Want to recycle more? Find out what else you can recycle in your local area using Recycle Now's Recycling Locator.
Aerosols
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.
Aluminium cans
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.
Aluminium foil
Antifreeze
Appliances
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.
Asbestos
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.
Ash
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.
Garden chemicals
Garden waste
Garden Waste includes grass cuttings, clippings, hedge prunings and small branches. The most environmentally friendly way of dealing with your garden waste is to compost the material and return it to the land on the site it was produced. Please see Compost, Composts Bins and Compostable Bags for more information. The best way of managing waste from large hedges, trees and shrubs is to invest in a wood chipper, which allows the production of a mulch material. This can be added to your compost heaps/bins or used directly on your garden as a weed suppressant. Mulch is also very effective at retaining moisture in the soil. By composting and creating mulch, householders even with very large gardens should be able manage their garden waste. We provide fortnightly garden waste collections throughout the growing season to certain areas of the city. Please do not put larger twigs and branches in your brown garden waste bin. You can also take garden waste to your nearest recycling centre. If you are unable to do this, you can request a bulky waste collection online for up to 4 bags of double bagged garden waste or up to 4 bundles of wood and branches (which should not be more than 2m long). Any nails/screws need to be removed. Please note that the service will not collect garden waste if you have a brown garden waste bin.
Gas cylinders and bottles
Gas bottles and cylinders can be extremely dangerous when in the wrong hands, so should not be left around after use. Please do not put unwanted gas cylinders or bottles in your black bin. We do not accept gas cylinders at any of our recycling centres. Most gas bottles and cylinders remain the property of the supplier. The supplier’s name will be printed on the item – the most common ones are Calor, BOC and Flogas. Calor gas bottles can be returned to any Calor stockist. If you have the original receipt, you can claim your deposit back. If you are unable to return them yourself, you can arrange a collection free of charge by calling 0113 307 9050 BOC will collect their cylinders free of charge. Please call 0330 162 1291 to arrange collection. Flogas will collect their cylinders free of charge. Please call 0800 574 574 and hold to arrange collection If you have a gas bottle or cylinder that is unbranded or you are unsure of its contents, you can email a picture of it toemail@synrec.co.uk for identification and advice on disposal or telephone National LPG and Industrial Gas Cylinder recovery on 0800 083 9652.
Glass (sheets or windows)
You can re-use sheets of glass by using them to make row covers (cloches) for gardening. Please do not put sheets of glass into bottle banks. You can dispose of sheet glass by taking it to your nearest recycling centre where you should put it in the non-recyclable waste container. If you are unable to do this you can request a bulky waste collection online. Please wrap the glass sheets to protect our collection crew. This will then be disposed of to landfill.
Glass jars and bottles
Washed and clean glass jars can be used again for storing homemade jam, pickles, herbs and other foodstuffs. Wine and beer bottles can be re-used in home brewing. Empty glass bottles and jars of any colour can be placed in your green recycling bin, or taken to a glass bank or recycling centre. Give them a quick rinse first, leave caps and lids on and they'll get recycled too. Glass recycled in green bins and bottle banks is 100% re-melted in Yorkshire and can be back on the shelf as a new bottle or jar within 30 days. Glass items such as light bulbs, drinking glasses and Pyrex containers should not be put into green bins or bottle banks. If these items are good enough to re-use, please take them to your local charity shop. If they are not, wrap them in paper and throw them away in your black rubbish bin.
