A to Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal

Use the search below to see where you can reuse, recycle or dispose of your waste.

Want to recycle more? Find out what else you can recycle in your local area using Recycle Now's Recycling Locator.

Kitchen foil
Please see aluminium foil
Kitchen roll

Try to always use kitchen roll made from recycled paper. Used kitchen roll can be added to your compost bin/heap where it will rot down to produce compost for the garden.  The cardboard inner tube can be recycled by putting it in your green recycling bin. It will recycled into new cardboard products.

Knives

You can recycle your old, unwanted knives by taking them to your nearest recycling site and putting them in the scrap metal container.

Lamp and light fittings

If these are still in working order, please donate them to your local charity shop or reuse organisation. If they are not good enough to reuse please recycle your lamp/light fitting by taking it to your nearest recycling centre, where you can put it in the small electrical waste container.

Leaflets

Please recycle your unwanted leaflets and flyers in your green recycling bin, your nearest bring site or recycling centre . They will be recycled into new paper products.

Lightbulbs

Try to buy low energy lightbulbs, particularly for rooms where lights are left on for long periods of time. This will save money on energy and by not replacing lightbulbs so often. Low energy lightbulbs can be recycled at your nearest household waste recycling centre. Other types of (incandescent) lightbulbs cannot be recycled at present. These should be wrapped in newspaper and placed in your black household bin.

Magazines

Try to re-use magazines by donating them to your friends, relatives, colleagues or your local doctor's surgery. They can be recycled in your green bin or at your nearest bring site or recycling centre. Recycled magazines will be made into new paper products.

Medical waste

Visit the medical waste page for more information on what we will collect and how to book collections.

Medicines

Unused medicines should be returned to your doctor or pharmacist. Empty medicine bottles can be recycled in the green bin or bottle banks.

Metal

You can take scrap metal to your local recycling centre. Metal will be recycled into new metal products.

Microwaves

If your microwave still works, please donate it to a charity shop or your local reuse organisation. You can recycle your microwave by taking it to your nearest recycling centre, where you can put it in the small waste electrical container. The metal and plastic will be recycled into new products.

Milk containers

If your milk containers are made from glass, you should return them to your milk man. If they are made from plastic, they can be put in your green recycling bin, taken to your nearest bring site or recycling centre.

Mobile phones and accessories

Some charities run postal collection schemes for unwanted phones. You will be able to find out more information on the internet. Most supermarkets and phone shops have collection facilities for unwanted mobile phones. You could also put them in your nearest WEEE bank (see W for a list of sites).

Monitors

You can recycle your old style monitor or flat screen monitor by taking it to your nearest recycling centre, where you can put it in the television/monitor container. The metal and plastic will be recycled into new products.

Nappies
Please consider using real nappies. Real nappies are re-useable and washable. They are easier to use than you might think and can work out cheaper in the long run than disposable ones. If you would like to try these, we have areal nappy incentive scheme to encourage parents to try these. You can either get a free trial pack or £30 cash back when you spend over £50 on real nappies. If you are using disposable nappies, please bag them up before you put them in your black bin.