Your Recycling and Waste A to Z
Simply look up the material you wish to recycle or dispose of and you should find all the information you need. Alternatively use the "Edit Menu" from your web browser and then select "Find on this page", and enter the term you would like to search for.
Visit |reduce, reuse, recycle further information.
See our |recycling and waste pages for general information on what you can put in your bins.
If you can't find what you're looking for then |get in touch.
|A
Aerosols
Recycle empty aerosols at your |Community Recycling Centre. Please do not pierce, crush or flatten before recycling.
Aluminium cans
See |cans.
|Aluminium foil
Aluminium foil, metal food trays and milk bottle tops can be recycled in your blue top bin.
Asbestos
Asbestos is a hazardous material that poses a real danger to health. It is vital that care should be taken when handling, removing or disposing of asbestos. Visit the |Surrey County Council website to find out how to dispose of asbestos safely.
Appliances
Autumn leaves
Don't burn leaves, as they produce highly carcinogenic smoke. Put wet leaves in a plastic bag, stab a fork in to make some holes, and a year later you'll have great leaf mulch to spread around your garden. You can compost leaves at home, or sign up to our |Garden Waste Collection Service and we'll compost them for you.
|B
|Baby goods
Baby clothes and equipment that are in good condition can be given to friends and family members or donated to charity shops.
See also |children's toys.
Bags
See |plastic bags.
|Batteries
Some |normal household batteries can be taken to the recycling bin in the reception of the Civic Centre, Esher. Rechargeable batteries last longer than single use batteries, and are better for the environment. Take all dead batteries to one of the |Community Recycling Centres. See also |car batteries.
Bicycles
Second hand bicycle shops may be interested in purchasing the bicycle, or you could donate them for reuse. If your bike is beyond repair, you can recycle the metal parts. Take your bicycle to one of the |Community Recycling Centres.
|Bin liners
You can now buy biodegradable or recycled bin liners in most supermarkets, which is better than using other plastic bags that take up to 1,000 years to decompose. But it's better to reuse any plastic bags as bin liners, instead of throwing them away or buying new ones.
See also |plastic bags.
Biscuit tins
Recycle biscuit tins in your blue top bin. Alternatively they can be reused for storing homemade cakes and treats.
Bones
Bones from meat or left over food can be disposed of as part of the |food waste collection. They can not be home composted.
Books
Books in good condition can be sold to second hand book shops or donated to libraries, charity shops, local surgery waiting rooms, or retirement homes. If your books are not in a good enough condition to be reused you can put them in your blue top bin.
Bottles
See |glass bottles or plastic bottles.
Bric-a-brac
Take unwanted items or bric-a-brac to local charity shops or sell them at car boot sales. Local scout or guide groups may also like to receive such items for their fund raising jumble sales.
Bubble wrap
Bubble wrap cannot be recycled, but it can be easily reused to wrap up valuables which are going in storage or being posted. If you can't reuse it, put it in your normal rubbish bin.
Building waste
See |rubble.
|Business waste
Find out how to dispose of your business waste at the |Surrey Green Steps website.
|C
|Cans
You can recycle cans in your blue top bin or take them to a |local Recycling Centre.
Find out |what happens to your recycling once it is collected from your kerbside.
|Car batteries
You can take car batteries to a |Community Recycling Centre.
|Cardboard
You can put cardboard in your blue top bin. Large pieces of cardboard, as long as they are flattened and tied with string, can be put next to your blue top bin ready for collection.
Find out |what happens to your recycling once it is collected from your kerbside
|Cards (birthday, greeting etc)
You can recycle cards in your blue top bin. Many charity shops accept cards for recycling. You can re-use cards by turning them into gift tags for presents. See also |Christmas cards.
Carpets
Carpets are difficult to recycle because they are made from a mixture of fibres. You can donate your carpets to charity shops, community groups, friends or family. If they can't be reused, you can arrange a |Special Collection.
Cartons
See |Tetra Pak.
Catalogues
Recycle catalogues in your blue top bin.
|CDs
Old CDs can be donated to charity shops. If this is not an option they can go in the green refuse bin.
Cereal boxes
See |cardboard.
|Children's toys
You can't recycle toys but you can donate them to a local charity shop. Alternatively, use a non-proft organisation such as |freecycle or |free2collect.
See also |baby goods.
China plates & ornaments
If these are unbroken, you can donate them to a charity shop. Please do not put these in your blue top bin.
|Christmas cards and paper
Old cards and paper can be re-used for making present tags or paper-chains. Alternatively, they can be recycled in the blue top bin.
Clingfilm
Clingfilm cannot be recycled and must therefore go in the green refuse bin to be disposed of. You can reduce the amount of clingfilm you use by storing sandwiches and food in resealable plastic containers.
Clinical waste
If you have clinical waste for disposal contact the| Environmental Care team to arrange a special collection. For more information please visit the |Surrey County Council Clinical Waste page.
Clothes
Charity shops welcome clean, dry, good quality items. Worn clothes could be used as cleaning cloths. Alternatively there are a number of textile banks at one of the |Recycling Centres across the borough. If have a lot of clothes and textiles for recycling (e.g. clearing out a house), some textile recycling companies will come and collect them for free, such as D & M Textile Reclamation: 020 8665 7555.
Coins
Most charities have a scheme where you can donate with unwanted foreign currency.
Commercial Waste
See |business waste.
Composting
Home composting can be easy, for more information please visit the |Surrey Get Composting website.
Computers
You can recycle your computers with |Hungry Recycling. Also see| electrical goods.
|Confidential waste
The best way to deal with confidential documents is to shred them and put them in your compost bin. You can also scrunch shredded paper into a ball and wrap a sheet of newspaper around it, or put it in a paper bag to keep it all together, and place it in your recycling bin.
|Cooked meat
Cooked meat can be put in your food waste bin or a wormery. Do not put it in your compost bin.
|Cooking oil
Please do not pour waste oil down the drain, even with washing up liquid, because the oil will solidify in the sewers and cause huge problems with rats, odour and blockages. Try to use only the correct amount you need, and mop up any excess oil/fat with a piece of bread and put it out for the birds. If you have large quantities, allow the oil to solidify and then transfer to an old tin and put it in your general refuse.
|D
Disposable nappies
see |nappies.
Duvets and pillows
If these are clean and in good condition, charity shops will take them. Alternatively, they can be taken to a |Community Recycling Centre.
DVDs and videos
If you have unwanted films at home, you can donate them to a charity shop, or sell them at a jumble sale or online. Alternatively, they can go in your refuse bin.
|E
Egg cartons
Cardboard egg boxes can be torn up and added to your Compost bin or they can be recycled in your blue top bin. Plastic egg boxes can't be recycled - please put them in your refuse bin.
Egg shells
You can add these to your |food waste bin or home compost bin. To order a home composting bin please visit |Surrey Get Composting website.
Elastic bands
Rubber elastic bands can't be recycled. Please reuse them but if they're broken you can put them in your refuse bin.
|Electrical goods
Electronic and electrical equipment must be disposed of separately to general waste. You can dispose of your electrical goods at a |Community Recycling Centre. Find out more about the |WEEE directive.
|Envelopes
If you can't reuse old envelopes, recycle them in your blue top bin. You don't need to remove the plastic window or stamps.
|Engine oil
Don't put oil down drains because it can cause considerable environmental damage if it leaks into watercourses and/or groundwater. If oil is released into the water it will kill most animal and plant life by removing the oxygen. Oil can be taken to a |Community Recycling Centre where it is disposed of safely.
|F
Fabrics
Old fabric can be recycled at one of the many textile banks at a |Recycling Centre across the borough.
Fat
Animal fat should not be poured down the drain as it causes blockages. Once cooled it can be put into the food waste bin for composting. Alternatively you can seal it in a container and put it out with your normal rubbish. Another option is to mix it with bird seed and leave it to solidify. You can then put it out on your windowsill or hang it from a tree and feed the birds in the winter.
Faxes
To reduce unwanted marketing faxes, register with the |Fax Preference Service. Recycle any you do get in your blue-top bin.
|Fluorescent tube lights
Fluorescent strip lights are more efficient than ordinary bulbs because they use electricity to produce light instead of heat. They last 8-10 times longer and use 75-80% less energy. However, fluorescent lighting contains potentially harmful substances like mercury, cadmium and lead that can cause damage to the brain, liver and kidneys if they enter the body. There is no legislation that prevents you putting tubes in your rubbish bin, however, you can take them to a |Community Recycling Centre for safe disposal.
See also |light bulbs.
Foil
See |aluminium foil.
Food
All food can be collected as part of the weekly |food waste collection service . You can recycle some food at home, in a compost bin or wormery. You can buy wormeries on the internet from |Wiggly Wigglers or |Green Gardener. For information on home composting bins, and how to order one, please visit the |Surrey Get Composting website.
Freezers and fridges
Fridges and freezers are classified as hazardous waste and must be disposed of carefully and responsibly. The |Surrey Reuse Networkcollects fridges and freezers to |reuse or recycle. Alternatively, you can take them to a |Community Recycling Centre or arrange a |Special Collection through the Council.
|Fruit & vegetable peelings
These can be disposed as part of your weekly |food waste collection, or put in your compost bin or wormery.
Furniture
The |Surrey Reuse Network collects furniture for |reusing or recycling. You can also donate furniture to charity shops and second-hand shops. Alternatively, you can arrange a |Special Collection through the Council.
|G
Garden chemicals
Garden chemicals are hazardous household waste and must be disposed of carefully. If you have unwanted garden chemicals, please take them to a |Community Recycling Centre and ensure they are identified to the staff there as hazardous waste. Never be tempted to pour either diluted or undiluted chemicals down the drain. This can seriously affect the treatment of water at the sewage plant.
Garden waste
You can either compost your garden waste at home, sign up for our |kerbside collection service or take it to a |Community Recycling Centre.
Gas cylinders
You can recycle gas cylinders at one of the |Community Recycling Centres.
Gift wrap
See |wrapping paper.
|Glass bottles and jars
You can recycle glass bottles and jars in your blue top bin. You don't need to remove the labels as they do not affect the recycling process. It doesn't matter if the glass items are broken, but please don't wrap or bag them.
Glass panes
Panes of glass should not be put in your blue top bin or any other recycling container . It has a different composition from glass bottles and needs to be collected separately. Please take them to a |Community Recycling Centre.
Glasses
See |spectacles.
Grass trimmings
These can be composted at home. If you don't have time or space to compost, sign up to our |Garden Waste Collection Service and we'll do it for you.
Greeting cards
See |cards.
|H
Hangers
Coat hangers can be reused over and over again. Take metal hangers back to the dry-cleaners to be reused rather than throwing them away. Ask local charity shops if they need spare hangers for displaying clothes.
Houseplants
If houseplants outgrow your home, give them to a local retirement home or community centre, or you may know a local business that would like them. Plants are often welcome donations for local village fairs, school fairs, or jumble sales. If you can't find a new home for it, you can chop it up and home compost it, or have it collected with our |Garden Waste Collection Service.
Household chemicals
Some disinfectants are corrosive and a skin irritant; others are flammable. Always follow the manufacturers instructions. Plastic bottles such as bleach bottles can be recycled in your blue top bin. Only throw away EMPTY containers.
Household rubbish
Over 50% of your household rubbish can be recycled. Please make sure you only put items into your refuse bin that cannot be recycled. For details of the recycling services in Elmbridge, please look visit our |recycling and waste pages.
|I
Ink-jet cartridges
Many charities and organisations will take your used printer cartridges and refill them. They are then resold.
|Find out more details about ink-jet cartridge recycling.
|J
Jars
See |glass bottles and jars.
Jar lids
Jar lids can be recycled in your blue top bin. Please make sure that they are separated from the glass jar first so that both parts can be recycled separately.
Juice cartons
See |Tetra Pak.
Junk mail
|See mail.
|K
Kitchen towels
You can now buy recycled kitchen towel from supermarkets. Better still, use cotton dish cloths, which can be re-used. If you do use paper kitchen towels, small quantities of these can be placed into your compost bin. However, do not place greasy kitchen towels in your compost bin, nor any that have been used with cleaning products.
Kitchen waste
See |cooked meat.
See |fruit & vegetable peelings.
|L
Labels
You don't have to remove the labels from tin, cans, bottles or jars.
Laser toner cartridges
|Redeem will take your used printer cartridges and refill them. They are then reused.
Leaves
Compost your leaves at home or you can also use our |Garden Waste Collection Service.
Letters
You can recycle any paper letters in your blue top bin.
|Light bulbs
General light bulbs are not considered dangerous and can be placed in your general refuse bin. Light bulbs cannot be recycled because the type of glass they are made from is different and will contaminate the other glass recyclables. Instead, try replacing your light bulbs with energy saving ones - they last eight times longer, use a quarter of the energy and give the same brightness.
See also |fluorescent tube lights.
Low energy light bulbs cannot be recycled. Some of these bulbs contain very small amounts of mercury. There is no legislation that prevents you putting low energy light bulbs in your rubbish bin, however, you can take them to a |Community Recycling Centre for safe disposal.
Loo rolls
See |toilet rolls.
|M
Magazines
Recycle any magazines in your blue top bin.
To reduce unwanted mail, register with the |Mailing Preference Service.
You can also opt out of the royal mail door to door service. This will stop unaddressed mail being delivered to your home. Email:optout@royalmail.com or write to:
Door to Door Opt Outs
Freepost RRBT-2BXB-TTTS
Kingsmead House
Oxpens Road
OXFORD
OX1 1RX
Margarine tubs
Margarine tubs can't be recycled but are great for storing food, instead of using cling film. If you can't reuse them please place them in your refuse bin.
Mattresses
You could arrange a collection through the |Surrey Reuse Network for a nominal charge, take it to a |Community Recycling Centre or arrange a |Special Collection through the Council.
Medicine
You can take unwanted medicines back to the chemist where they were purchased. Visit our |Clinical Waste page for more information about our collection service for items of this kind.
Metal
Metal tins and cans can be recycled in your blue top bin. Scrap metal can be taken to one a |Community Recycling Centre.
Microwaves
Microwaves can be taken to a |Community Recycling Centre.
Milk bottles
Plastic milk bottles can be recycled in your blue top bin. Please return any glass milk bottles to your milkman or to the shop you bought them from.
Mirrors
If they are intact and reusable try a local second hand furniture store, a charity shop or the |Surrey Reuse Network. Alternatively use a site such as |freecycle or |free2collect to sell, swap or donate them online.
Mobile phones
You can exchange your old phone for cash, gifts, or donate to a charity. Visit the websites for |Green Source, |Oxfam, |Redeem or |Scope to find out more.
Motor oil
See |engine oil.
Music
See |CDs.
|N
|Nappies
Nappies can't be recycled and should be put in your refuse bin. Eight million disposable nappies are thrown away every day. They take a couple of hundred years to decompose. Find out how to use cloth nappies and help the environment by visiting |Real Nappies.
Newspapers
These can be recycled in your blue top bin.
|O
Oil
See |cooking oil.
See |engine oil.
|P
|Packaging
Most plastic packaging cannot be recycled and is sent to landfill. When you next go out shopping, make an active choice not to buy goods which have a lot of packaging (e.g. buy fruit and vegetables loose, don't put them in a plastic bag).
Paint
Paint is hazardous waste and unfortunately we cannot recycle it. You can dispose of it correctly by sealing it tightly and taking it to a |Community Recycling Centre ('the tip') for careful disposal in the hazardous waste containers.
Paper
All forms of paper can be recycled in your blue top bin. This includes junk mail, letters, envelopes, birthday cards and office paper. You don't need to remove staples, glue, sellotape or windows (from envelopes).
Pet food
If your pet's food comes in a can, the container can be recycled. Rinse it out and add it to your blue top bin.
Pet litter
Pet litter cannot be recycled and should be put in your refuse bin. Litter from herbivorous animals, such as rabbits, can be put in your compost heap.
|Phone Books
All phones books can be recycled in your blue top bin.
Photographs
You can recycle photographs in your blue top bin or shred them and compost them at home.
Plastic
You can put all plastic bottles in your blue top recycling bin. No other plastic can currently be recycled at the moment.
See also |packaging.
|Plastic bags
When you next go shopping, take some plastic bags with you or purchase a canvas bag to carry your shopping in. These are stronger and can be reused many times. You can recycle your plastic bags at some supermarkets, and most offer reusable shopping bags to buy.
See also |bin liners
Polystyrene packaging
This can't be recycled and should be put in a black sack in your refuse bin. Try to buy new things with as little packaging as possible.
See |packaging.
Polythene wrappers
|Polyprint accepts waste polythene for recycling from the general public or other organisations in whatever quantity. Alternatively, they can go in your refuse bin.
Postage stamps
See |stamps
Printer cartridges
|Redeem will take your used printer cartridges and refill them. They are then resold.
Pyrex glass
This can not be recycled as it can explode when heated up in the glass recycling furnace. Dispose of pyrex glass in your normal rubbish bin.
|Q
|R
Razor blades
Razor blades should be well wrapped up in a tissue or rag and placed in your refuse bin.
|Rubble
You can take your rubble and building waste to a |Community Recycling Centre.
|S
Shopping bags
See |plastic bags.
Scrap metal
Scrap metals can be recycled. Steel and aluminium are the world's most recyclable and recycled materials. Metals such as copper and cast iron can be sold to scrap metal dealers. Any other metal can be taken to one of the |Community Recycling Centres.
Shredded paper
See |confidential waste.
Shoes
Reuse shoes by giving give them to friends or family. You can take pairs and single shoes to one of the textile banks at a variety of |recycling centres.
|Spectacles & sunglasses
Old glasses in good condition can be donated for developing countries around the world. Ask your local optician if they collect them, or send old glasses in a sturdy box to: Vision Aid Overseas, 12 The Bell Centre, Manor Royal, Crawley, W. Sussex, RH10 2FZ.
Unwanted spectacles can also be dropped off at any Help the Aged shop or Dolland & Aitchinson opticians.
|Stamps
Oxfam accepts old stamps that are reused to raise money for campaigns. Cut stamps from the envelope, preferably with a 3mm
margin around the stamp. They can be taken to any Oxfam shop or posted to:
Oxfam Stamp & Coin Unit,
Murdock Road,
Bicester OX26 4RF.
Stamps can also be donated to |Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Otherwise, they can be left on your envelopes and placed in your blue top bin for recycling.
Staples
It is fine for staples to be present in magazines, newspapers or any paper you put in your blue top bin for recycling. These are removed in the recycling sorting and cleaning processes.
|T
Takeaway food containers
These cannot be recycled but they can be reused. If you cannot use them again, put them in your rubbish bin.
Telephones
Old phones can be sent back to BT.
Telephone directories
See |phone-books.
|Tetra Pak
You can take Tetra Pak cartons to a selection of our local |Recycling Centres. We can't recycle cartons from your blue top bin. This is because they are made up of three different materials and need to be specially split and treated before recycling.
Timber and wood
These can be taken to a |Community Recycling Centre.
|Toilet paper
Try to buy recycled paper. When the roll is finished, you can put the cardboard roll in your blue top bin.
Toys & games
Local doctors or dental surgeries may be grateful for unwanted toys in their waiting rooms. You could also speak to your local hospital, playgroups or charity shops. Toys and games could also be donated to a jumble sale.
Tyres
Waste tyres are not allowed to go to landfill. Most tyre repair centres dispose of used tyres. |Associated Tyre Specialists (ATS) will dispose of old tyres for a small fee.
Tools
Old tools may only need minor repairs for them to function again. Try repairing them yourself, or if you no longer have a use for them there are a number of companies who will refurbish tools for resale. |Consult Yellow Pages for details.
TV monitors
See |Electrical goods.
Your local hospitals, schools or playgroups may be grateful for working TV's.
|U
Umbrellas
Reuse unbroken umbrellas by donating them to your local charity shop or selling them at a jumble sale. If the umbrella is broken please place it in your rubbish bin.
|V
Vegetable peelings
Vegetable and fruit peel can be disposed of as part of the |food waste collection service or put into your compost bin. To order a home composter please visit the |Surrey Get Composting website.
Videos and DVDs
Old videos and DVDs can be donated to your local charity shop. If they are not in good enough condition they can go in your refuse bin.
|W
Water filters
You can recycle your water filters at a local |Robert Dyas store.
White goods
White goods are large domestic electrical appliances like cookers, washing machines, fridges and freezers. These items maybe suitable for |reuse or recycling through the |Surrey Reuse Network. They can also be taken to a |Community Recycling Centre or removed as part of our |Special Collection Service.
Wormeries
Worm composting is the process of using earthworms to break down kitchen and garden waste. A wormery not only produces top quality, fine compost, but it also generates concentrated liquid fertiliser. This can be used as a liquid feed (usually diluted with water) for outdoor and indoor plants. You can buy wormeries from |Wiggly Wigglers or |Green Gardener.
|Wrapping paper
You can put your wrapping paper in your blue-topped bin.
|X
|Y
Yellow Pages
You can put your yellow pages in your blue top bin.
Yogurt pots
Yogurt pots can be recycled please put them in your blue top bin.
|Z
Zinc batteries
Batteries have zinc in them. See |batteries for how you can recycle them.
