Smallmead recycling centre in Reading opens 8am to 6pm from 1 October, booking required. Shut Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day; 4pm close on the eves.
Reading’s tip is the re3 Smallmead Recycling Centre on Island Road, RG2 0RP. From 1 October it is open 8am to 6pm every day, and you cannot just turn up: every visit needs a booked slot.
The quick answer
- Winter hours, 1 October to 31 March: 8am to 6pm. Summer hours, 1 April to 30 September, are 8am to 8pm.
- Booking is required for every visit, up to seven days ahead, on the re3 booking site.
- Christmas: closes at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
All of this is from Reading Borough Council’s recycling centre page, last updated 21 September 2026, and the re3 partnership’s own site facilities page.
Opening times
| When | Hours |
|---|---|
| 1 October to 31 March | 8am to 6pm |
| 1 April to 30 September | 8am to 8pm |
| Christmas Eve, 24 December | Closes 4pm |
| Christmas Day, 25 December | Closed |
| Boxing Day | Closed |
| New Year's Eve, 31 December | Closes 4pm |
| New Year's Day, 1 January | Closed |
The Christmas rule is a standing one printed on both the council and re3 pages, not a one-off announcement. In 2026 Christmas Eve is a Thursday and Boxing Day falls on a Saturday; the notices say the centre is shut on “Boxing Day” rather than on the substitute bank holiday on Monday 28 December. If you plan to go on the 26th or the 28th, check the booking calendar, which only offers slots that exist.
The other re3 site, Longshot Lane in Bracknell, keeps the same hours and the same Christmas closures. Reading residents can use either. re3 says Longshot Lane will not take wood, garden waste, cardboard, plasterboard, soil or hardcore between 28 September and 6 October because of maintenance, and points people to the Reading site instead.
How booking works
- Slots are 30 minutes and can be booked up to seven days ahead, including on the day.
- You can book as many visits as you need, one booking per visit, and only at the centre you booked.
- Reading’s page says you can cancel or change a booking up to three hours before your slot, using the link in the confirmation email.
- People without internet access can book by phone through their council’s customer services.
- Arriving on foot or by bike with waste? Tell a member of staff when you arrive.
What to bring
Only residents paying council tax to Reading, Wokingham or Bracknell Forest can use the centres. Bring proof of address issued in the last four months, such as a utility bill or a bank or card statement. A blue badge or a residents’ parking permit issued by a re3 council also counts, and University of Reading students can show a campus card. re3 accepts electronic originals but not photos of documents.
A van, pick-up or other commercial-type vehicle needs a commercial vehicle permit, which is set up during booking.
What costs money
Household waste is free. DIY waste is free up to about 100 litres per visit, or one bulky bathroom item, on up to four visits in any four weeks. Beyond that re3 charges by the item or the 25-litre bag, and its DIY charges list sets most items at £3.20, plasterboard at £1.60 a bag and asbestos at £8.40 per 20kg. Refillable gas bottles cost £3 each. Payment is by card only, and metal DIY items such as radiators are free.
Christmas trees and the Christmas clear-out
After Christmas last year the council also ran free Christmas tree drop-off points in parks and leisure centres across Reading from 3 to 25 January, as well as taking trees at Island Road. Details, and the Christmas changes to kerbside bins, are on our Reading Christmas bin collections page.
Still to confirm
- Whether the centre opens on Saturday 26 December and Monday 28 December 2026. We will check the booking calendar in December.
- The January 2027 Christmas tree drop-off sites.
For the roads around Island Road and the A33, see Reading roadworks and travel.
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