A-Z of what you can and can't recycle

Aerosol cans

Empty aerosol cans can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Important: Please do not squash or pierce aerosols.

Aluminium cans

Aluminium cans can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Aluminium foil

Items such as clean food trays, foil wrapping on biscuits and milk tops can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Important: This does not include foil wrapped crisp packets or pet food pouches.

Asbestos

Asbestos is a toxic material that was once used to make insulation and fireproofing material in construction. It is classed as hazardous waste. Important: We do not accept unwrapped asbestos; you should take household asbestos to our Hornsey Street Household Reuse and Recycling Centre wrapped up in heavy duty plastic wrapping. You can use household rubble sacks that can be bought from supermarkets.

Asbestos can be dropped off by appointment only. Call 020 8884 5645 to make an appointment. Site staff will need to know how much asbestos you need to dispose of and check that there is enough space in the asbestos container.

For hints and tips on safe removal of asbestos visit hse.gov.uk/asbestos

Ash

Small amounts of cold ash or cinders from an open fire can help to keep slugs and snails off your vegetable patch. You can also put small amounts into your general waste (non recyclable) bin at home, once cooled. Important: Never put hot ashes into a bin.

Baby clothes

You can recycle baby clothes and shoes at your nearest textile banks or at your Reuse and Recycling Centre, where they will be re-used or recycled.

You can donate clothes, toys or kit (such as cots, and prams) to a local charity shop or try to sell them second hand.

Batteries - car

Car batteries may be taken to your Reuse and Recycling Centre for recycling. Handle with care as car batteries contain acid. You can also ask the garage to take back the old one when you purchase a new battery.

Batteries - household

Regular batteries can be recycled at any shop or supermarket that sells batteries, or at our Reuse and Recycling Centres. Instead of replacing batteries, why not buy rechargeable batteries? There’s no need for disposal and you can use them again and again, which will save you money.

All Islington libraries and these Community Centres also collect batteries for recycling:

• Hilldrop Community Centre N7 0JE
• Mildmay Community Centre N16 8NA
• Girdlestone Community Centre N19 5DX
• Brickworks N4 4BY
• Hornsey Lane Community Centre N19 3YJ
• Elizabeth House Community Centre N5 1ED
• Walter Sickert Community Centre N1 2FB
• Andover Community Centre N7 7RNm
• St Luke's Community Centre EC1V 8AJ

Bikes

Bikes can be recycled at your Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Blankets

Charity shops collect old blankets and duvets.

Blister Packs

Empty blister packs for tablets/pills cannot be recycled in your container or at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre and should go in your rubbish. The cardboard box packaging can be recycled with other cardboard items.

Medicine blister packets can only be recycled using dedicated bins at participating pharmacy drop off point. The scheme applies to any empty prescription and over the counter medicine blister packets. Once collected, the empty blister packet are separated by polymer type and the material extruded into plastic pellets to make new recycled products. There are 2 locations in Islington: Seven Sisters Road Superdrug and Caledonian Road pharmacy.  

Books

You can take second hand books to a local charity shop or donate them for re-use in the media banks at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre.

If books are not reusable and do not have any dirt, foodstuffs, grease or paint on them, books can go into your dry recycling bin.  If they are dirty as detailed, the books will need to go in your general waste bin. 

You can also donate books for collections by British Heart Foundation in these community centres:

• Mildmay Community Centre N16 8NA
• Girdlestone Community Centre N19 5DX
• Brickworks N4 4BY
• Hornsey Lane Community Centre N19 3YJ
• Hargrave Hall, N19 5SP

Bottle tops

Please remove metal tops from glass bottles or jars and place into your recycling bag, box or container with the bottle or jar. If the top is a plastic top from a plastic bottle, please squeeze the air out of the plastic bottle, replace the top on the plastic bottle and put into your recycling bag, box or container.

Bric a brac

Charity shops are always on the look out for crockery, pictures, ornaments etc. And you might be able to make some money by selling items at a car boot sale. Otherwise you can take these items to your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap cannot be collected for recycling and should be reused or disposed of as rubbish.

Building materials

Building materials from your home can be taken to your Reuse and Recycling Centre. You can recycle hardcore material such as rubble, concrete and soil.

Bulky household items

We can collect bulky waste from your home for a small charge. Please visit our web site for more details.

Buttons

Keep them yourself to update old clothes or donate them to your local charity shop.

Cans

Food, drinks and pet food cans can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Cardboard and card packaging

Cardboard and cardboard packaging can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

You can re-use large cardboard sheets in the garden as a weed suppressing mulch by covering them with compost. Shredded cardboard also makes great animal bedding.

Carpet

You can recycle carpet at at the Hornsey Street Reuse and Recycling Centre in Islington.

You can also take reusable carpet and DIY waste to one of our DIY reuse points at South Access Road Reuse and Recycling Centre in Waltham Forest or Summers Lane Reuse and Recycling Centre in Barnet.

Carrier bag

Plastic carrier bags can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home. Single use carrier bags can also be recycled at most major supermarkets. You can re-use them by keeping a stash of bags in your car boot or one in your handbag.

Important: You can say ‘no’ to unwanted plastic carrier bags and use a bag for life instead. Bags for life are readily available at most supermarkets and large chain stores, they come in a variety of styles and designs and can be used over and over again.

Cat litter

Cat litter cannot be recycled or composted so put it in your general waste (non recyclable) bin at home.

Catalogues

Catalogues can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

CDs

You can donate CDs for re-use at your local charity shop, and some charities run recycling programmes for CDs too. Alternatively, CDs in good condition can be put in the media banks at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre.

These community centres also collect donations for resell by the British Heart foundation:

• Mildmay Community Centre N16 8NA
• Girdlestone Community Centre N19 5DX
• Brickworks N4 4BY
• Hornsey Lane Community Centre N19 3YJ
• Hargrave Hall, N19 5SP

Chemicals

The City of London operates a household hazardous waste collection and disposal service for residents on behalf of most of the London Boroughs. They collect wrapped asbestos and boxed chemicals including paint only.

Important: You should ensure that container lids are secured, and if possible, that containers have a label.

Christmas trees (real)

If you have a door to door recycling service, we will collect your real Christmas tree for recycling. We also have collection points after Christmas and you can recycle your real Christmas tree at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Cling film

Cling film is not recyclable and should be placed in your household rubbish. Chemicals and resins are added to cling film in order to make the cling film effective  resulting in a complex plastic which we cannot recycle. Cling film is a single use plastic and viable alternatives should be sought such as:

• Reusable containers with lids, instead of covering plates and bowls with cling film to refrigerate food
• Sandwiches in lunchboxes instead of wrapping with cling film
• When heating food in the microwave, cover with with a plate rather than cling film
• Use a cake tin for storing cakes, biscuits etc rather than wrapping in cling film.

Clinical waste

Clinical waste is mainly produced by hospitals, doctors' surgeries and veterinary practices, but also arises from residential homes, nursing homes and private households.

If you are a resident treating yourself at home and have either syringes, sharps and needles (of any kind) or swabs, soiled dressings or similar soiled wastes you should seek advice from your GP, doctor's surgery or local council about free collections.

Important: There are companies that offer services for commercial premises. Please see the waste disposal services section of the Yellow Pages or yell.com for more information.

Clothes

Recycle these at your local charity shop, textile recycling site or the Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Coat hangers

You should leave unwanted coat hangers at the shop when you buy items as they cannot be recycled in north London. Otherwise you can take them to your local Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Some dry cleaners are happy to accept donations of wire coat hangers.

Coffee cups

We do not collect these for recycling due to the wax coating. Please consider buying your own reusable coffee cup. Many cafes offer a discount if you use one.

Coffee pods

Coffee pods used in Nespresso and similar machines cannot be included in the dry recycling bins. A kerbside collection is not available for coffee pods. Many suppliers have their own recycling services on offer. Please check with your preferred coffee pod supplier. Under a collective scheme run by Nestle, consumers can take their used coffee pods to their nearest drop-off point.  Participating coffee brands include Nespresso, Nescafe Dolce Gusto, Starbucks by Nespresso, Starbucks by Nescafe Dolce Gusto, Tassimo and L’Or. The pods are recycled in Podback plastic or aluminium pod recycling bags. Recycling bags can be ordered directly from any of the participating Podback brands online. 

Coffee pods (compostable)

Some manufacturers make compostable coffee pods. These can be included in your food waste bin ONLY if they are certified to composting standards BS EN 13432. This includes the OK Composting Scheme. 

Coins

Foreign coins and out of date British currency can be taken to your local charity shop. Many banks will collect them too - ask your local branch for details.

Compostable cups, plates, cutlery, bags and wraps

We cannot recycle these items. Although they are compostable, they cannot easily be distinguished and separated from other plastic items, so they should not be put in with your food waste. If you cannot compost these at home, they should go in the rubbish bin.

Computers

You can take your computer to your Reuse and Recycling Centre or request a free collection from Clearabee - telephone 0330 0881085.

See Wise up to waste for more information.

Cooker

You can take your cooker to your Reuse and Recycling Centre or request a bulky waste collection.

Cooking oil

Simply collect cooking oil in a empty plastic or glass bottle, once it has cooled, and take it to the Reuse and Recycling Centre.

After the cooking oil has been collected it is converted into high quality bio-fuel for the distribution and power generation industries. Important: old cooking oil can be home composted, though it's best to mix well with paper or cardboard first.

If you cannot access the Reuse and Recycling Centre, cooking oil can be put in a sealed container and disposed of in your rubbish bin. Never put cooking oil in your food waste bin. 

Cooking pots 

Any cooking pots that are in a good condition should be taken to a local charity shop for reuse.  Any metal cooking pots at the end of their useful life, can be taken to the Reuse and Recycling Centre and placed in the metal skip. Pyrex or glass cooking pots unsuitable for reuse, cannot be recycled in your mixed recycling bin and should be taken to your Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Crisp packets

These cannot be recycled as they are made from a combination of metal and plastic. You should put them in your general waste bin. Walkers in partnership with TerraCycle have recently launched recycling scheme for any brand crisps packaging. You can post your crisp packets (minimum 400) free of charge to Walkers. For details of the scheme please visit Walkers' website. 

Cutlery 

Reusable cutlery that is in good condition could be sold or donated for reuse or to charity. If the item is not reusable, it can be taken to your Reuse and Recycling Centre. where it can be recycled. Disposable or single use plastic cutlery cannot be recycled and should go into your general waste bin. Cutlery that is compostable should not be placed in your recycling or food waste bin and should go in your general waste bin unless you have a compost heap in your garden that can accept these items.

DIY waste

General DIY waste from your household can be taken to your local Reuse and Recycling Centre. DIY generated by a builder or contractor should be disposed of by them as part of their contract with you.

Duvets and pillows

These cannot easily be recycled and should not be placed in textile recycling sites. If they are ‘as new’ some homeless or animal charities may be interested. Pillow cases can be reused as household cleaning cloths. Otherwise they can go into the rubbish.

DVDs

These community centres collect donations for resell by the British Heart foundation:

• Mildmay Community Centre, N16 8NA
• Girdlestone Community Centre, N19 5DX
• Brickworks, N4 4BY
• Hornsey Lane Community Centre, N19 3YJ
• Hargrave Hall, N19 5SP

Egg cartons

Cardboard or plastic egg cartons can be recycled as normal. Cardboard egg cartons can also be composted at home.

Egg shells

You can recycle egg shells in your garden and food recycling bin at home. Cleaned and crushed egg shells can be added to your compost as they contain lime, which helps to reduce acidity in the soil.

Electrical items

Any electrical items, large or small, can be recycled at your reuse and recycling centres (RRCs). If your large electrical items, such as washing machines, are still working and in a useable condition, your local re-use organisation may be able to refurbish them and give them a new lease of life and a new home. Some electrical items, like iPads and iPods can also be sold online.

There is much more information about recycling and reusing electrical items on our Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment web pages

Important: Electrical items should not be disposed of in your general waste.

Energy saving light bulbs

Although standard light bulbs cannot be recycled, energy saving light bulbs will last longer and can be taken to your local reuse and recycling centres and recycled in the fluorescent tubes container. Apart from the Reuse and Recycling Centre, collection points are provided by Recolight for household low energy light bulbs.

Engine oil

Used engine oil discarded down storm drains can cause considerable environmental damage if it leaches into watercourses and/or groundwater. Oil can be disposed of at your reuse and recycling centre.

Envelopes

Envelopes can be recycled can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home. There is no need to remove the plastic window.

Envelopes in good condition can be re-used by putting a re-use label over the old address and writing the new postal address on.

Fire extinguishers

You can recycle your fire extinguishers and fire protection equipment such as alarms, lights, blankets etc. by contacting Fire Protection Recycling Ltd on 0121 543 6307. Email: info@fireprotectionrecycling.co.uk. This is a chargeable service based on the location as well as the quantity of equipment to be collected. 

Florescent tubes and bulbs

These can be recycled at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Floss containers and outer packaging

Please refer to 'toothbrush tubes and toothbrushes' under 'T'.

Foam and polystyrene chips

You can dispose of polystyrene and foam chips in your general waste bin or take them to your local Reuse and Recycling Centre for disposal. But why not re-use them where possible, for example, for packaging, beanbags or drainage in plant pots.

Foil

Items such as clean food trays, foil wrapping on biscuits and milk tops can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Important: This does not include foil wrapped crisp packets or pet food pouches.

Food

Many residents have a food waste recycling service from home. Check your recycling service on Your local area.

Important: Please do not use plastic bags to line your caddy. Compostable liners are available from your local council or shopping outlets such as garden centres and supermarkets.

Foreign currency

Foreign coins and out of date British currency can be taken to your local charity shop. Many banks will collect them too - ask your local branch for details.

Fridges and freezers

Fridges and freezers can be recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre or we can arrange a collection for a small charge. If your large electrical items are still working and in a usable condition, your local re-use organisation may be able to refurbish them and give them a new lease of life.

Furniture

We can collect bulky waste from your home for a small charge. You can also consider donating your reusable furniture to a local reuse organisation such as Bright Sparks.

Please visit our web site for more details.

Garden waste

You can recycle your garden waste from home if you purchase a garden waste collection subscription.

You can also recycle it at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Don't forget you can also compost at home.

Gas cylinders

These should be returned to the issuing company. Their address is usually shown on the label on the cylinder. They can also be taken to your local Reuse and Recycling Centre

Gas mini canisters

Nitrous oxide or laughing gas canisters, come in various sizes but the most common are small and silver coloured or the slightly larger blue canisters. These should all be disposed of in the scrap metal bin at your Reuse and Recycling centre or placed in your general rubbish bin.  

Glass (plate)

Unfortunately there are currently no recycling schemes for plate glass. Please do not put plate glass into glass recycling banks or your home collection which are for bottles and jars only. If you are unable to re-use your old plate glass, please take it to your local Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Glass (Pyrex)

Pyrex cannot be recycled in your mixed recycling bin. Pyrex can be taken to your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Glass bottles and jars

Glass bottles and jars can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Please remember to rinse out the bottles and jars and put the lids into your recycling container separately.

Glasses

Some opticians and charity shops will accept old spectacles for repair and shipment to developing countries.

Glassware

You can donate reusable glassware to charity shops or to these community centres for collection by the British Heart Foundation:

• Mildmay Community Centre, N16 8NA
• Girdlestone Community Centre, N19 5DX
• Brickworks, N4 4BY
• Hornsey Lane Community Centre, N19 3YJ
• Hargrave Hall, N19 5SP

Gloves

Any brand of household disposable gloves made of latex, vinyl, polyethylene or nitrile can be recycled at the Terracycle drop-off point at 69 Beresford Road, N5 2HR. There is a box by the front door for collection all day Friday-Sunday. This is a private householder who is making this scheme available to us, so please do not turn up with your gloves at any other times. Disposable gloves that have been used with harsh chemicals or unhygienic substances are not accepted. 

Greeting cards

Greetings cards can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

But why not re-use the front of your best cards for gift tags?

Inhalers

73 million inhalers are prescribed every year in the UK. They could be harmful to the environment and release greenhouse gas emissions if the gas canisters become pierced or crushed and the propellant released.

Inhalers can be recycled at participating pharmacies. Check Pharmacy finder for your nearest complete the cycle pharmacy.

Ink cartridges and toners

There are many charities which welcome unwanted ink cartridges. You can also find local stores who will refill ink cartridges so you can re-use them.

iPod / iPad

Smal electrical items can be recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centres or at local small electrical item recycling sites. Some electrical items, like iPads and iPods can also be sold online.

Important: Electrical items should not be disposed of in your general waste.

Jewellery

Unwanted jewellery can be given to charity shops. Or if you want to make some extra cash you could try selling it online.

Jewellery should not be put in with normal mixed recycling.

Junk mail

Junk mail can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Kitchen Knives

You can recycle knives at any of our knife recycling bins. Knife bins are a safe and secure place for people to dispose of a knife, blade or tool.

Kitchen paper

Cannot be recycled and should go in your general rubbish.

Knitting needles

An organisation called Tools for Self Reliance send knitting needles and crates of sewing machines to developing countries.

To find out more about how you can help this charity visit tfsr.org.uk

Lightbulbs

Standard lightbulbs cannot be recycled, so you should not put them in your recycling bins at home.

Mercury bulbs are similar to fluorescent tubes. So as long as they are from a household, and not a business, they can be dropped off at all Reuse and Recycling Centres.

Energy saving lightbulbs - both light emitting diode (LED) and compact florescent (CFL) - can be recycled at all Reuse and Recycling Centres along with any fluorescent tube lighting you need to recycle.

Apart from the Reuse and Recycling Centre, collection points are provided by Recolight for household low energy light bulbs.

Magazines

Unwanted magazines can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

You can also share your magazines with friends and family or donate them to your local doctor, dentist or hairdresser.

Make-up

You can't recycle make-up palettes, mascara, lipsticks and travel-sized make-up containers in your usual recycling collection.

But you can recycle these items at some Boots shops. Find out if your nearest Boots accepts them.

Mattress

You can also recycle used mattresses at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre or you can book a bulky waste collection.

90% of the materials within mattresses taken to the Reuse and Recycling Centre and those collected on the bulky waste service are recyclable.  The unrecyclable 10% is used to generate electricity for the national grid.  That is 100% landfill avoidance on these mattresses. The materials extracted from used mattresses which includes steel, cotton, polyester, foam are used to make new products with lower CO2 footprints. 

Medicine packets (Foil cards)

Foil cards are the bubble and foil backed cards that securely hold tablets that you pop out to use. As these are a composite material, these packets cannot be recycled from home and should go in your general waste. However, some pharmacies run recycling program and will accept these for recycling.

Medicines and tablets

Medicines and tablets are classed as hazardous waste. If you have any left-over medicines you should consult your local chemist, pharmacy or hospital on how best to dispose of them.

Metal

You can recycle metal at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre, or take it to any scrap metal merchant.

Metal milk bottle tops go in your recycling bin.

Important: larger metal items cannot be collected as household waste or in your normal recycling collection.

Mobile phones

Many of the main supermarkets and chain stores provide Freepost envelopes in store so you can post old mobile phones for recycling. Most mobile phone providers will also do this when you upgrade your handset or purchase a new phone. There are also many charity collections operating or you could sell your old mobile phone online.

Nappies

Disposable nappies are not recyclable and should be placed in your general waste bin. Disposable nappies are not biodegradable and may take between 300 and 500 years to break down in landfill sites.

Real nappies are a much more environmentally friendly and cost effective alternative. Visit the nappy page on the North London Waste Authority website for more information about nappies and how to apply for a £54.00 real nappy subsidy.

Biodegradable nappies cannot be recycled or collected as organic waste in the garden/food waste collections. The volume of nappies used by a baby would make it difficult to home compost (about 2,000 nappies in the first year).

Needle-sticks and syringes

You should dispose of these as per the supplier's instructions, usually by them sealing in a container and putting the container in the general waste (non recyclable) bin at home. Important: Please do not place these items in your recycling bin - needle-sticks or syringes cannot be recycled or re-used.

Newspapers

All newspapers can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Oil (cooking)

Simply collect cooking oil in a empty plastic or glass bottle, once it has cooled, and take it to the Reuse and Recycling Centre.

After the cooking oil has been collected it is converted into high quality bio-fuel for the distribution and power generation industries. Important: old cooking oil can be home composted, though it's best to mix well with paper or cardboard first.

Small quantities of unused oil after cooking can be cooled, wrapped in tin foil, frozen, and then disposed of in the rubbish.

Oil (engine)

Engine oil can be recycled at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre. You can also ask your local garage if they collect it.

Important: Pouring oil down drains is illegal and burning oil can lead to a £2000 fine. Waste engine oil can easily be recycled.

Organic waste

Please see food or garden waste.

Packaging

Many items we buy come with lots of packaging. You can reduce packaging waste in lots of ways, for example, by buying loose products or products with minimal, reusable or recyclable packaging. Check individual items to see if they can be recycled using your at-home recycling service, or at Household Reuse and Recycling Centres.

Paint

You cannot bring paint tins to the Hornsey Street Reuse and Recycling Centre (it is an enclosed site and not sufficiently ventilated). Completely dry and hard sediment at the bottom of paint tins can be put into the general waste. Please find details of other local Reuse and Recycling Centres for safe disposal of paint.

Important: Paint must not be poured down the drain.

Please check our Hazardous Waste Page for more information.

Paper

Paper can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Paper plates

Used paper plates that are stained with foodstuffs or grease should go in your general waste.

Paper towels

Cannot be recycled and should go in your general rubbish.

Pens

You can recycle these at community centres:

• Mildmay Community Centre, N16 8NA
• Girdlestone Community Centre, N19 5DX
• Brickworks, N4 4BY
• Hornsey Lane Community Centre, N19 3YJ
• Hargrave Hall, N19 5SP
• Elizabeth House, N5 1ED
• Andover Community Centre, N7 7RN

Pet bedding

You can compost your pet bedding in your home compost bin. Otherwise you can dispose of pet bedding at a Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Pet food

Pet food can be put in your food waste recycling bin for composting. Make sure all the packaging is removed and recycled separately.

Photography

As photographic paper is coated with a very thin layer of polythene to control water absorption and speed drying they are not recyclable. Consider reuse and whether historical photographs would be welcomed by a museum or family members before disposing in the rubbish.

Pillows and duvets

See Duvets and Pillows.

Plant pots

Plant pots cannot be recycled in your recycling collections service. They are made of a type of plastic that recycling sorting plants normally don’t have an economic recycling outlet for them to be made into new products.

As part of a hard plastics trial, plant pots can be taken to your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Some garden centres will take back previously-used plant pots or you can try to reuse them at home. Otherwise, please include them in the general waste bin.

Plasterboard

This must be separated from other waste as it contains gypsum. Check to see if your local Household Reuse and Recycling Centres will dispose of plasterboard.

Plastic bags

Plastic carrier bags can be used to contain your mixed recycling at home. Plastic bags containing recycling can be placed in recycling bins for collection. The bags will be sorted out at the recycling sorting facility and will be recycled if possible, or sent for energy recovery.

Plastic carrier bags are now collected at most major supermarkets where they are sent for recycling at specialist recycling facilities. You can re-use them by keeping a stash of bags in your car boot or one in your handbag for use on the go.

Important: You can say ‘no’ to unwanted plastic carrier bags and use a bag for life instead. Bags for life are readily available at most supermarkets and large chain stores, they come in a variety of styles and designs and can be used over and over again.

Plastic cups

Disposable plastic cups can be recycled with your other recyclable material. We cannot recycle hard reusable plastic cups.

Plastic film wrap

This thin plastic, commonly found sealing the top of microwave meals, wrapping bread, salad bags and dried foods is not recyclable in your household recycling service. Most major supermarkets will now have public collection points at their larger stores. Find your nearest collection point for this type of plastic at the Recycle Now locator. Alternatively, dispose of this material in your rubbish bag.

Plastic

Plastics can cause confusion when recycling. Most plastic packaging can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Hard plastics

You can donate children's toys and games to your local charity shop or try to sell them second-hand. Anything that isn’t reusable should be disposed of in your general waste bin.

You can now recycle your hard plastics at Hornsey Street Reuse and Recycling Centre as part of a new trial. The following hard plastics will be accepted:

• Plastic buckets
• Plastic drums/IBCs
• Plastic bins
• Laundry baskets
• Plastic crates
• Storage boxes/non-shatter
• Wheelie bins
• Plastic pallets
• Garden furniture
• Mortar tubs
• Plastics cans
• Plant pots
• Bumpers

Items not accepted include:

• Bollards
• Plastic film
• Traffic cones with feet
• Stones
• Soil and wood
• Rubbish bags
• Plastics with paint residue
• White goods
• Underfloor heating pipes
• Car seats with textile
• Fibreglass sheets
• Garden hoses
• Polystyrene
• PET bottles
• Cool boxes
• Polycarbonate

Soft/flexible plastics

Soft or flexible plastics cannot be recycled at home. These include such items as bread and vegetable wrapping and plastic film. These should go in your general waste or recycle by taking to a collection point at larger stores of most major supermarkets including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, The Co-op and Waitrose. Not all large supermarkets have the collection points but they are slowly being rolled out throughout the country, so please check with the supermarket first.

Plastic bottle tops

Bottle tops can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home. Remove the sealing strip around the bottle top and put that in the general waste.

Plastic take away food containers

Please rinse containers to make sure there is no food still attached.

Polystyrene/foam chips

You can dispose of polystyrene and foam chips in your general waste bin or take them to your local Reuse and Recycling Centre for disposal. But why not re-use them where possible, for example, for packaging, beanbags or drainage in plant pots.

Expanded polystyrene is the kind of sturdy packaging material that is used to protect products such as large electrical appliances can be recycled at Reuse and Recycling centres. Please note that expanded polystyrene is not the same as the type of polystyrene used to make takeaway containers which we do not currently recycle. Dixons Carphone (owner of Currys PC World) allows customers to return expanded polystyrene for recycling.

Pottery

Some charity shops will take certain pottery items. Or you can re-use broken pottery in the bottom of plant pots for drainage. Pottery can also be recycled at your local Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Pyrex glass

Pyrex cannot be recycled in your mixed recycling bin. Pyrex can be taken to your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Printer Cartridges

Printer cartridges can be recycled at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Sandwich cartons 

Sandwich cartons that are clean of food can be recycled in your mixed recycling container where they are treated as mixed paper.

Scrap metal

You can recycle metal at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre, or take it to any scrap metal merchant.

Sewing machines and sewing accessories

Sewing machines and accessories are accepted by an organisation called Tools for Self Reliance who send them to developing countries. To find out more about how you can help this charity visit tfsr.org.uk.

Shoes

Some charity shops accept shoes or they can be recycled in pairs in the textile banks at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Soap dispenser pumps

Soap and lotion dispenser pumps cannot be recycled in your usual collection.

You can recycle soap dispenser pumps at some Boots shops. Find out if your nearest Boots accepts them.

Spectacles

Some opticians and charity shops will accept old spectacles for repair and shipment to developing countries.

Stamps

Many charities accept used stamps as they can benefit from re-using them.

Suitcases

We can’t recycle suitcases but if they’re in good condition, please donate them to your nearest charity shop or a bear (don’t forget to include some honey).

Sun beds

Household sun beds can be taken to your nearest Reuse and Recycling Centre. Important: The sun bed must be dismantled before being taken to a recycling centre. The fluorescent tubes must be removed from the frame and then placed in the dedicated container. The frame can be placed in the electrical recycling container.

Telephone directories

Telephone directories can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Textiles

Clothes in good condition can be re-used. Clothes can be passed onto friends and relatives, taken to charity shops or to a jumble sale, or you may be able to sell clothes online. Your Reuse and Recycling Centres provide textiles banks where you can put unwanted clothes, sheets, towels and pairs of shoes.

Tissues

Tissues can be put in home compost bins or disposed of in the general waste bin.

Tissue paper

Reuse if in good condition or recycle as paper and place in your recycling bag, box or container.

Toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes

Toothpaste tubes and brushes are not recyclable on the doorstep collection – particularly since they will contain remnants of the product however hard you try to squeeze the last drops out. This also applies to other squeezable plastic tubes.

You can recycle toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes at some Boots shops. Find out if your nearest Boots accepts them.

Tools

Tools for Self Reliance collect and refurbish hand tools (except gardening tools), for free shipment to developing countries. You can deliver the tools or they can be collected if necessary.

Toys and games

Unwanted toys and games can be donated to your local doctor's surgery or community centre where they can be re-used. Many games console stores will also trade older computer games for new ones and then sell them on to new customers. Most charity shops will also accept donations of toys and games.

Computer games and complete children’s games can also can be donated in the media banks at your local Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

If you live in Islington The Toy Project will collect unwanted, new and used toys and give them to children who need them. Toys can also be donated at their shop (99 Junction Road N19 5QX), Tuesday to Saturday between 11.00am and 6.00pm. They cannot accept baby equipment or electrical items. The Toy Project is closed on Sunday and Monday. Email j.garfield@thetoyproject.co.uk or call 07590 256 530.;

Tyres

Over 38 million tyres are discarded in the UK each year, sometimes illegally. If you get your tyres changed at a garage they will dispose of the old ones for you.

Tyres and inner tubes from bicycles can sometimes be accepted for recycling from bike shops. Some may take them for free and some may charge. Please check with your local bike shop. Here’s some ideas to reuse inner tyres from bicycles:

• Cut off the hard outer rim and use just the middle to line your tyre before replacing your new tube; providing an extra layer between road and new tube.
• Cut in strips to line bike racks that come into contact with truck lids and roofs to prevent straps rubbing against vehicle paint.
• Use to tie back saplings as they grow.
• Encase metal anti-theft chains to avoid the chain rubbing against paint work when secured.
• Fix small strips to line handle bar before fixing accessories.
• Use as an exercise resistance band.

Vapes

In the UK we buy half a billion vapes a year and bin 3 million of them every week. That includes single-use and rechargeable vapes with a single-use chamber. Single-use vapes are a big problem – we’re chucking away enough of them every year to cover 22 football pitches. They might be called disposable but they should still be recycled.

Vapes cannot go in your recycling or general waste bin. Only empty vape liquid bottles that are rinsed well can be recycled as glass. Like anything with a battery (or cable or plug), vapes can and should be taken to a recycling centre.

If you can remove the battery from your vape kit, take it out and recycle it separately. If you can’t remove the batteries, add the whole vaping kit to your electrical recycling.

For more information visit the the NLWA's webpage on Vapes. To find out your nearest recycling point for electrical items visit the 'recycle your electricals' website.

Vending cups

Plastic vending can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

You can wash out and re-use vending cups for parties or picnics, or put a hole in the bottom and use them for growing seedlings.

Video cassettes

Damaged or worn video cassettes should be disposed of in your general waste bin. Unused cassettes can be donated to charity shops, see your local directory for details. Video cassettes in good condition can be donated via the media banks at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre

Wallpaper 

Wallpaper is not recyclable because the papers may contain high concentrations of synthetic inks and dyes that are difficult and costly to separate from the papers. Wall paper may also have coatings applied to make the paper more durable or waterproof which then act as contaminants.

Water filter cartridges

With the help of the Brita Recycling Scheme, you can recycle your filters at these community centres:

• Brickworks, N4 4BY
• Hornsey Lane Community Centre, N19 3YJ

White spirit

White spirit and other similar solvent chemicals, should never be poured down the sink. There’s a small chance that such chemicals will damage your drain or pipes, but there is a larger one that they will cause problems further down the line in the water processing and filtration systems. White spirit is classed as hazardous waste and you should arrange a hazardous waste collection through our Customer Centre on 020 7527 2000. Alternatively, you could contact the store that you bought your solvent from and they might take back any full or half full bottles. If you have the space, left over solvents should be stored for reuse. 

Wood

Wood and timber can be recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Wrapping paper

We don’t encourage residents to put wrapping paper in their household recycling because it’s often mixed with other materials such as sticky tape and decorations and these cannot be recycled. This makes it difficult to recycle wrapping into high quality paper. So please reuse wrapping paper whenever possible or try a reusable gift bag or box instead. Shiny, metallic or glittery wrapping paper and gift bags are generally not recyclable. Please don’t put shiny, metallic or glittery wrapping paper in your recycling bin.

Writing instruments

You can recycle these at community centres:

• Mildmay Community Centre, N16 8NA
• Girdlestone Community Centre, N19 5DX
• Brickworks, N4 4BY
• Hornsey Lane Community Centre, N19 3YJ
• Hargrave Hall, N19 5SP
• Elizabeth House, N5 1ED
• Andover Community Centre, N7 7RN

Yellow Pages

Yellow Pages and other telephone directories can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Yoghurt pots

Yogurt pots can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home or recycled at your Reuse and Recycling Centre.

If you do not want to throw them away, you could also clean them and re-use them as mini storage containers or planters for kitchen herbs.