New charges are being introduced for residents to dispose of construction and demolition waste from home improvement projects.

The fees come into effect on Friday August 14 for all mixed-loads of construction, demolition and excavation waste, which is already a paid-for service in other boroughs.

In Ealing, many DIY and construction items - such as paint, carpets and underlay, wood, and appliances like washing machines, fridges and freezers - will continue to be free of charge, as long as they have been sorted for recycling and residents have provided the appropriate ID.

The fees are aimed at preventing people from sending large mixed-loads of building waste to landfill and to cover the cost of processing building materials like plasterboard and rubble.

Cabinet member for transport, environment and leisure councillor Bassam Mahfouz said: "People sometimes bring huge car-loads of building waste to the refuse and recycling centres, most of which ends up in landfill.

"Many councils already charge for residents’ building waste.

"We hope that the charges will encourage people to sort through their DIY waste and recycle what they can to reduce the cost and make sure items don’t needlessly go to landfill."

DIY waste will be charged at £23 per 100kg (15.74 stones) and must be disposed of at the Greenford refuse and recycling centre using the weighbridge.

Non-residents and anyone disposing of construction waste commercially, such as builders and other trades people, already have to pay the fees.

Those paying to dispose loads of building or DIY waste must have a valid credit or debit card to pay when they deposit the waste.

To use the free DIY recycling service at either of the council’s refuse and recycling centres, residents must provide a driving licence and bank statement or phone bill, proving their domestic address to avoid being charged at commercial rates.

A full list of the materials that can be sorted and recycled for free by residents can be found at www.ealing.gov.uk/recycling.