Recycling tips

This section gives general advice on rubbish disposal and recycling. Always use your common sense and never place rubbish where it could cause harm. If you are at all unsure contact your Local Authority and speak to the recycling officer.  

Asbestos	a building and insulation material commonly used before the 1970s the three main types of asbestos are white, blue and brown can only cause harm if the fibres are inhaled removal from buildings may disturb the fibres Advice: contact your local council before removal
Batteries	ordinary batteries contain no poisonous substances, they are safe to dispose of with everyday rubbish rechargeable batteries contain hazardous metals, look for ones without mercury or cadmium rechargeable batteries should be returned to the manufacturer where possible for disposal some councils and garages provide facilities for recycling rechargeable batteries and lead acid car batteries Advice: buy rechargeable batteries, or appliances which use mains electricity
Building rubbish	includes: bricks, asphalt, glass, metals, plastics, soil, and wood most of this waste is created by the construction industry architectural salvage yards take some items for resale, and old bricks and timber can often be reused Advice: contact the Association for environmentally conscious building for advice
Cars and vehicles (ELVs)	over 1.8 million tonnes of old vehicles are thrown away in the UK each year on average 75% of a vehicle is currently recycled scrap merchants are able to recycle old vehicles fly tipping is an offence and abandoned vehicle owners can be traced through the DVLA! Advice: abandoned vehicles can be reported to your local council, who can also provide advice on disposal
Chemicals, paint and oils	chemicals are used every day in the home and garden, see the National Household Hazardous Waste Forum DO NOT pour chemicals and oil down drains. They can pollute rivers used engine oil can be recycled at most civic amenity sites. Click here for more information old paints and varnishes could be used by someone else - check the bank locator for community recycling schemes plastic bottles which have contained household cleaners can also be recycled (check instructions on the bottle) Advice: use environmentally friendly chemicals, most DIY stores stock them. Buy in bulk to reduce packaging
Electronics	some retailers take back old electrical items when delivering a new one if your item still works safely, you could sell it. See Yellow pages for second-hand electrical shops some charity shops will accept small electrical items waste electronics can sometimes be recycled at council recycling sites mobile phones can be recycled through phone retailers and charities Advice: try to repair broken items rather than throw them away. Buy durable items with long life cycles
Furniture	local charity shops, schools, and community groups can sometimes use unwanted items please note that unwanted sofas and chairs must have the kite mark to prove they meet British safety standards most organisations will not take old beds for hygiene reasons make sure all furniture is clean and in good repair before you donate it Advice: old furniture may be very useful to someone else! Donate unwanted items where possible
Glass	bottles and jars are usually separated by colour: brown, clear, and green place in the correct colour bin (unless there is a mixed colour glass collection) wash out bottles and jars, remove caps and corks before recycling (avoid wasting water: use your washing-up water) light bulbs, Pyrex-type dishes, windowpanes etc. should not be put in glass banks Advice: reuse jars for storage, most supermarkets have glass banks, recycle alongside your weekly shop!
Medical waste	dispose of medicines following either your doctor's or the manufacturer's instructions care should be taken when disposing of needles and syringes glass bottles and jars that have contained medicines can be recycled when they are empty Advice: if you find a syringe, use your common sense. If you can safely pick it up, then place it in a safe container and take it to the local police station
Metals	usually separated into: aluminium (drinks cans) - non-magnetic, and steel (food tins) - magnetic. Aerosols can be made from either test by using a magnet. Click here to request a free magnet wash and squash cans before recycling. Only recycle clean aluminium foil. Never pierce or crush aerosols even when empty only put empty aerosols in recycling schemes i.e. when you cannot get any more out by pressing the button crisp wrappers (metallised plastic film) cannot be recycled. Metallised plastic springs back when scrunched Advice: contact Alupro for details of their Cash for Cans scheme and BAMA for any aerosol queries
Paper and cardboard	paper collection is usually separated into: newspapers, magazines, cardboard, and phone directories unless specified, do not recycle catalogues, directories or envelopes which are gummed or glued together juice and milk cartons cannot be recycled with ordinary paper as they are made up of several materials some facilities provide mixed paper and card collection Advice: if you read newspapers, please recycle them after use. Alternatively, read news online. Set your printer to print double sided, buy recycled paper
Plastic	there are over 50 different types of plastics if separate bins are provided it will usually be for: HDPE - opaque bottles e.g. detergent bottles PVC - transparent bottles, an obvious seam running across the base e.g. mineral water bottles PET - transparent bottles, a hard moulded spot in the centre of the base e.g. fizzy drink bottles some supermarkets have collection points for recycling carrier bags Advice: reuse bags or use a long-life carrier bag. Buy in bulk to reduce packaging
Textiles	old clothes, bedding, curtains, and blankets can be recycled on any high street at charity shops, but only donate clean usuable items! some charities also have recycling bins for textiles if you deposit shoes, tie them together so they don't get separated! Advice: use any unrecyclable textiles as cloths around your home
Timber / wood	the disposal of wood in landfill sites causes problems as it is often bulky and decomposes slowly scrap wood is collected at civic amenity sites for recycling Advice: many retailers now stock products made out of recycled wood or renewable wood sources - look on the FSC website for further information   Information courtesy recycle more