A to Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal

If your unwanted chair is good enough to be used by others, donate it to a local re-use organisation. Armchairs must have a fire label to be re-used. You can also take it to the Revive Leeds re-use shop at the Kirkstall or Seacroft recycling centres or to your nearest recycling centre where you can put it in the re-use container. If it is not good enough to re-use you can take it to your nearest recycling centre for disposal. Wooden furniture can be recycled in the timber container. If you are unable to do this, you can book a bulky item collection online

There are many chemicals used in the home that are hazardous substances, for example paint, white spirit, bleach, antifreeze, brake fluid, engine oil, household and garden chemicals, and pesticides. Please try to use non-toxic alternatives instead. Never dispose of chemicals down your sink or drain. Please take household chemicals to your nearest recycling centre so that they can be disposed of correctly. There is a household chemical container on all the sites. These chemicals will be re-used within the chemical industry wherever possible, incinerated or turned to a solid material for disposal at landfill. If you are unable to get to a recycling centre, please phone 0113 222 4406 (Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm) to see if we can help.

Re-useable artificial trees can be donated to charity shops.

Real Christmas trees should be taken to your nearest recycling centre and put in the green/garden waste skips. They will be composted and made into soil conditioner for use in land restoration projects.

Please ensure that all decorations are removed before putting your tree in the skip.

Reduce your Christmas waste by buying cards made from recycled card and reusing good quality wrapping paper. Recycle your Christmas cards and paper in your green recycling bin or in the paper bank at your nearest bring site or recycling centre. These are recycled back into cardboard products such as packaging materials and cat litter. 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.

Donate clean clothing that is good enough to be re-used to your local charity shop where they will be resold. Alternatively, you could organise a jumble sale or local swap shop event to pass on items that you no longer want. All textiles, even if they are ripped and paired shoes can be recycled by putting in the textile bank at your nearest bring site or recycling centre. These items will be used as second hand clothes if good enough quality, or shredded and used as filling material for example mattresses, to make recycled products or to become wiping cloths for industry.

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.

Consider donating unwanted magazines and comics to your friends and relatives, colleagues or your local doctors surgery. You may even find that some comics have resale value. They can be recycled in your green recycling bin or at your nearest bring site or recycling centre. They will be made into new paper products.

Try to avoid using peat based compost as rare peat bog ecosystems are destroyed to make it. Instead why don't you make your own compost from fruit and vegetable peelings, grass cuttings, garden prunings and more. We are unable to take compostable bags in brown bins because under testing we found they do not fully decompose in garden waste within 12 weeks. These bags can be home composted or should be put in your black household waste bin. You can find out more information about how to make your own compost and the compost bins we offer on the composting page.

Contact, a Leeds community interest company, are always looking for donations of unwanted computer equipment. They refurbish them for use by other not-for-profit and community organisations or recycle the materials. Their telephone number is 0113 242 4421. Computers from your home can also be taken to your nearest recycling centre. Please put them in the electronic equipment skip. Materials such as plastics and metals are recycled into new products.

Please remember that used cooking oil can be recycled and made into biodiesel. Please do not pour it down the drain. To recycle your cooking oil please take to your nearest recycling centre and put it in the used cooking oil container. It will be used to create bio-diesel or as a fuel in an energy from waste facility.

You can take broken crockery to your local recycling centre where you should put it in the rubble and inerts skip. It will be used for road building or surface cover on a landfill site. Restrictions apply for disposing of some types of rubbish at our household recycling sites including ceramics. To find out more please see our guide to DIY waste disposal.

Please see Electrical and Electronic Appliances

Please see Cartons

Please see Bedding and Blankets

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.