Sort Your Carndonagh Recycling Trip Before You Reach Station Road
Carndonagh Recycling Centre is on Station Road, Gort Glebe, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, F93 KV67. The normal published opening pattern is Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
Some household recycling is free, while paper, plastics, oils, food waste, garden waste, household waste and bulky items can carry charges. Separate everything before leaving home so staff can direct each material to the correct area.
Quick answer for Carndonagh
Address: Station Road, Gort Glebe, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, F93 KV67.
Normal hours: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, 8:30am–4:30pm. Closed Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Phone: 086 142 6422.
Do this before loading the car
Keep glass, cans, textiles, batteries, WEEE, paper, cardboard, rigid plastic, soft plastic, oils, garden waste, bulky waste and general household waste separate.
Donegal’s guidance asks visitors to sort at home and keep recyclable packaging clean. Card payment is available at the county’s six recycling centres.
Carndonagh Recycling Centre Opening Hours 2026
MyWaste and the Donegal/Bryson centre information both list Carndonagh as open three days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Unlike several other Donegal sites, the published Carndonagh hours do not show a lunchtime closure.
| Day | Normal published hours | Practical advice |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 8:30am–4:30pm | Useful weekday option; call first for bulky or unusual items. |
| Tuesday | Closed | Do not plan a normal Tuesday drop-off. |
| Wednesday | 8:30am–4:30pm | Second weekday opening; sort chargeable and free streams separately. |
| Thursday | Closed | Check another Donegal centre only after confirming its own hours. |
| Friday | Closed | Friday searches can cause wasted trips because Carndonagh is normally shut. |
| Saturday | 8:30am–4:30pm | Convenient weekend opening; go earlier with bulky or mixed loads. |
| Sunday | Closed | No normal Sunday service is published. |
Check before public holidays or a special journey. Normal weekly hours do not guarantee that the gate will be open during holiday periods, exceptional closures, severe weather or operational disruption.
Carndonagh Recycling Centre Address, Eircode and Phone Number
Site address
Carndonagh Recycling Centre
Station Road
Gort Glebe
Carndonagh
Co. Donegal
F93 KV67
Contact before travelling
Site phone: 086 142 6422
Use the phone number when bringing bulky furniture, an unusual hard-plastic item, oils, paint, a trailer load or anything you are not certain is accepted under the normal published categories.
MyWaste also identifies Carndonagh as a free electrical/battery recycling drop-off and lightbulb drop-off, which is useful if your trip is specifically for household WEEE.
What Can You Bring to Carndonagh Recycling Centre?
Donegal’s six recycling centres use the same broad published material categories. The important distinction is not simply whether an item is accepted, but whether it belongs in the free recycling area, a chargeable recycling stream or a separately priced waste/bulky category.
| Material | Published position | Preparation / warning |
|---|---|---|
| Glass bottles & jars | Free | Empty containers and use the site’s glass stream. |
| Food & drink cans / aerosols | Free | Keep clean where practical and separate from general waste. |
| Textiles | Free | Keep clothes and textiles dry. |
| Household batteries | Free | Keep separate from bags of mixed waste. |
| Car batteries | Free | Handle carefully and tell staff on arrival. |
| Small electrical appliances | Free | Keep WEEE separate from scrap metal and household waste. |
| Large household appliances | Free | Phone first if the appliance is exceptionally large or commercial. |
| TVs & monitors | Free | Keep screens intact for safer unloading. |
| Mobile phones | Free | Erase personal information before recycling. |
| Fluorescent bulbs / lamps | Free | Transport carefully so lamps are not broken. |
| Scrap metal | Free | Ask before bringing machinery, contaminated metal or attached non-metal waste. |
| Paper | Charge applies | Keep dry and sorted. |
| Cardboard | Charge applies | Flatten and keep dry. |
| Cartons | Charge applies | Empty and keep with the relevant recycling stream. |
| Rigid plastic packaging | Charge applies | Keep separate from soft plastic; see the plastic warning below. |
| Soft plastics | Charge applies | Clean, dry, loose and separate from rigid plastic. |
| Cooking / engine oil | Charge applies | Bring in secure, labelled containers. |
| Paint | Charge applies | Published charge is per 5-litre tin; keep original labels visible. |
| Garden waste | Charge applies | Bag separately from household rubbish. |
| Food waste | Charge applies | Use a compostable bag or wrap in newspaper as instructed. |
| Household waste | Charge applies | Keep recyclable material out of the disposal bag where possible. |
| Furniture / mattresses / sofas / carpet | Bulky charge | Check the current per-item rate before loading the vehicle. |
What Can You Recycle Free at Carndonagh?
Donegal County Council says its recycling centres have an extensive free area. The current county guidance identifies glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans, aerosols, textiles, bulbs, household batteries, car batteries, household electrical appliances, TVs, monitors, mobile phones and scrap metal among the free categories.
Electricals and batteries
Household WEEE, batteries and suitable lamps use dedicated recycling streams. Do not hide batteries inside general-waste bags.
Glass, cans and textiles
These are among the easiest free household streams if they are separated before arrival.
Scrap metal
Normal household scrap metal is listed in the free area. Call for machinery, tanks, cylinders or unusual mixed-metal equipment.
Free recycling does not make the whole vehicle free. If the same load also contains mattresses, general household waste, garden waste, paint, plastics or another chargeable stream, those materials can still be charged separately.
Carndonagh Recycling Centre Charges: What May Cost Money
Donegal’s published guidance uses a mixture of per-bag, vehicle, weight and per-item charges. Because some official documents currently show different household-waste pricing formats, confirm paid waste charges before a large trip.
| Item / load | Published charge | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| Standard recycling bag | €1 | May contain smaller bags of sorted paper, cardboard, cartons and household plastic packaging under the Bryson leaflet system. |
| Standard car recycling load | €4 | Applies to the chargeable recycling area, not free WEEE/glass/can streams. |
| Large car recycling load | €8 | Published Bryson recycling charge. |
| Car + 6×4 trailer recycling load | €8 | Larger or unusual trailers should be confirmed first. |
| Van recycling load | Based on load | No single fixed van price is published in the leaflet. |
| Garden waste | €2 per bag | Keep separate from general household waste. |
| Gas bottle | €2 per cylinder | Tell staff rather than placing cylinders with ordinary scrap metal. |
| Paint | €1 per 5L tin | Waste paint is accepted year-round under Donegal’s published service. |
| Clean white polystyrene | €2 per bag | Only clean white material is identified in the published guidance. |
| Car tyre | €4 each | Published rate is specifically per car tyre. |
| Cooking oil | €2 / 5L; €6 / 20L | Bring in sealed containers. |
| Engine oil | €2 / 5L; €6 / 20L | Never mix with other liquids. |
| Food waste | €1 0–2kg; €2 3–5kg; €4 6–10kg | Must be in a compostable bag or wrapped in newspaper. |
| Small furniture item | €15 | Examples and exact classification can vary; ask if unsure. |
| Large furniture item | €25 | Large or unusually heavy furniture should be confirmed. |
| Single mattress | €15 | Published bulky-item rate. |
| Double mattress | €25 | Published bulky-item rate. |
| King mattress | €30 | Published bulky-item rate. |
| Carpet | €25 minimum | Can increase with roll size. |
| Sofa | €30 minimum | Large/heavy sofas may cost more. |
Household-waste price discrepancy: a newer Donegal household guide lists general household waste at €5 per bag up to 10kg, with €1 added for each further 2.5kg, while the older Bryson centre leaflet expresses household waste as €0.55/kg. Because both official/public-authority materials remain available, call Carndonagh before relying on either calculation for a larger disposal load.
Payment: Donegal County Council says card payment is available at all six Donegal recycling centres. Bringing a card avoids relying on older information about cash arrangements.
Rigid and Soft Plastics at Carndonagh: Avoid the “Hard Plastic” Confusion
Donegal County Council’s current recycling-centre page says both rigid and soft plastics are accepted, with a charge, and says the two types should be kept separate. It also says plastics should be clean, dry and loose.
Rigid household packaging
The published guidance refers to normal rigid plastic packaging such as plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays. Keep these separate from films and bags.
Soft plastic
Examples include carrier bags, bread bags, fruit and vegetable bags, crisp packets, wrappers and similar flexible packaging. Keep it clean, dry and loose.
Do not assume every hard plastic object is included. A 2026 local report described a Carndonagh user being unable to recycle bulky hard-plastic household objects. That does not override the council’s published acceptance of rigid plastic packaging; it shows why large toys, furniture-type plastics, plant pots, pipes and other non-packaging hard plastic should be confirmed with the site before travel.
Waste Paint and Free Reusable Paint at Carndonagh
Donegal County Council says waste paint is accepted at its recycling centres year-round for a charge of €1 per 5-litre tin. The Bryson centre leaflet also says dedicated Paint Reuse Areas can make suitable reusable paint available free to visitors when stock exists.
Dropping off waste paint
Keep paint in its original container where possible, close the lid securely and leave the label readable. Do not mix different liquids into one container.
Taking reusable paint
Availability is not guaranteed. Reuse stock depends on what suitable paint has been donated and passed through the site’s reuse process.
Before You Visit Carndonagh Recycling Centre
Check the opening day
Normal opening is Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Do not assume weekday opening every day.
Sort at home
Separate free recycling, chargeable recycling, household waste and bulky goods before loading the vehicle.
Keep packaging clean
Donegal guidance asks for recycling to be clean. Plastics should be clean, dry and loose.
Check the price of bulky items
Furniture, mattresses, carpet, sofas and large mixed loads can cost significantly more than normal small recycling streams.
Bring a payment card
Card payment is available at Donegal’s recycling centres and is the safest payment assumption for a chargeable load.
Phone about anything unusual
Call 086 142 6422 before loading large hard plastic, chemicals, machinery, commercial appliances, unusually large quantities or materials not clearly shown in the current guidance.
Carndonagh Recycling Centre Map
Use F93 KV67 for route planning to Station Road, Gort Glebe. A map pin confirms the location, but it does not confirm that the gate is open or that an unusual item will be accepted.
Travelling from elsewhere in Inishowen? Check the opening day before setting off. Carndonagh’s three-day schedule means a spontaneous Tuesday, Thursday or Friday trip can end at a closed gate.
Other Donegal Recycling Centres
Donegal County Council lists six recycling centres: Carndonagh, Letterkenny, Milford, Dungloe, Stranorlar and Laghey. Their opening patterns are different, so another centre should only be used after checking its own hours and whether it accepts the item you have.
Stranorlar
Useful if you are travelling toward the Finn Valley area. Its opening pattern differs from Carndonagh.
Stranorlar Recycling Centre guideLetterkenny
A larger Donegal option when your journey already takes you toward Letterkenny. Check current hours first.
Donegal centre informationMilford, Dungloe or Laghey
These may suit other parts of Donegal, but each has its own weekly schedule and travel distance.
Search MyWasteCarndonagh Recycling Centre FAQ
What are Carndonagh Recycling Centre opening hours?
The normal published hours are Monday 8:30am–4:30pm, Wednesday 8:30am–4:30pm and Saturday 8:30am–4:30pm. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday are closed.
Where is Carndonagh Recycling Centre?
It is on Station Road, Gort Glebe, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal. The Eircode is F93 KV67.
What is the Carndonagh Recycling Centre phone number?
MyWaste and the Bryson information list 086 142 6422 for Carndonagh.
Is Carndonagh Recycling Centre open on Saturday?
Yes. The normal published Saturday hours are 8:30am–4:30pm. Check again before travelling on a public-holiday weekend or during exceptional closures.
Is Carndonagh Recycling Centre open on Friday?
No. Friday is listed as closed under the normal weekly schedule.
Can I recycle electrical items at Carndonagh for free?
Yes. MyWaste lists Carndonagh as a free electrical and battery recycling drop-off and a lightbulb drop-off. Donegal’s centre guidance also lists household electrical appliances, TVs, monitors and mobile phones in the free area.
Does Carndonagh accept batteries?
Yes. Household batteries and car batteries are listed among the free recycling streams. Keep batteries separate from general waste.
Does Carndonagh take soft plastics?
Donegal County Council says soft plastics are accepted at all six county recycling centres. They should be clean, dry, loose and kept separate from rigid plastics.
Can I bring hard plastic to Carndonagh?
Normal rigid plastic packaging is included in Donegal’s published chargeable recycling stream. Large toys, furniture-type plastics and other bulky non-packaging hard plastic should be confirmed directly with Carndonagh before travel because these items may be treated differently.
Can I bring paint to Carndonagh?
Yes. Donegal County Council says waste paint is accepted year-round at the recycling centres, with a published charge of €1 per 5-litre tin.
Can I bring a mattress to Carndonagh?
Mattresses are accepted as chargeable bulky items under the published Bryson price guidance. The listed rates are €15 for a single, €25 for a double and €30 for a king-size mattress. Confirm before travelling if prices may have changed.
Can I dispose of household rubbish at Carndonagh?
Household waste is a chargeable disposal stream. Current official guidance is not perfectly aligned on the pricing format, so confirm the current bag or weight charge with the site before bringing a larger load.
Can I pay by card at Carndonagh Recycling Centre?
Yes. Donegal County Council says card payment is available at all six Donegal recycling centres.
Is RecyclingCentreIreland.org the operator of Carndonagh Recycling Centre?
No. RecyclingCentreIreland.org is an independent information guide. Donegal County Council owns the county recycling-centre network and Bryson Recycling operates the Donegal centres under contract.
Official Sources Checked
- Donegal County Council — Recycling Centres
- MyWaste — Carndonagh Civic Amenity Site
- Donegal / Bryson Recycling Centres Information Leaflet
- Donegal County Council Household Recycling Guide
- Bryson Recycling
Opening hours, charges, accepted materials and operational arrangements can change. The site phone or live MyWaste/Donegal information should be used for the final check before travelling with bulky, unusual or chargeable material.
The practical Carndonagh rule
Plan for Monday, Wednesday or Saturday, save Eircode F93 KV67, sort everything before leaving home and separate free recycling from chargeable waste. If an item is bulky, unusual or difficult to classify, call 086 142 6422 before loading it.
Independent information guide: RecyclingCentreIreland.org is not Donegal County Council, Bryson Recycling, MyWaste or the operator of Carndonagh Recycling Centre.