Most homes are now serviced by recycling collection schemes which are run by the local council. Common materials to be collected are glass jars and bottles, tin cans, plastic bottles, paper and cardboard. Even if your council doesn’t collect all these things from your doorstep, don’t let that stop you from recycling – you can usually take anything that the council won’t collect to your local recycling bins or household refuse/recycling centre. You can find out where to take different materials on the Recycle Now website.

It’s not just about home recycling schemes though – there are lots of things you can do to reduce the amount of stuff you throw away.

Pass It On

If there’s something you no longer want, why not pass it on to someone else? You can even make money from your old, unwanted items. Ebay.co.uk, Gumtree.com, Recycle.co.uk and your local newspaper are all places where you can sell things that are useless to you. Car boot sales are also a great way to get rid of your unwanted goods.

There are websites out there dedicated to selling your old cds, dvds and even books, and there are loads of ways to sell or recycle old mobile phones.
If you’re not bothered about earning money but just don’t want your items to end up in landfill, then try your local charity shops, or websites such as freecycle, where you can post details of the thing you want to get rid of, and anyone in the local area who is interested can contact you and arrange to pick it up. Even if the item is broken or not working, it’s worth posting as lots of people can fix things.

Electrical Items

Small electrical items have a fairly short life these days, and landfill sites are full of broken kettles, lawnmowers, TVs, toys and a myriad of other electrical or battery-operated things. Instead of putting your broken electricals in the bin, take them to your local recycling centre where they will be taken for processing.
If you are purchasing a large electrical item such as a washing machine or cooker, ask the store or look online to see if they offer a collection service for old items – there may be a small charge, but most companies now offer this service.

Batteries, Clothes and More

Many things that you wouldn’t think suitable for recycling can in fact be recycled. Batteries are one example – many large supermarkets now have recycling bins for batteries. Clothes, rags and shoes are another – many recycling points include a clothing bank. If you have something to get rid of, check Recycle Now’s A-Z and see if you can recycle it.

If there is any specific information you can not find on our site, please use our Ask the Experts facility or e-mail us.