How to Get Rid of Old Carpet in Nottingham
Pulling up old carpet is the easy part — getting rid of it is the job nobody warns you about. A room's worth of carpet and underlay is heavy, awkward, and far too bulky for your bin. This is a straight guide to shifting old carpet in Nottingham: whether the tip will take it, what a collection costs, and how to prep it so it's quick and cheap to move.
Why you can't just bin old carpet
Carpet is one of the most awkward things to throw away. It won't fit in a household wheelie bin — even cut into strips, a single room's worth fills far more than a bin holds — and it won't be taken on a normal bin round. It's heavy once it's up, especially if it's old, damp or backed with foam, and a full house of flooring plus underlay quickly becomes more than one person can lift. So the two realistic routes are taking it to a recycling centre yourself, or having it collected.
Does the tip take old carpet?
Yes — Nottinghamshire's Household Waste Recycling Centres accept household carpet and underlay from registered residents, free of charge. If you can transport it, that's the cheapest option. The catches are the usual ones: you need to be a registered resident with a suitable vehicle, you load and unload it yourself, and vans or trailers need a permit booked in advance. A heavy, rolled length of carpet in the back of a hatchback is doable for one room; a whole house of flooring is a lot of trips and a lot of lifting.
Rather not wrestle it into the car?
Tell us your postcode and how much flooring there is — we'll get you up to 3 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted, licensed local companies who'll carry it out and take it away.
Get free quotes →Your options for getting rid of carpet
1. Man-and-van collection (easiest for more than a room)
A licensed crew comes to you, carries the rolled carpet and underlay out — up and down stairs if needed — loads it and takes it away for proper disposal. You don't need a suitable vehicle and you don't do the heavy lifting, which is the main draw when you've got several rooms or a whole house of old flooring to shift. It comes with a waste transfer note, so you know it's been handled legally.
2. Take it to the recycling centre yourself
Free if you're a registered resident with a vehicle that fits it. Best for a single room where you can roll it, tie it and slot it in the car. Remember the resident-registration and van-permit rules, and that you'll be doing all the lifting at both ends.
3. Council bulky waste collection
Nottingham City Council runs a paid bulky waste collection that can include carpet. It's inexpensive per item, but you generally have to get it to the kerb yourself and wait for a collection slot, which can be slower than a private collection if you're mid-renovation and want the space back.
Don't forget the underlay and old laminate
Carpet is rarely the only thing coming up. Old underlay is bulky in its own right and goes the same way as the carpet — tip or collection. If you're also pulling up laminate, vinyl or old floorboards, those can go on the same collection too, though heavy timber and any that counts as construction waste may be priced differently — our builders' waste guide covers that side. Clearing carpet, underlay and old flooring in one collection is usually cheaper than doing separate trips.
What it costs
Because a collection is priced by the space your waste fills in the van, carpet is quoted by how much there is rather than a flat fee. As a rough 2026 guide:
| How much flooring | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| One room's carpet & underlay | From around £60 |
| A couple of rooms | Roughly £100–£160 |
| A whole house of old flooring | £200+ depending on volume |
Two things move the price: how much there is, and how easy it is to get out (a ground-floor room is quicker than carrying rolls down from a loft conversion). Our full waste removal cost guide breaks the pricing down further.
How to prep old carpet for collection or the tip
A little prep makes the whole job quicker and, for a collection, cheaper — a tidy load shifts faster than a loose tangle:
- Cut it into manageable strips with a sharp utility knife — long lengths are hard to carry and won't fit most cars.
- Roll each strip tightly and tie it with string or tape so it holds together.
- Bag or bundle the underlay separately — it's lighter but bulky, and tends to fall apart.
- Keep it dry if you can. Wet carpet is far heavier, which makes it harder to move and can push a collection price up.
- Stack it by the door ready to go, so a collection is quick and a tip run is one clean load.
Compare carpet removal quotes in minutes
One collection clears the carpet, underlay and old flooring — loaded for you, disposed of legally. Up to 3 free quotes from vetted, licensed Nottingham companies.
Get free quotes →Frequently asked questions
No — carpet is too bulky for household bins and won't be taken on normal collections, even cut up. It needs a recycling centre or a separate collection.
Yes — Nottinghamshire's recycling centres accept household carpet and underlay from registered residents for free. You'll need a suitable vehicle, you do the lifting, and vans or trailers need a permit.
A man-and-van collection typically starts from around £60 for a single room's worth, with a whole house of flooring costing more by volume. You pay for the space it fills and the crew does the lifting.
Some can, depending on the fibre. Facilities sort what they can, though a lot of mixed carpet goes to energy recovery rather than true recycling. Either way it beats landfill or fly-tipping.
For more than a room or two, a man-and-van collection is easiest — no suitable vehicle needed and no lifting. Roll and tie each piece first to keep the price down.