This guide covers what stays off the van, what to check before anyone takes your rubbish away, the Welsh rule on old sofas, and the recycling centre rules in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
What stays off the van
Anything flammable or under pressure travels with you or is disposed of before the day: gas bottles, petrol and the fuel left in a mower, paint, solvents and garden chemicals. The legal exemption for carrying small amounts of fuel covers a private individual moving their own goods, not a crew carrying them for someone else.
Most firms also leave money, jewellery, important documents, plants, pets and frozen food to you, so those go in your car. If we are packing for you, tell us which items are travelling in your car and we will leave them out.
If the van takes your rubbish, check the carrier
Many moves end with a pile of things that are not coming. In Wales, handing that waste to someone who then fly-tips it can make it your problem. Natural Resources Wales tells householders to check that a private firm taking waste away is a registered upper tier waste carrier, to check the public register, and to ask for a receipt with the operator's details. Householders do not need to complete waste transfer notes.
The penalty is real. Since February 2019, enforcing authorities in Wales have been able to issue a £300 fixed penalty to a householder who fails that duty of care, reduced to £150 if paid within 10 days. The Welsh Government said at the time that over 60% of fly-tipped waste comes from households. Natural Resources Wales sets out the checks on its household waste guidance.
- Ask for the firm's waste carrier registration number before it loads anything.
- Check it on the public register of waste carriers.
- Keep a receipt showing the firm's name and details.
Old sofas go to incineration
Upholstered seating is a special case in Wales as in England. Natural Resources Wales says waste domestic seating containing persistent organic pollutants must be incinerated, that no other treatment or disposal method may be used, and that landfill operators must not accept it. It covers sofas, sofa beds, armchairs, dining and kitchen chairs, stools, home office chairs, futons and bean bags.
Mattresses, curtains, blinds and beds are not domestic seating and fall outside the rule. So an old sofa that is not coming with you cannot go in a general skip; it has to be kept separate and go where the rules require. If a sofa is part of a clearance, tell us so it can be kept separate from the rest of the load. The rule is on Natural Resources Wales' upholstered seating guidance.
Recycling centres in Cardiff and the Vale
Cardiff's two household recycling centres, at Lamby Way and Bessemer Close, work on booked slots, so a trip to the tip on moving day needs booking ahead rather than turning up. Check what each site takes when you book, because items such as gas bottles and paint have their own rules.
If you are moving to or from the Vale of Glamorgan, its centres need a £20 permit for a van or trailer, allow each household one visit per calendar month, and do not accept Luton vans, high-top vehicles, twin-axle trailers or vehicles with a tail lift unless adapted for disabled access. A hired Luton cannot go to a Vale tip at all, which is worth knowing before you plan to drop the leftovers off on the way back.
Last checked: October 2026.