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.

Rinse and squash all cans (steel and aluminium) and recycle them through your green recycling bin. These items are used in metal smelters and made into new metal products.

You can take your diesel and petrol car batteries to your nearest recycling centre. Contact your car manufacturer or dealer for advice on recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Cardboard sheets can be used in the garden as a mulch to suppress weeds or ripped up can be added to your compost heap. It can also be shredded and used for animal bedding. All cardboard such as brown card, cereal boxes, egg boxes and toilet roll tubes can be placed in your green recycling bin. Larger corrugated cardboard boxes should be flattened and deposited in the cardboard skips at your nearest recycling centre. This is recycled back into cardboard products such as packaging materials, cat litter and more.

Remove any glittery or metallic parts from cards and recycle the rest in your green bin. You could reuse glittery or metallic parts by making them into gift tags. These items are recycled back into cardboard products such as packaging materials and cat litter.

Why not hire an industrial steam cleaner or use a local carpet cleaning firm to clean and spruce up your carpet so you can continue to use it? If you have a homemade compost heap, pieces of carpet are ideal as an insulating material to place on the top of the heap to keep the heat in. Unwanted carpets and rugs can be sold or given to charity shops. As a last resort unwanted carpets should be taken to your nearest recycling centre and placed in the general waste skips. These will be sent to landfill for disposal.

Remember to take out a shopping bag or few carrier bags with you so that you don't need to accept anymore. Save money by using carrier bags as bin liners at home. Carrier bags, bread bags and stretchy fresh or frozen fruit and vegetable bags can be recycled in your green bin.

If your car is beyond repair, you should take it to a local scrap metal merchant for disposal. Please note that scrap has a value so shop around for the best offer.

Food and beverage cartons (Tetra Paks) are used to carry products such as milk, soft drinks and fruit juices and can be recycled in your green bin. The fibre from the cartons is recycled in to coreboard which is then converted into industrial tubes and cores. The plastic is recycled into new polymer products such as children’s play mats and the aluminium is used in products such as breeze blocks.