You'll find hundreds of waterside waste disposal facilities for waterway users, some with recycling facilities, along our canals and rivers.
Find your nearest recycling facilities when you're out and about with www.recyclenow.com. Simply put in a postcode and it will tell you all about the facilities in the area.
If you have a smartphone you can download plenty of apps which can point you in the direction of your nearest facilities. Try searching for 'Find Recycling' in your app store.
How to find rubbish bins on our waterways
There are a growing number of recycling points, but you can find all our waste facilities by zooming into your location on the map below.
Did you know that less than 10% of the waste we handle actually ends up in landfill? Find out more in the bins and recycling FAQs.
You can also find details of local boating services on our Local to You pages.
Disposing of your rubbish
Store domestic rubbish securely onboard so that it can't be blown or knocked off into the water or onto the towpath. This is particularly true for empty solid fuel bags which frequently foul lock gate paddles and boat propellers.
Bag all rubbish and ensure the bags are tied securely so that they can't spill open.
Only dispose of your bagged domestic rubbish inside bins marked 'domestic waste' and don't forget to close the bin lid after use. If bin compounds are accessed using one of our keys, don't forget to lock up when you've finished, as it helps prevent fly-tipping.
Don't dump it! If the bins are full don't leave your rubbish on the floor. Carry it with you on your journey to the next available waste disposal point.
Never dispose of your domestic rubbish in litter bins as they are not there for that purpose.
Don't leave your bagged rubbish next to a litter bin either, as it's not a collection point for boaters' rubbish. Leaving bags next to a bin is also an invitation for animals to break into the bags looking for something to eat, spreading litter everywhere.
Recycle and reuse as much as you can.
Try to avoid buying goods with excessive plastic packaging and look for other ways to reduce the amount of plastic you use.
Choose your fender wisely
While natural rope fenders are available, most boats tend to have fenders made out of plastic, whether it's a balloon, pipe, cylindrical shape, corner, chubby, anchor or buoy. At a recent lock stoppage, the boating team were amazed to count so many lost plastic pipe fenders lurking in the bottom of the lock.
A simple way to prevent your fenders adding to the plastic in the canal is to make sure you don't have them dangling when cruising, bow and stern fenders excepted. When your fenders are in use, normally only while moored up, ensure they are properly secured. Alternatively, why not consider changing to natural rope fenders?
Get involved in litter picking
It's not just boaters' rubbish in the canal; sadly it's everybody's rubbish. Some is blown in from the streets and roads, and some is even fly-tipped into our treasured waterways.
Why not consider helping clean up by joining our volunteer Towpath Taskforce? There are groups based on waterways all over our network and they often organise litter picking sessions.
If you don't fancy taking part in an organised event, you could join our Plastics Challenge and pledge to do your own regular litter pick. Every piece of litter you remove is one less piece of rubbish that could potentially foul a lock gate, block your boat's propeller, or make the bottom of the waterway too close to the top.
Simpler recycling
New 'Simpler Recycling' legislation comes into effect in England on 31 March 2025 and will require most businesses to arrange separate collections for different types of waste. In addition to recycling, the biggest change is that food waste will need to be separated from general waste. This will mean that all our customer service points with waste facilities for boaters will have to provide separate bins for:
Dry recyclables (paper, card, metal and plastics)
Glass
Food waste
Residual waste
As you know, there are separate recycling facilities at many of our sites, but this legislation will ensure that every site throughout England will offer the same provision. As this legislation will apply throughout England, you're likely see changes being introduced at rubbish points everywhere.
Over the coming weeks, please keep an eye on this web page and the Boaters' Update as we will share more information, including:
When the changes will be introduced
Exactly what types of waste can go in each bin
What signage will be in place to make it easier to see what goes in where
Practical hints and tips on how you can manage your recycling and waste on board
Like all organisations, the we'll face financial penalties for waste that is not correctly separated. It's important that as much waste as possible is correctly disposed of, so we really do need your help. It's vital that we all work together to keep these waste costs as low as possible, to ensure money doesn’t have to be diverted from the work to maintain our canals and rivers.
