Merton Council Launches Free Bulky Waste Collections Merton 2026

Key Points

• Merton Council will launch one free bulky waste collection per household per year, starting 1 June 2026, for up to three household items.
• The service covers large items such as sofas, mattresses and fridges and can be booked through the council’s online system.
• The move is intended to reduce fly-tipping, improve street cleanliness and expand access to recycling and waste services.
• The council will deliver the service in partnership with Veolia and has added extra collection capacity for the launch; bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Residents with existing paid bookings in June remain entitled to their free annual collection and those seeking refunds are asked to contact the council’s Customer Contact Centre.
• The free bulky-waste offer sits alongside an expanded pop-up tip programme (each neighbourhood at least four times a year) and continued access to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre at Garth Road in Morden.

Merton Council (South London News) June 1, 2026 – The council has introduced a policy giving every household in the borough the right to book one free bulky waste collection each year, covering up to three large household items per booking, with the measure taking effect from 1 June 2026.

How will residents book the free bulky waste collection and what items are included?

As reported by the council, residents may book the free bulky waste collection through Merton’s usual online booking system, and the service will accept large household items such as sofas, mattresses and fridges for collection under the one free-per-year, up-to-three-items allowance.

Merton Council said the policy fulfils a prior pledge to make bulky waste collection free and is intended to make it easier for residents to dispose of large items responsibly, improving street cleanliness and reducing incidents of fly-tipping across the borough.

Who will deliver the collections and how is the council preparing for demand?

The council is working with its waste and recycling partner Veolia to manage anticipated demand during the launch period, and has arranged additional collection capacity to support bookings on a first-come, first-served basis; the council has warned that slots are expected to fill quickly and asked residents to be patient during the introductory period.

Will residents who already have bookings in June or who paid for a collection be affected?

Merton Council states that anyone who already has a booked collection in June will still be entitled to the one free collection for the year ahead, and residents who believe they may be due a refund should contact the council’s Customer Contact Centre by calling 020 8274 4901.

How does the free bulky waste collection fit with Merton’s wider recycling and waste services?

The launch forms part of broader work by Merton Council to improve street cleanliness and support responsible recycling and waste disposal, including an expanded pop-up tip programme to give every neighbourhood free access at least four times a year and continued access to the borough’s main Household Reuse and Recycling Centre at Garth Road in Morden.

Merton Council leader Ross Garrod said:

“We promised to introduce free bulky waste collections, and now we are ready to deliver on that promise. From today, every household in Merton will be able to book a free bulky waste collection – making it easier than ever to get rid of old sofas, broken fridges, and mattresses that have seen better days. We know that when services are simple and accessible for everyone, it helps keep our streets clean and reduces fly-tipping.”

Free bulky waste collections: what residents need to know

• Eligibility: One free bulky waste collection per household per year, up to three items per collection; applicable to all households in the borough.
• Booking: Use Merton Council’s online booking system to select a slot; bookings are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Items accepted: Examples cited by the council include sofas, mattresses and fridges; residents should consult the online guidance for a full list of accepted and excluded items.
• Partner and capacity: Collections will be carried out with the council’s waste partner Veolia; the council has added extra capacity to support the expected surge in demand at launch.
• Existing bookings and refunds: Households with bookings already in June remain entitled to their free annual collection; queries about refunds should be directed to the council’s Customer Contact Centre (020 8274 4901).

What are the operational risks and immediate challenges at launch?

Merton Council has cautioned that demand for free collections is expected to be high, and warned residents that available slots may fill quickly; to meet this surge the council and Veolia have put in additional collection capacity but have asked for patience as the service settles in.

Background of this development

The free service is the fulfilment of a council pledge to improve access to waste services and to tackle fly-tipping and street clutter across Merton; the council frames the move as a preventative measure to reduce illegal dumping by removing cost barriers that can lead residents to dispose of large items improperly.

What similar measures exist elsewhere and how do they compare?

Local authorities across the UK have used a range of approaches — charged single-item collections, concessionary free collections for vulnerable residents, or free municipal disposal days — to manage bulky waste and discourage fly-tipping; Merton’s one-free-collection-per-household-per-year approach is a targeted, borough-wide concession intended to balance service access against operational limits and budgetary constraints.

How will Merton measure success?

Merton Council has linked the policy to improved street cleanliness and reductions in fly-tipping, implying that metrics such as fewer fly-tip incidents, higher levels of proper disposal via collections and reuse/recycling centre throughput will be used to assess the scheme’s effectiveness over time.

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Prediction: How this development can affect Merton residents and local stakeholders

Residents: The free annual collection will likely remove a financial barrier for households needing to dispose of large items, which may increase lawful disposal and reduce the motivation for fly-tipping; however, demand is expected to surge at launch, meaning that some residents may initially face limited booking availability despite extra capacity.

Council services and contractors: The policy places additional immediate pressure on operational teams and Veolia to meet demand, which could require further resource adjustments — for example, longer collection windows or additional vehicles and crews — if first-come, first-served slots fill rapidly and sustained demand remains higher than forecast.

Local environment and streetscape: If uptake is sustained and the service reduces fly-tipping and uncollected bulky waste, local streets and public spaces could see measurable improvements in cleanliness and safety; conversely, if service capacity is insufficient, temporary backlogs or frustrated residents could blunt early benefits.

Waste and recycling outcomes: By routing large items through official collections and reuse/recycling centres, the borough may increase the proportion of bulky waste that is reused or recycled rather than sent to landfill or dumped, supporting broader environmental goals and circular-economy objectives.

Residents wanting to use the new free bulky-waste collection should book promptly via Merton Council’s online booking system and contact the Customer Contact Centre at 020 8274 4901 if they have already paid for a June collection and believe they are due a refund.