HOUSEHOLDERS across Merseyside could face major changes to the way they use local recycling centres, with proposals including mandatory online bookings, annual limits on visits and proof-of-address checks.
A public consultation by the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA), which ran from:- 11 August to 22 September 2026, has now closed.
Residents were asked for their views on 4 possible changes to the way Local Household Waste and Recycling Centres operate across Merseyside and the Liverpool City Region.
MRWA says the operational changes are designed to “regulate site demand and drive up recycling performance.”
But concerns are now being raised that making recycling centres more difficult to access could have unintended consequences — including potentially contributing to an already growing problem with fly-tipping.
Under the proposals, access would be restricted exclusively to Merseyside residents, with people required to provide proof of address when they arrive.
Households could also face a cap on the total number of visits they can make each year.
Another proposal would introduce mandatory online booking, requiring residents to secure a time slot before travelling to a recycling centre.
The 4th change would require people to pre-sort their waste into recyclable and non-recyclable items before entering the site.
The proposals have attracted criticism over how widely the consultation was publicised, with concerns that the responses may not represent the views of local residents.
The plans were also challenged during a recent Overview and Scrutiny Committee hearing.
Opponents have warned that booking requirements and limits on visits could discourage people from disposing of their waste correctly.
Community leaders have also raised concerns that, if additional expenses arise alongside the measures, financial pressures on households across Sefton and Merseyside could contribute to existing problems with fly-tipping.
Southport Liberal Democrat Councillor Mike Sammon said:- “Now that this consultation is now closed, I will be posting further updates on this. I'm particularly concerned that booking and visit limits could put people off using the tip and I questioned these proposals at Overview and Scrutiny Committee.”
The proposals come as operational figures demonstrate how heavily Merseyside's recycling centres are used.
Data covering 2024 to 2025, published in April 2026, showed that total waste handled across the sites increased from 162,629 tonnes to 172,003 tonnes.
Recycled tonnages increased by 9%, rising from 88,868 tonnes to 97,158 tonnes, while the overall site recycling rate increased from 66.09% to 67.51%.
Across wider regional contracts, resource recovery tonnages increased by 2%, from 459,645 tonnes to 468,391 tonnes, while energy-from-waste processing rose from 380,907 tonnes to 384,420 tonnes.
While the consultation was open, MRWA Chief Executive Lesley Worswick explained on the Authority's website:- “Our Recycling Centres are used more than 3 million times each year and provide an important service for households across Merseyside. As we plan for the future, we want to understand what people think about the proposals, what benefits they see and what concerns they may have. This is an opportunity for residents to inform decision making, and the feedback we receive will help inform the next stage of our review.”
Could new changes lead to more fly-tipping?
This is 1 of the biggest concerns being raised by residents who have contacted us and commented about the proposals.
Official fly-tipping statistics for England show a 9% increase, with local authorities reporting 1.26 million incidents during 2024 to 2025, compared with 1.15 million during 2023 to 2024.
Of those incidents in 2024 to 2025, 62% involved household waste.
There were 777,000 incidents involving household waste, an increase of 13% from the 688,000 incidents recorded during 2023 to 2024.
With household waste already accounting for a significant proportion of fly-tipping, some residents are questioning whether making recycling centres more difficult to access could make the situation worse.
Hillside resident Jon commented on social media:- “We will probably see a rise in people burning their 'waste' in their back gardens. That will be a real help to the environment and people with respiratory problems.”
A resident from Crosby also questioned both the proposals and how the consultation was publicised, telling us:- “Why wasn't this pushed out properly? I have only just found out and the consultation is closed! This idea is not practical and makes no sense. With fly tipping increasing this only adds to the problems. OK, better though about recycling before entering the Centres might reduce waiting times, as will time slots, but how will this be enforced? It's completely silly and unworkable.”
Another issue being raised is what would happen to people who live close to a Merseyside recycling centre but technically reside outside the area.
David Key asked on social media:- “What happens when you only live less than 5 miles from the Recycling Centre, but your postcode puts you in West Lancashire? Where are you supposed to go, all the way to Ormskirk, when the local Recycling Centre is less than half a mile away?”
Al Drury also voiced concerns about the potential consequences of restricting visits:- “Bookings and limiting visits would be a disaster and increase fly tipping around the area, costing the Council more in the long run! It’s a RECYCLE Centre!! The clue is in the name of it. The vast majority of the people who use it are going there to RECYCLE stuff they can’t use, so how will restricting its use help the environment? There’s only 1 bin for general waste, and even then, the staff sometimes surprisingly tell you to put certain items in there rather than in other recycling bins. Maybe the answer is in better management of it, NOT restricting people from trying to do the right thing?”
The consultation has now closed, with the feedback received set to help inform the next stage of MRWA's review.
For residents, however, questions remain over what the proposed changes could mean in practice — particularly mandatory bookings, limits on annual visits, residency requirements and the potential consequences for fly-tipping.
What do you think about the proposed changes? Would booking slots and visit limits make recycling centres work better, or could they create more problems?
And did you know about the consultation before it closed on:- 22 September 2026?
We'd like to hear your views.
For more information about MRWA please visit this link.
To find out what you can recycle locally, click here.
To learn more about reuse and reduction go to this website.