Shrub End tip moves to winter hours, 9am to 4pm daily, from 16 October. Book a free slot first; it shuts 1pm Christmas Eve and is closed on 25, 26 Dec and 1 Jan.
Colchester Recycling Centre on Shrub End Road is open 9am to 4pm every day from 16 October to the end of February, and 9am to 5pm from 1 March to 15 October. You have to book a free slot before you go, unless you walk, cycle or hold a Blue Badge.
The tip is run by Essex County Council, not Colchester City Council, which is why its details sit on the county’s Love Essex site rather than the city’s.
The quick answer
Winter hours start on Friday 16 October 2026: 9am to 4pm, seven days a week. Book a slot online each visit. Over Christmas the centre closes at 1pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and is shut all day on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Opening hours
All times are from Essex County Council’s Colchester Recycling Centre page. The address is 221 Shrub End Road, Colchester CO3 4RN.
| Period | Hours |
|---|---|
| 16 October to end of February | 9am to 4pm, every day |
| 1 March to 15 October | 9am to 5pm, every day |
| Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve | Closes at 1pm |
| Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day | Closed |
The Christmas closures are written into the centre’s standing hours, so they apply every year. This year Boxing Day is a Saturday, and the page says the centre is closed on Boxing Day, not on the Monday bank holiday that replaces it.
You must book a slot
Every visit needs a booking, and booking is free. The exceptions are Blue Badge holders, pedestrians and cyclists. Essex County Council says you may be asked to show your booking confirmation and proof of address on site.
There are two booking routes on the centre’s page, one for cars and one for vans, pick-ups and large trailers. If you cannot book online, the county’s phone line is 0345 743 0430, from 8.30am to 5pm.
Vans, trailers and who can use it
Colchester is one of the Essex sites that takes vans, pick-ups and large trailers, which need their own booking. The county defines a van as a medium-sized vehicle usually with no rear seats and no opening rear side windows, and a large trailer as one with more than one axle. Nothing of 3.5 tonnes or more is accepted at any Essex recycling centre, and neither are agricultural vehicles, horse boxes or tipping flatbeds.
You must live in Essex County Council’s area to use it, and staff may ask for a council tax bill or driving licence. Residents of nearby parts of Suffolk can also use the site under a reciprocal deal with Suffolk County Council.
DIY waste limits
Colchester is on the county’s list of centres that take limited DIY waste, as long as you did the work yourself on your own home. Per visit, the DIY waste limits are:
| Material | Limit per visit |
|---|---|
| Soil, rubble, plasterboard | 3 wheelbarrow loads, or 1 car boot |
| Tiles | 1 wheelbarrow load |
| Toilets, basins and other large ceramics | 3 items |
| Window frame, uPVC or wooden | 1 frame |
| Internal wooden doors | 3 doors |
| Other door, uPVC or wooden | 1 door |
| Built-in kitchen | 1 element |
The centre also has a donation point for large electrical appliances and a Community RePaint point for leftover paint.
The two smaller centres nearby
| Centre | 16 October to end of February | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Colchester, Shrub End Road CO3 4RN | 9am to 4pm | Never, apart from Christmas |
| West Mersea, Upland Road CO5 8DX | 9am to 4pm | Every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday |
| Lawford, Greensmill CO11 1UP | 9am to 4pm | Every Wednesday and Thursday |
West Mersea does not accept bookings for vans, pick-ups or large trailers. Both Lawford and West Mersea share Colchester’s early 1pm finish on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and are closed on the three bank holidays.
Christmas: bins first, tip second
Your kerbside collection days move over Christmas, and garden waste stops for two weeks, so check our Christmas bin collections page before loading the car. Everyday collection days and what goes in which bin are on the Colchester bin collection days page. Shrub End Road traffic and any closures are on our roadworks page.
What is still to be confirmed
Nothing for this winter: the hours and Christmas closures are the centre’s standing arrangements. We will recheck the page in early December in case Essex County Council adds any extra Christmas closures.
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