Liverpool tips: Old Swan and Otterspool hours and rules
Here's how Liverpool's two recycling centres work, checked against Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority pages on 29 October 2026.
- Two tips serve Liverpool: Old Swan (L13 3AF) and Otterspool (L17 5AR)
- Winter hours 8am to 5pm until 31 March, then 8am to 8pm from 1 April
- A car needs no booking. A van of any size needs a free online appointment
- Vans and large trailers get 12 visits a year
- Trade and commercial waste is not accepted
Rubbish to shift in Liverpool?
If the tip is a hassle, a licensed Liverpool company can collect from your home.
Free, no obligation. We share your details only with waste companies that can help. See our privacy policy.
Liverpool's tips
| Tip | Postcode | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Old Swan | L13 3AF | Open daily |
| Otterspool | L17 5AR | Open daily |
Both are run by Veolia for the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority, and Liverpool City Council points residents to them. Neither site takes trade waste, so a builder or clearance firm can't use them.
Hours
Summer (1 April to 30 September) 8am to 8pm, winter (1 October to 31 March) 8am to 5pm. Both sites are open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. As of late October the winter hours are running, so the gates shut at 5pm. Near closing time the staff stop more vehicles joining the queue.
Who needs to book
| Vehicle | Booking |
|---|---|
| A standard car | No booking |
| A van of any size, hired or owned | Free online appointment |
| A trailer between 2m and 3m long | Free online appointment |
| An estate, hatchback or 4x4 with the rear seats permanently removed or the rear windows blanked out | Free online appointment |
| A single-cab pick-up | Free online appointment |
Vans and large trailers are allowed 12 visits a year, and that count includes garden waste. You need to be a resident of Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Knowsley or Wirral. Next-day bookings can't be made after 4pm. Full details are on the van booking page.
What to know
- Old Swan has a pedestrian gate. Otterspool has no pedestrian access
- Old Swan lists plasterboard, tyres, and hardcore and rubble as accepted. The pages show no quantity limits
- Fridges and freezers are listed at Old Swan
- The pages we checked do not give a visit limit for cars
Paint, asbestos and trade waste
Paint is accepted at Old Swan but not at Otterspool. Neither Liverpool site takes asbestos. The council says cement-bonded asbestos from your own home can go to Huyton, Southport or Bidston by appointment only (see asbestos disposal in Liverpool). Trade and commercial waste is not accepted at any of the sites.
Other Merseyside sites
The council says to use the Merseyside authority's website to see every regional site and its hours. Bidston, Huyton, Ravenhead, Sefton Meadows and Southport are named on its pages. The booking system covers residents of the five boroughs above, and the authority says all Merseyside sites are open to all Merseyside householders. See the full list in the Merseyside tips guide.
No tip trip? A licensed company can collect: rubbish removal, single items, builders' waste or house clearance.
Tip not an option?
A licensed Liverpool company can collect from your home, with no appointment and no visit limit.
Get free quotes