A to Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal

Empty aluminium aerosols can be placed in your green recycling bin, or put in one of the can banks at your nearest bring site or recycling centre. These items are used in metal smelters and made into new metal products. Please do not squash or pierce your unwanted aerosols.

Remember to wash and squash your aluminium cans. These can be placed in your green recycling bin. These items are used in metal smelters and made into new metal products.

Please try to reuse foil containers where possible, for example when freezing your leftover food. They also make great seed trays. Clean foil items can be placed in your green recycling bin and can banks at your nearest bring site or recycling centre. These items are used in metal smelters and are made into new metal products.

Please take your bottles of unwanted antifreeze to your nearest recycling centre and put them in the chemical waste container. Ask the site staff for help if you are unsure where this is.

If possible, please consider repairing your electrical appliances. If you are throwing out old and out-dated electrical equipment that still works, please donate it to a local re-use organisation or visit the Revive Leeds re-use shop at the Kirkstall or Seacroft recycling centres. They will re-use them, helping those in need. If you are replacing a broken appliance, the retailer supplying your new appliance should offer you a take back service. Alternatively you can take your broken appliances to your nearest recycling centre. Fridges and freezers, televisions and computer monitors should be put in the appropriate designated storage area. Ask the site staff if you are not sure where these are. All other appliances can be put in the electronic equipment container. Materials such as plastics and metals are recycled into new products.

You can take your asbestos to the Kirkstall recycling centre. This is the only site that accepts asbestos and it is by appointment only. Please note that there is a charge for this service. Further information can be found on the Kirkstall recycling centre page.

Wood ash can be added to your compost heap a little at a time and it contains useful pot ash for plant growth. Coal ash can be disposed of in your black rubbish bin. Please wait until it is cold and bag it up before putting it in your bin.

Sawdust produced from untreated timber can be re-used as animal bedding. Small quantities can also be added to your compost bin/heap. It can be recycled in your brown garden waste bin, or taken to your nearest recycling centre and put in the garden waste container. Sawdust produced from MDF, chipboard or other treated timber should be bagged up and put in your black rubbish bin. Sawdust containing animal waste should be put in your black rubbish bin.

You can donate a wide range of items such as cards, papers and textiles to centres for use in community craft activities and projects. Scrap Creative Reuse Ltd is a social enterprise group which collects unwanted objects, rejects and damaged stock from businesses to distribute to community groups and schools. You can contact them on 0113 244 1576 or visit their website on the link below. Replay are a project by Leeds Play Network involving the collection of unwanted materials from businesses for use in children's craft activities. You can contact them on 0113 201 6790 or visit the Leeds Play Network website.

Please see Hypodermic Needles

If your shoes are good enough for someone else to use, please donate them to your nearest charity shop. If your shoes are not re-useable, please tie pairs together and bag them up before taking them to your nearest bring site with a textile bank or recycling centre. They will be repaired for re-use in developing countries.

We do not collect shredded paper in the green recycling bins. This is because we are unable to process it due to the small fibers which can interfere with the machinery creating costly maintenance issues. If you shred documents to protect against identity theft you can minimise the amount of shredded paper that you produce by only shredding the parts of documents that contain your personal details e.g. name, address etc.  We recommend that you place shredded paper into your home composter as it rots down quickly to create good garden compost. You can also use it as pet bedding. If you aren’t able to compost or reuse it then please place it in your black rubbish bin. It can't go in the green recycling or brown garden waste bin.

If your sideboard is in good condition, you can donate it to a local reuse organisation. You can also take it to the Revive Leeds re-use shop at the Kirkstall or Seacroft recycling centre. If your sideboard is not good enough to re-use, please take it to your nearest recycling site. Wooden, MDF and chipboard furniture can be recycled in the timber skip. Other furniture should be put in the non-recyclable waste skip. If you are unable to take your furniture to your local recycling centre, you can book a bulky collection online.

If your unwanted sofa is good enough to be used by others and has a fire label, donate it to a local re-use organisation. You can also take it to the Revive Leeds re-use shop at the Kirkstall or Seacroft recycling centre,. Alternatively, put your sofa in the reuse container at your nearest recycling centre. If your sofa is not good enough to re-use, please take it to your nearest recycling centre. Wooden, MDF and chipboard furniture can be recycled in the timber skip, and metal furniture in the scrap metal skip. Mattresses and other soft furniture should be put in the non-recyclable waste skip. If you are unable to take your furniture to your local recycling centre, you can book a bulky collection online.

Please see Glasses (Spectacles).