups and flatbeds.
All seats must still be fitted.
No vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes requiring more than a Category B driving licence to drive will be permitted entry.
What is a trailer?
Anything that needs to be towed because it does not have an engine.
Do I have to book for a private hire car/ taxi cab/ minibus?
No, but all seats must be fitted to these vehicles and there must be no more than 8 passenger seats.
Private hire vans and taxi vans do need to book.
No vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes requiring more than a Category B driving licence to drive will be permitted entry.
I'm only borrowing a van. Do I need to book?
Yes, and you should advise the owner that you intend book an appointment to visit one of West Lothian's CRCs. A Residential Permit limits a vehicle to 24 visits per year, and any visits you make will count towards their total.
What documentation do I have to bring when I visit the community recycling centres?
Every time you visit a CRC with a van or trailer you must display the following on your dashboard so it can be seen through your windscreen for the staff to check when you arrive:
Photo ID (for example driving licence or passport)
Proof of residence (council tax bill, bank statement or utility bill from last 6 months)
Hired vehicles must also bring a copy of the hire contract
A Residential Exemption Permit, if you have one
This is to make sure that only West Lothian residents transporting their own waste are using the CRCs.
What happens if I don't bring the documentation when I visit?
You will not be allowed access to site and will have to make another booking.
Every time you visit a CRC with a van or trailer you need to:
have a valid booking reference number
bring photographic proof of identification
bring proof of your home address in West Lothian
bring your vehicle hire documents, if the vehicle is hired
bring your Residential Exemption Permit, if you have one
This is to make sure that only West Lothian residents transporting their own waste are using the CRCs.
Why do I need to book?
The use of a booking system will allow users of these vehicle types to guarantee access within a given time slot during weekdays. It also enables the service to plan the number of van/trailer bookings within a period to fit the site usage patterns for car access. This reduces the risk of the site containers becoming full or queues becoming too long, causing the site to temporarily close.
Do I need to book in advance?
Any van, pick-up or flatbed vehicle would be required to use the booking system to gain access, as would any vehicle towing a trailer*. Households bringing their own household waste inside a car do not need to book. Bookings must be made at least two days in advance.
*Please Note: vans towing trailers are not permitted on site.
What do I need to bring with me?
Householders using a van/trailer must bring their booking confirmation with them (in electronic form if possible) along with the following documents for the CRC staff to check to ensure that they are only bringing in their own household waste:
Photo ID (for example driving license or passport) and
Proof of residence (council tax bill, bank statement or utility bill from last 6 months)
Hired vehicles must also bring a copy of the hire contract for staff to check each time they visit.
Residential permit, if applicable
Do I need to book if I have a Business Recycling Access Pass?
Yes. This pass allows 52 visits from 1st April to 31st March. A Business Recycling Access Pass allows a business to deposit certain recyclable materials at the CRCs. These materials have not been reintroduced to CRCs yet, so we are not currently able to accept customers who have a Business Recycling Access Pass. The application process has been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19, but will relaunch online and be integrated into the CRC booking system.
Do I need to book if I have a Residential Exemption Permit?
Yes. This permit allows 24 visits from 1st April to 31st March. The application process has been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19, but will relaunch online and be integrated into the CRC booking system. Please see Residential Exemption Permitsmore information on Residential Exemption Permits.
Can I cancel my booking?
If you no longer need your appointment please do cancel it to allow someone else to use the slot. You can cancel the booking yourself if you logged in using MyAccount.
If you did not make your booking through MyAccount please email your booking details to wastedisposal@westlothian.gov.uk and ask for your booking to be cancelled.
Is there a limit on the number of bookings I can make?
To visit a CRC on a frequent basis in a van or with a trailer you will need a Residential Exemption Permit to book an appointment. The application process has been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19. Until it restarts you will be able to make a booking without a Residential Exemption Permit. More information on these permits can be found on the Residential Exemption Permits page.
A Residential Exemption Permit allows 24 visits per year to dispose of your own household waste from 1st April to 31st March.
A Business Recycling Access Pass allows 52 visits per year to deposit certain materials for recycling from 1st April to 31st March.
What do you do with the data you collect?
How far in advance can I make a booking?
You can book up to 4 weeks in advance, with a further week released on a rolling weekly basis. You must book a minimum of two days in advance, but slots are limited so please book early.
How long are the slots?
Appointments are 40 minutes long. You can arrive once, at any point within the time slot you have booked. Please do not arrive early for your slot, as you will not be permitted entry.
What happens if I don't arrive within the time slot that I booked?
You will not be allowed access to deposit your waste at the site and you will have to make another booking.
You may have to wait before you can enter the site, as we may need to temporarily close at short notice to exchange skips. If there is a queue then the driver should join and will be allowed access.
