DEVON County Council is issuing advice to householders about new restrictions on the disposal of plasterboard at its network of Recycling Centres and Rural Skip sites.

DEVON County Council is issuing advice to householders about new restrictions on the disposal of plasterboard at its network of Recycling Centres and Rural Skip sites.

From Wednesday 1 April 2009, a revised Environment Agency policy comes into force due which will prevent plasterboard from being landfilled with general waste and instead it will have to be recycled.

Due to this ban on disposing plasterboard to landfill, separate collection facilities are being established at the network of Recycling Centres to enable it to be recycled. However, only small quantities will be accepted (only two sheets or two small 'rubble' sacks of plasterboard will be accepted per household per month). Householders producing quantities in excess of this amount are advised to hire a skip or arrange for alternative, private disposal.

Councillor Margaret Rogers, Devon County Council Executive Member for Environment, said: "The Environment Agency has banned plasterboard being landfilled with general waste for environmental reasons. As such, the County Council has responded by setting up separate plasterboard collection facilities at most of its Recycling Centres for householders to use. Unfortunately due to lack of space and operational constraints not all of our sites will be able to offer plasterboard recycling facilities, and so will no longer be able to accept this material. In addition, quantity limits have been imposed as the costs involved in recycling this material are high. As such, the Recycling Centres will accept small quantities of plasterboard from small DIY type tasks, but householders undertaking bigger schemes and producing large quantities of this material will have to hire a skip."

Devon County Council will accept plasterboard from local householders at the following Recycling Centres (subject to the quantity limit of 2 sheets or 2 small 'rubble' sacks per household per month):

* Barnstaple - Seven Brethren Recycling Centre

* Bideford - Bideford Recycling Centre

* Crediton - Punchbowl Recycling Centre

* Exeter - Exton Road Recycling Centre

* Exmouth - Knowle Hill Recycling Centre

* Holsworthy - Anvil Corner Recycling Centre

* Honiton - Sutton Barton Recycling Centre

* Ilfracombe - Killacleave Recycling Centre

* Kingsbridge - Torr Quarry Recycling Centre

* Newton Abbot - Brunel Road Recycling Centre

* Okehampton - Okehampton Recycling Centre

* Tavistock - Crowndale Recycling Centre

* Tiverton - Ashley Recycling Centre

* Torrington - Deep Moor Recycling Centre

Plasterboard will not be accepted at the following sites (due to space/operational constraints):

* Buckfastleigh - Bulleycleaves Recycling Centre

* Dawlish - Shutterton Lane Recycing Centre

* Ivybridge - Ivybridge Recycling Centre

* Sidmouth - Woods Farm Recycling Centre

* South Molton - Maclins Quarry Recycling Centre

* Totnes - Totnes Recycling Centre

* All Rural Skip Sites (Ottery St Mary, Seaton, Cullompton, Lyn Down, Dartmouth, Moretonhampstead, Chagford, Hartland).

For further information please call Devon County Council on 0845 1551010.