Choose the Right Dublin City Recycling Centre Before Loading the Car
Dublin City Council currently has three main civic amenity recycling centres: Ringsend, North Strand and Ballymun. Their opening hours differ, with North Strand closing earlier than Ringsend and Ballymun.
Use this guide to compare opening hours, addresses, free recycling, paid household waste, bulky items, WEEE, green waste and the smaller bring-centre alternatives around Dublin City.
Independent information guide. RecyclingCentreIreland.org is not Dublin City Council, Greenstar/Panda or the operator of any Dublin City recycling facility.
Quick answer: Dublin City Council recycling centres
Dublin City Council lists Ringsend Recycling Centre, North Strand Recycling Centre and Ballymun Recycling Centre as its three main civic amenity recycling centres.
They accept a wider range of household material than ordinary bottle banks and community bring centres, including WEEE, bulky household waste, green waste, food waste and certain household priority waste.
Which site stays open latest?
Ringsend and Ballymun currently stay open until 6pm on Thursday and Friday. North Strand normally closes at 4pm Monday–Friday and at 1pm on Saturday.
If you are bringing a large mixed load, avoid arriving close to closing time because staff need time to assess and direct different waste streams.
Dublin City Council Recycling Centres: Ringsend, North Strand and Ballymun
The three sites perform similar household recycling functions, but their opening times and locations differ. Pick the site that accepts your material and works with your travel time rather than simply choosing the closest map pin.
| Centre | Address | Phone | Useful for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ringsend Recycling Centre | Pigeon House Road, Ringsend, Dublin 4, D04 RF79 | 01 614 4750 | South/east city household recycling, WEEE, bulky and mixed household drop-off. |
| North Strand Recycling Centre | Shamrock Terrace, North Strand, Dublin 1 | 01 836 4716 | North inner-city household recycling and WEEE; shorter Saturday hours. |
| Ballymun Recycling Centre | Carton Way, Dublin 11, D11 XH7P | 01 222 2222 | North-west city households, bulky waste, WEEE and mixed civic-amenity loads. |
Household use only: Dublin City Council says commercial and trade waste is not accepted at these recycling facilities. Full large vans or commercial-looking vans can be refused.
Dublin City Council Recycling Centre Opening Hours 2026
| Day | Ringsend | North Strand | Ballymun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9am–5pm | 10am–4pm | 9am–5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–5pm | 10am–4pm | 9am–5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–5pm | 10am–4pm | 9am–5pm |
| Thursday | 9am–6pm | 10am–4pm | 9am–6pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm | 10am–4pm | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–4pm | 10am–1pm | 9am–4pm |
| Sunday | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Bank Holidays | Normally listed 9am–4pm | Closed | Normally listed 9am–4pm |
Holiday warning: Christmas, New Year and exceptional operational notices can override the normal pattern. Always check Dublin City Council’s current notice before travelling on or around a public holiday.
Best after-work option: Ringsend and Ballymun currently give the longest Thursday/Friday access, closing at 6pm. North Strand is a poor choice for a late-afternoon Saturday trip because it closes at 1pm.
Dublin City Recycling Centre Charges
Dublin City Council says charges depend on the material being deposited and vehicle size. If your vehicle contains only qualifying free recycling, there may be no gate charge; mixed or bulky loads can be charged.
| Published charge category | Current leaflet amount | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Car | €15 | Published charge for applicable paid household loads. |
| Estate car / Jeep / SUV | €20 | Larger passenger vehicles can attract a higher charge. |
| Car + single axle trailer | €40 | Sort free recycling from paid waste before arrival. |
| Van / vehicle + double axle | €70 | Commercial waste is still prohibited even if a van rate is listed. |
| Green waste 80L bag | €2 | Household garden waste such as grass and hedge cuttings. |
| Green waste 1m³ skip bag | €16 | Commercial green waste is not accepted. |
| Household domestic waste 80L bag | €4 | General household rubbish disposal. |
| Food waste caddy up to 10L | €2 | Food must be separated from general waste. |
| Food waste caddy up to 25L | €4 | Larger household food-waste quantity. |
Use the live/on-site price as final. Dublin City Council has reviewed recycling-centre charges and may update them. The amounts above are the rates shown in the current centre leaflets available during this research.
What Can You Drop Off Free at Dublin City Council Recycling Centres?
Dublin City Council says there is no charge when a vehicle is carrying only qualifying packaging material or electrical/electronic equipment. Current site leaflets provide a wider practical free list.
| Free stream | Examples | Before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Free Paper | Newspapers, magazines, junk mail | Keep dry and separate. |
| Free Cardboard | Boxes and household cardboard | Flatten before travelling. |
| Free Packaging | Plastic bottles, plastic packaging, beverage cartons, cans | Empty and sort. |
| Free Glass | Glass bottles and jars | Do not confuse bottle glass with chargeable flat glass. |
| Free Textiles | Clothes and shoes | Keep dry and bag separately. |
| Free Batteries | Domestic and car batteries | Keep batteries separate from general rubbish. |
| Free WEEE | Phones, TVs, IT equipment, fridges, washing machines, cookers | Ask staff where large appliances should be unloaded. |
| Free Lamps | Fluorescent tubes | Transport carefully to avoid breakage. |
Keep a free load free: do not bury a mattress, timber, rubble or general rubbish under paper, cardboard and WEEE. Separate paid and free streams before reaching the gate.
Chargeable Items at Dublin City Recycling Centres
The current centre information includes a broad group of household materials that can be accepted but are not treated as free packaging/WEEE recycling.
Bulky household waste
- Furniture
- Carpets and curtains
- Mattresses
Current centre leaflets state a maximum of two mattresses per load.
DIY and building-type waste
- Timber
- Household DIY rubble
- C&D-type household waste
- Flat glass
- Steel
Trade or contractor waste is not accepted.
Priority and special waste
- Paints
- Aerosols
- Pesticides
- Waste engine oil
- Cooking oil
- Propane/butane cylinders
- Polystyrene
Food waste must be separated. Dublin City Council specifically requires users to separate food waste from general waste at the civic amenity sites.
Items the Dublin City Recycling Centres Do Not Accept
| Material | Status | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | Not accepted | Use an authorised tyre-retailer or waste route. |
| Oil tanks | Not accepted | Use an appropriate specialist waste contractor. |
| Petrol and diesel | Not accepted | Ask Dublin City Council/MyWaste for an approved hazardous route. |
| Asbestos | Not accepted | Use an authorised asbestos-waste contractor. |
| Commercial/trade waste | Not accepted | Use a licensed commercial waste service. |
Never leave rejected material outside the gate. Dublin City Council site leaflets warn that illegal dumping can be prosecuted. If the centre cannot accept your load, take it away and arrange the correct legal disposal route.
Free Electrical and Electronic Recycling in Dublin City
Household WEEE is free through Dublin City Council recycling-centre routes. This includes common household electricals such as televisions, washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, microwaves, phones and computer equipment.
Dublin City Council also reminds households that electrical retailers operate free one-for-one, like-for-like take-back when you buy a replacement electrical product.
Use a recycling centre
Ringsend, North Strand and Ballymun list electrical/electronic waste among accepted free household recycling.
Use retailer take-back
If you are replacing an appliance, retailer take-back can save you the drive to a civic amenity site.
Green Waste Drop-Off in Dublin City
Green household waste such as leaves, hedge cuttings and grass is accepted through Dublin City recycling routes for a charge. The published civic amenity rate is €2 per 80-litre bag or €16 per 1m³ skip bag.
You do not necessarily need a full civic amenity centre for a garden-waste-only trip. Dublin City Council also lists community bring-centre routes including Windmill Road, Rathmines, Oscar Traynor Road and Grangegorman.
Community bring-centre rate
€2 per bag up to 80 litres or €16 per 1m³ skip bag.
Bring-centre conditions
Green waste must be bagged and commercial green waste is not accepted.
Bulky Waste: Drop It Off or Book a Dublin City Council Collection?
If you can transport furniture or another bulky household item yourself, the three civic amenity sites provide a drop-off route subject to their charges and load rules.
If you cannot transport the items, Dublin City Council also operates a household bulky-waste collection service for addresses in its administrative area.
| Collection option | Current published charge | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 bulky items | €50 | The €50 applies even if you present fewer than five items. |
| Next group of up to 5 | Additional €50 | Charges must be paid before collection is arranged. |
After payment, Dublin City Council says an official normally contacts the resident within five working days to arrange the collection. The actual collection can take up to ten days after payment and collections operate Monday–Friday between 8am and 3pm.
You do not choose the collection date yourself. A council official contacts you with the date and approximate time after the paid request has been processed.
Do You Really Need a Full Recycling Centre?
If you only have glass, cardboard, cans, textiles, batteries, bulbs or another simple recycling stream, one of Dublin City Council’s community bring centres or bottle banks may be closer than Ringsend, North Strand or Ballymun.
Windmill Road
Accepts paper, cans, cardboard, Tetra Pak, plastics, textiles, batteries, bulbs, glass, flat glass, oils, small WEEE and green waste.
Oscar Traynor Road
Offers a similar community-level recycling mix, including small WEEE no larger than a microwave and green waste.
Grangegorman / Rathmines
Useful central alternatives for common household recyclables and selected green-waste/small-WEEE streams.
A bring centre is not a mini civic amenity site. Do not take mattresses, furniture, bags of general rubbish or major mixed clearance loads to a small bring centre unless its official page explicitly accepts them.
Before You Go to a Dublin City Recycling Centre
Choose the site by hours and waste type
North Strand closes earlier; Ringsend and Ballymun provide longer Thursday and Friday access.
Separate free recycling
Keep WEEE, paper, cardboard, bottles, cans and other free material separate from chargeable rubbish or bulky items.
Separate food waste
Dublin City Council specifically requires food waste to be kept apart from general household waste.
Check your vehicle
Large/full commercial vans can be refused. If a van looks commercial but contains household waste, phone before travelling.
Check today’s official information
Recheck around public holidays, Christmas, severe weather or operational disruptions.
Do not arrive with no time to unload
Mixed bulky, DIY and specialist household loads take longer than a simple box of WEEE or cardboard.
Maps for Ringsend, North Strand and Ballymun
Dublin City Council Recycling Centres FAQ
How many Dublin City Council recycling centres are there?
Dublin City Council currently lists three main recycling centres: Ringsend Recycling Centre, North Strand Recycling Centre and Ballymun Recycling Centre.
What are Ringsend Recycling Centre opening hours?
Ringsend is currently listed as open Monday to Wednesday 9am–5pm, Thursday and Friday 9am–6pm, Saturday and normal listed Bank Holiday hours 9am–4pm, and Sunday closed.
What are North Strand Recycling Centre opening hours?
North Strand is currently listed as open Monday to Friday 10am–4pm and Saturday 10am–1pm. It is closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
What are Ballymun Recycling Centre opening hours?
Ballymun is currently listed as open Monday to Wednesday 9am–5pm, Thursday and Friday 9am–6pm, Saturday and normal listed Bank Holiday hours 9am–4pm, and Sunday closed.
Are Dublin City Council recycling centres free?
Some loads are free. Dublin City Council says there is no charge when a vehicle carries only qualifying packaging recycling or electrical/electronic equipment. Bulky, mixed, general, food and green waste can carry charges.
How much is a car at a Dublin City recycling centre?
The current centre leaflets researched for this guide list €15 for an applicable chargeable car load, €20 for an estate car/Jeep/SUV, €40 for a car with a single-axle trailer and €70 for a van or vehicle with a double axle. Check current on-site or council pricing before travelling.
Can I bring electrical appliances for free?
Yes. Household WEEE including phones, fridges, freezers, white goods, televisions and IT equipment is listed among free electrical/electronic recycling streams.
Can I bring household rubbish?
Yes, household domestic waste is accepted as a chargeable stream. Current leaflets list €4 per 80-litre household black bag. Food waste must be separated from general waste.
Can businesses use Dublin City Council recycling centres?
No. The facilities are for household use. Dublin City Council says commercial and trade waste is not accepted, and large or commercial vans can be refused.
Can Dublin City Council collect bulky furniture from my home?
Yes. Dublin City Council operates a household bulky-waste collection service. The current published charge is €50 for up to five items, with a further €50 for each additional group of up to five.
Official Sources and Final Checks
Opening hours, prices and temporary closures can change. These are the main official resources used for this guide:
- Dublin City Council — Recycling and Bring Centres
- Dublin City Council — Ballymun Recycling Centre
- Dublin City Council — Electrical and Electronic Recycling
- Dublin City Council — Green Waste Recycling
- Dublin City Council — Bulky Household Waste Collection
- Dublin City Council — Find a Bring Centre
- MyWaste — Ringsend Recycling Centre
- MyWaste — North Strand Recycling Centre
- MyWaste — Ballymun Recycling Centre
Best next step: choose Ringsend, North Strand or Ballymun based on today’s hours and your waste type, separate free recycling from charged material, and check the official Dublin City Council information before travelling with a full or unusual load.
This is an independent guide published by RecyclingCentreIreland.org. It is not Dublin City Council or a recycling-centre operator.