A to Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal

It can be difficult and dangerous to dispose of unwanted paint. It should not be poured down the drain or put in your black rubbish bin. You can donate unwanted paint and varnish that is still useable to your local recycling centre and put it in the distinctive pink Seagulls paint collection container. The paint will be donated to Seagulls, a local community paint re-use organisation.

Paper can be recycled in your green bin, at your nearest bring site or recycling centre. Please note that we are not able to accept shredded paper for recycling (please see shredded paper).

There are three recycling centres in Leeds where you can take your paper containers with metal ends such as hot chocolate, gravy granules, coffee and Pringles for recycling - Kirkstall, Wetherby and Yeadon.

Hot drinks paper cups are used in high street coffee shops, fast food outlets and supermarkets. These cups are lined with several layers of polyethylene (plastic). Because of this they are not suitable for recycling along with normal cardboard. Why not try a reusable cup? You can recycle your paper coffee cups in the recycling on the go bins for coffee cup in the city centre.

Peat bogs are rare habitats that are being destroyed to produce peat, so try to avoid buying or using it. If you have unwanted peat, it can be added to your compost heap or spread on your garden.

Please see Chemicals

Photographs and photographic paper cannot be recycled due to the plastic laminate on them being difficult to remove at paper pulping plants. If plastic is mixed into the process the recycled paper become unusable. Please dispose of these items in your black bin.

Please see bedding and blankets

You can take plasterboard* to your nearest recycling centre. Please put it in the container for plasterboard. Plasterboard is used as a soil conditioner and blended with organic waste in the manufacture of compost. *Restrictions apply for disposing of some types of rubbish at our household recycling centres including plasterboard. To find out more please see our guide to DIY waste disposal.

All the following types of plastic bottles found around the home can be recycled in your green bin: drinks bottles, cooking oil bottles, milk bottles, skincare and soap bottles, bleach bottles, washing up bottles.

Caps, lids, pumps and triggers can all be left on as they will be recycled too.

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.

Please try avoid using plastic cups by using drinking glasses instead. They can be put in your green recycling bin if the cups are made from plastic types 1 (PET/PETE), 2 (HDPE/PE-HD), 4 (LDPE/PE-LD) or 5 (PP).  These numbers can be found in a triangle on the cup. 

See also Plastic trays, Plastic bottles, Plastic yogurt pots. Please try to buy loose fruit and vegetables and meat and fish from shops that don't over-package their goods. A large proportion of plastic packaging is difficult to recycle. Carrier bags, bread bags, toilet and kitchen roll wrappers, and stretchy fresh or frozen fruit and vegetable bags can all be recycled in your green bin. Check out our plastic recycling page for all the other plastic items that can be recycled in Leeds. As a general rule, if a plastic bag or wrap is stretchy (rather than tear-able), then it can be recycled in your green bin. For example, the stretchy plastic wrap that comes around food tins and drinks cans multipacks is normally recyclable in your green bin, but the tear-able film lids from fresh fruit and veg trays isn’t recyclable and should go in your black bin. Please do not put any black or brown plastic in your green bin as this cannot currently be recycled.

All your plastic fruit, meat and vegetable trays (except those made of black or brown plastic) can be recycled in your green bin.

A large proportion of plastic wrap packaging is difficult to recycle as it is not clear which type of plastic it is. As a general rule, if plastic wrap is stretchy (rather than tear-able), then it can be recycled in your green bin. For example, the stretchy plastic wrap that comes around food tins and drinks cans multipacks is normally recyclable in your green bin, but the tear-able film lids from fresh fruit and veg trays aren’t recyclable and should go in your black bin. Large supermarkets now provide collection containers for a wide range of plastic packaging e.g. bags and film from pasta, dried fruit, paper products, salad, fruit and vegetable products etc. They will be recycled into new plastic products.