Direct answer
Ealing Council's bulky waste collection currently costs £30 for up to 6 items, with fridges and freezers included in that standard service rather than charged separately. There are no discounts or refunds once you've booked, and if you have more than 6 items you need to request a quote through the council's My Account service, valid for 21 days. Booking is online, and while the council doesn't guarantee a fixed number of days, typical waits for an appointment slot run to around 2–3 weeks. Because pricing has changed before - an older council rate charged £48 for up to 8 items plus £32 per fridge - and councils can revise fees again, always check the official Ealing bulky items collection page for the current price before you book.
Contents
Current cost and what's included
What Ealing Council charges today, and why the figure you find online might not match.
Ealing Council's published price for its bulky items collection is £30 for up to 6 items. That fee covers the whole visit, not a per-item charge, and the council is explicit that it's non-refundable once you've booked - there's no discount for cancelling early and no partial refund if the crew collects fewer items than you expected to put out.
Fridges and freezers are now included within that standard £30/6-item service, rather than being charged on top. That's worth flagging because it's a change from how the service used to be priced: at one point the council charged £48 for up to 8 items, with a separate £32 fee for each fridge or freezer collected. If you've seen either of those older figures mentioned elsewhere - in a news article, a forum post or an older blog - they reflect the previous pricing structure, not the current one. Because councils do revise waste collection fees periodically, it's sensible to check the official bulky items collection page for the live price immediately before you book, rather than relying on a number quoted anywhere else, including this page.
If you have more than 6 items, the standard flat fee doesn't apply. Instead, you request a quote through the council's My Account portal. The council says it will provide that quote within 5 working days, and once issued, the quote stays valid for 21 days - if you haven't paid within that window, you'll need to request a fresh one rather than relying on the earlier figure.
What counts as one item
The item count decides whether you're inside the £30 band or need a quote.
Most single pieces of furniture or large appliances count as one item each - a sofa, a wardrobe, a fridge or a freezer. Beds are the exception that catches people out: a bed base and its mattress are counted as two separate items, not one, even though most people think of "a bed" as a single thing to get rid of. That matters for the maths - a sofa, a wardrobe and a bed isn't 3 items, it's 4.
Smaller things can be grouped, within limits. A box containing several items counts as a single item, but only if one person can lift the box on their own - pack it too full or too heavy and it risks being treated as more than one item, or being refused on the day for being unsafe to lift. Broken furniture needs to be bundled together - tied, bagged or boxed as one unit - because separate, unattached pieces are each counted individually rather than as a single broken item.
There's also a general practical limit: everything you put out needs to be a size and weight that two people can carry. The council doesn't publish an exact kilogram or centimetre cut-off, so if you're unsure whether something very large or very heavy qualifies, it's worth asking the council directly before your collection day rather than finding out the crew can't take it once they arrive.
How to book, and how long you'll wait
Booking is online; the wait depends on demand.
You book a bulky waste collection through the council's online service. If you don't choose a specific date yourself, you're automatically given the next available slot, which can be quicker than waiting for a particular day of the week to come up. On the day, collection happens any time between 7am and 3pm, so items need to be out and accessible from early morning rather than just before a specific appointment time.
The council doesn't commit to a guaranteed number of days between booking and collection. In practice, a wait of around 2–3 weeks for an appointment slot is typical, and that can stretch further during busy periods. If you're working to a deadline - moving out by a set date, for example - it's worth booking as early as possible rather than assuming a slot will be available at short notice. There's no limit on how many separate bulky collections a household can book across a year, so repeat bookings for different rooms or projects are allowed.
Once a collection is booked, the council's main follow-up is the booking confirmation itself - you won't necessarily get further reminders before the day. If you need to change or query a booking, the council's customer service team can be reached on 020 8825 6000.
What the service won't collect
Address, location and access rules that determine whether you're eligible at all.
This is a front-of-property service. Items need to be visible and easy to access at any time of day from the front of the property, not tucked away. The council does not collect from back gardens, from business or commercial premises, or items simply left loose on the pavement away from the agreed collection point - if the crew can't find or safely reach what you've booked for collection, it won't be taken.
If your address sits on a red route - a red-lined main road such as the A40 or the North Circular, where stopping restrictions are tighter - Ealing's own crews cannot collect from you at all. Residents on red routes are directed instead to the West London Waste Authority's bulky waste service, which covers that gap across the wider area.
Before booking a paid collection at all, the council's own guidance encourages trying to pass on usable items first - through reuse platforms like Freegle or Olio, or via a local charity shop - rather than paying to have something thrown away that somebody else could use. It's a reasonable first step if what you're clearing out is still in decent condition.
Options at a glance
A quick comparison of the routes available for bulky items in Ealing.
| Option or service tier | Verified charge/basis | Eligibility | Collection position | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard bulky collection (up to 6 items) | £30 flat fee, non-refundable; fridges/freezers included | Ealing Council Tax address, not on a red route | Front of property only, 7am–3pm on the scheduled day | Typical 2–3 week wait; no guaranteed date |
| More than 6 items | Bespoke quote via My Account, issued within 5 working days, valid 21 days | Same as standard service | Same as standard service | Quote expires if unpaid after 21 days; must reapply |
| Red route addresses | Not available from Ealing Council directly | Addresses on roads such as the A40 or North Circular | N/A – use West London Waste Authority instead | Must use a separate WLWA booking route |
| Greenford Road Re-use and Recycling Centre (self-delivery) | Free | Ealing residents able to transport items themselves | Drop-off at the centre, not a home collection | You provide the transport; no collection from your door |
| TRAID small electricals collection | Free, alongside at least one bag of textiles | Ealing residents with small electrical items plus unwanted clothing/textiles | Home collection, booked separately via TRAID | Small electrical items only, not large furniture or appliances |
Prices and rules are set by Ealing Council (and West London Waste Authority for red routes) and can change - check the official bulky items collection page before booking.
Free alternatives for appliances and electricals
A paid collection isn't the only route for fridges, washing machines or small electricals.
If you can transport items yourself, Greenford Road Re-use and Recycling Centre accepts large appliances - fridges, freezers, washing machines and similar - free of charge, which can work out cheaper than booking a paid collection if you've only got one or two bulky items and access to a car or van.
For small electrical items specifically - things like kettles, toasters or small power tools, rather than large appliances - the council points residents to a free home collection run with West London Waste Authority and the reuse charity TRAID. It's collected alongside at least one bag of unwanted clothes, shoes or textiles, booked directly through TRAID or by calling 020 8733 2595, and sits outside the standard bulky waste booking system entirely.
When a single collection isn't enough
The council's service is built for a handful of items, not a full house.
Ealing's bulky waste collection is designed around a small, countable number of items - up to 6 in the standard price band, or a quote beyond that - presented at the front of one property on a single scheduled day. That works well for a sofa and a wardrobe, or a bed you're replacing. It's a different situation entirely if you're clearing an entire house or flat: multiple rooms of furniture, boxes, white goods and years of belongings don't fit neatly into a 6-item band, and a typical 2–3 week council wait can be too slow if you're working to a moving-out or probate deadline.
For that kind of job, a licensed clearance carrier collecting everything from the property in one visit is usually more practical than booking several separate council collections. If you'd like a sense of how that process generally works in London, our guide on how to arrange rubbish clearance in London covers the steps, and our page on responsible disposal explains how carriers sort items for reuse, recycling and disposal rather than sending everything to landfill. If you're specifically in Ealing and want quotes compared side by side for a full clearance rather than a single council booking, you can see local coverage on our Ealing house clearance page, or check our rubbish removal and waste collection London page if you just need one larger load taken away.
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up most often before booking with Ealing Council.
How much does Ealing Council charge for bulky waste collection?
Ealing Council's current charge is £30 for up to 6 items, with no discounts or refunds once a collection is booked. Fridges and freezers are included within that standard service rather than attracting a separate charge, which is a change from the council's older pricing. If you have more than 6 items, you request a quote through My Account, and that quote is valid for 21 days.
What counts as one item for Ealing's bulky collection?
Most single pieces of furniture or appliances - a sofa, a wardrobe, a fridge or a freezer - count as one item each. A bed counts as two items, because the base and the mattress are counted separately. A box of smaller things counts as one item only if a single person can lift it, and broken furniture needs to be bundled, tied, bagged or boxed together, or the separate pieces will each count individually.
How long does it take to get a bulky waste collection booked in Ealing?
The council does not publish a guaranteed number of days, but typical waits for an appointment slot run to around 2–3 weeks, and can stretch further during busy periods. If you don't pick a specific date when booking, you're given the next available slot, so it's worth booking as soon as you know you need a collection rather than waiting until the last minute.
Will Ealing Council collect from my back garden or a red route address?
No. Ealing's bulky collection only picks up from the front of a property, where items are visible and easy to access at any time of day - it does not collect from back gardens, business premises, or items simply left loose on the pavement away from the agreed point. If your address is on a red route, such as the A40 or North Circular, this service isn't available to you at all, and you'd need to use the West London Waste Authority's bulky waste service instead.
Can I get rid of a fridge or washing machine without booking a paid collection?
Yes. Ealing residents can take fridges, freezers, washing machines and similar large appliances to Greenford Road Re-use and Recycling Centre free of charge rather than paying for a council collection. For small electrical items specifically, the council also points residents to a free TRAID home collection, run with West London Waste Authority, which is collected alongside at least one bag of unwanted clothes or textiles.
Is Ealing's bulky waste collection the right choice for clearing a whole house?
Not really. The service is built around a handful of items - up to 6 in the standard price band - presented at the front of one property on a single scheduled day. A full house clearance usually involves far more than 6 items across multiple rooms, often with a tighter deadline than a 2–3 week council wait allows, which is a different job better suited to a licensed clearance carrier collecting the whole lot in one visit.
Clearing a whole property rather than a few items?
Post your job for licensed carriers to quote on, instead of booking multiple council collections.
Request clearance quotes