What can I recycle?
Choose an item to check preparation advice and the types of recycling point that may accept it. Site rules differ, so check the location details before you travel.
Recycling guides from A to Z
- Aerosol cans
Empty household aerosol cans such as deodorant, air freshener and furniture polish cans.
29 listed locations accept this item
- Aerosol cans
Empty household aerosol cans such as deodorant, air freshener and furniture polish cans.
- Aluminium foil and trays
Clean kitchen foil, foil trays and aluminium takeaway containers.
80 listed locations accept this item
- Asbestos
Household building material that contains, or may contain, asbestos fibres.
29 listed locations accept this item
- Bathroom suites
Household toilets, sinks, baths, shower trays and related ceramic or acrylic fittings.
- Beauty and grooming packaging
Empty makeup, skincare, haircare and grooming containers made from mixed materials.
- Bicycles
Adult and children's bikes, bike frames and reusable bicycle parts.
12 listed locations accept this item
- Books
Reusable books and damaged paperbacks or hardbacks that are no longer suitable to read.
134 listed locations accept this item
- Bricks, rubble and hardcore
Small amounts of household DIY waste such as bricks, concrete, tiles, stones and rubble.
115 listed locations accept this item
- Bubble wrap
Clean flexible plastic bubble wrap used to protect parcels and household goods.
- Cans and tins
Empty steel and aluminium food tins, drinks cans, clean trays and household metal packaging.
- Car batteries
Lead-acid and other starter batteries from household cars and motorbikes.
- Cardboard
Clean corrugated boxes, cereal boxes, card sleeves and other dry household card.
322 listed locations accept this item
- Carpets and rugs
Old household carpet, carpet tiles, rugs and separate underlay.
- Carpets and underlay
Old household carpet, carpet tiles, rugs and separate underlay.
65 listed locations accept this item
- CDs, DVDs and cases
Usable or unwanted discs, games and their plastic cases.
28 listed locations accept this item
- Ceramics and crockery
Plates, mugs, bowls, plant pots and household ceramic items.
6 listed locations accept this item
- Chargers and cables
Power adapters, charging leads, USB cables and other household electrical cables.
1 listed locations accept this item
- Clinical waste
Household healthcare waste that can need a council or health-service collection.
- Clothes
Wearable and damaged household clothing such as tops, trousers, coats and underwear.
399 listed locations accept this item
- Coffee pods
Used aluminium or plastic coffee capsules from compatible home coffee machines.
1,177 listed locations accept this item
- Computers and laptops
Personal computers, laptops, tablets, monitors, keyboards and related household equipment.
- Cooking oil
Used vegetable oil, frying oil and other edible household oils.
129 listed locations accept this item
- Corks
Natural cork bottle stoppers and synthetic wine corks.
3 listed locations accept this item
- Crisp packets
Empty flexible plastic snack bags, including metallised plastic packets.
- Disposable coffee cups
Paper-based takeaway cups with a thin plastic lining.
2 listed locations accept this item
- Disposable nappies
Used disposable baby nappies, incontinence products and related absorbent hygiene waste.
- DIY waste
Waste from household repair and improvement work, including rubble, tiles, plasterboard, timber and bathroom fittings.
- Duvets and pillows
Household duvets, pillows and other filled bedding that needs reuse or a specialist textile route.
1 listed locations accept this item
- DVDs and CDs
Usable or unwanted discs, games and their plastic cases.
- Electrical items
Household products with a plug, battery, cable or crossed-out wheelie bin symbol.
309 listed locations accept this item
- Engine oil
Used mineral or synthetic oil from household vehicle and machinery maintenance.
151 listed locations accept this item
- Fire extinguishers
Used, expired or unwanted household fire extinguishers and small fire suppression cylinders.
10 listed locations accept this item
- Fluorescent tubes
Straight fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps from household use.
123 listed locations accept this item
- Food and drink cartons
Fibre-based cartons for milk, juice, soup and other food or drink products.
141 listed locations accept this item
- Food and drink cartons
Fibre-based cartons for milk, juice, soup and other food or drink products.
- Food waste
Unavoidable household food scraps, peelings, leftovers, bones and used ingredients.
6 listed locations accept this item
- Fridges and freezers
Domestic fridges, freezers, fridge-freezers and small cooling appliances.
79 listed locations accept this item
- Furniture
Household tables, chairs, sofas, beds, wardrobes, cabinets and similar large items.
60 listed locations accept this item
- Garden waste
Grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings, plants and small branches from household gardens.
303 listed locations accept this item
- Gas bottles and cylinders
Refillable or disposable household gas cylinders for barbecues, camping, heating and carbonated drinks.
86 listed locations accept this item
- General waste
Non-recyclable household rubbish and litter that has no safe reuse or recycling route.
34 listed locations accept this item
- Glass bottles and jars
Empty food, drink, medicine and cosmetic bottles or jars made from container glass.
492 listed locations accept this item
- Glasses and spectacles
Unwanted prescription glasses, reading glasses, sunglasses and usable frames.
5 listed locations accept this item
- Hand and garden tools
Reusable or damaged household hand tools, garden tools and small non-powered equipment.
- Hard plastic items
Rigid household plastics such as storage boxes, buckets, toys and garden furniture.
188 listed locations accept this item
- Hearing aids
Unwanted hearing aids, battery packs and small hearing equipment.
- Household batteries
Portable batteries including AA, AAA, button cells and rechargeable battery packs.
336 listed locations accept this item
- Household chemicals
Unwanted household cleaners, solvents, pesticides, pool chemicals and similar products.
40 listed locations accept this item
- Household chemicals
Unwanted household cleaners, solvents, pesticides and other chemical products that need controlled disposal.
- Household goods
Reusable homeware and small household items such as kitchenware, ornaments and storage items.
- Household textiles
Clean curtains, towels, sheets, blankets and other fabric household items.
90 listed locations accept this item
- Inhalers
Used or unwanted respiratory inhalers and their medicine canisters.
11,352 listed locations accept this item
- Lamps and light fittings
Household table lamps, ceiling fittings, outdoor lights and other powered lighting equipment.
1 listed locations accept this item
- Laptops and computers
Personal computers, laptops, tablets, monitors, keyboards and related household equipment.
18 listed locations accept this item
- Large household appliances
Washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers, cookers and other large domestic electrical appliances.
77 listed locations accept this item
- Light bulbs
Household LED, halogen, incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs.
78 listed locations accept this item
- Mattresses
Adult, child and cot mattresses made from springs, foam, fabric or mixed materials.
60 listed locations accept this item
- Metal cans and packaging
Empty steel and aluminium food tins, drinks cans, clean trays and household metal packaging.
411 listed locations accept this item
- Mixed donations
A group of clean, safe and reusable household items offered together to a charity or reuse service.
- Mobile phones
Working and broken mobile phones, smartphones and their chargers.
48 listed locations accept this item
- Paint
Usable leftover household paint and unwanted water-based or solvent-based paint in secure tins.
73 listed locations accept this item
- Paper
Clean newspapers, magazines, envelopes, office paper, leaflets and paper packaging.
433 listed locations accept this item
- Pet food pouches
Empty flexible pouches used for wet pet food and treats.
- Phones
Working and broken mobile phones, smartphones and their chargers.
- Plasterboard and gypsum
Clean household plasterboard sheets, offcuts and gypsum-based board from small DIY work.
87 listed locations accept this item
- Plastic bags and film
Clean carrier bags, bread bags, produce bags, wrapping film and other flexible plastic packaging.
19 listed locations accept this item
- Plastic bottles
Empty drinks, milk, detergent, shampoo and cleaning product bottles made from accepted household plastics.
226 listed locations accept this item
- Plastic bottles and containers
Empty household plastic bottles and accepted rigid containers from food, drink, cleaning and toiletries.
- Plastic packaging
Rigid and flexible household packaging made from plastic, with local acceptance based on the packaging type.
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays
Empty food pots, margarine tubs, meat trays, fruit punnets and similar rigid plastic packaging.
87 listed locations accept this item
- Polystyrene
Expanded foam packaging, protective blocks, beads and rigid polystyrene household items.
9 listed locations accept this item
- Printer ink and toner cartridges
Used inkjet cartridges, laser toner cartridges and selected printer consumables.
59 listed locations accept this item
- Scrap metal
Household metal items such as pots, pans, tools, pipes, shelving and metal furniture parts.
350 listed locations accept this item
- Sharps and needles
Used household needles, syringes, lancets and other items that can puncture skin.
- Shoes and footwear
Paired wearable or damaged shoes, boots, trainers and slippers.
185 listed locations accept this item
- Small electricals
Small household devices with a plug, cable or battery, such as kettles, hairdryers, radios and electric toothbrushes.
- Soft plastics
Flexible plastic bags, wrappers and film that can be collected by participating shops or specialist schemes.
- Soil and turf
Small household quantities of clean garden soil, turf and subsoil.
52 listed locations accept this item
- Televisions
Working and broken televisions, display screens and household monitors.
92 listed locations accept this item
- Timber and wood
Household timber offcuts, untreated wood, boards, doors and dismantled wooden fittings.
247 listed locations accept this item
- Toys and games
Reusable toys, board games, puzzles and electronic toys from a household.
2 listed locations accept this item
- TVs and monitors
Working and broken televisions, display screens and household monitors.
- Tyres
Used household car, motorbike and bicycle tyres, with or without rims.
81 listed locations accept this item
- Unwanted medicines
Unused, expired or unwanted household tablets, liquids, creams, inhalers and prescribed medicines.
11,352 listed locations accept this item
- Upholstered seating
Household sofas, armchairs and other seating with padded fabric or leather.
- Vapes and e-cigarettes
Disposable and rechargeable vaping devices with built-in batteries and electrical parts.
18 listed locations accept this item
- Vehicle batteries
Lead-acid and other starter batteries from household cars and motorbikes.
116 listed locations accept this item
- Wood and timber
Household timber offcuts, untreated wood, boards, doors and dismantled wooden fittings.
- Wrapping paper
Paper gift wrap without plastic film, foil, glitter or heavy decoration.
Browse by facility type
- Recycling centres and tips
- Specialist recycling schemes
- Clothes and textile banks
- Paper and card banks
- Charity donation points
- Food waste collections
- Soft plastic recycling points
- Public street bins
- Reuse shops and centres
- Electrical recycling points
- Soft plastic collection points
- Glass recycling points
- Local recycling sites
- Battery recycling points
- Bring banks and recycling points
- Reuse hubs and shops
- Pharmacy medicine returns
- Specialist disposal services
- Waste and reuse collection services
- Household hazardous waste services
- Garden waste sites and collections
- Household waste recycling centres
- Glass bottle and jar banks
- Retailer take-back points
National take-back and reuse services
These services can help with items that a local recycling point may not accept.
- GOV.UK hazardous waste disposal finder
- NHS pharmacy medicine returns
- Recycle Now books guidance
- Recycle Now building materials guidance
- Find your local council
- Recycle Now computers guidance
- Emmaus
- Recycle Now toys and games guidance
- Recycle4Charity
- Sue Ryder charity shops
- Recycle Now bicycles guidance
- Recycle Now inhalers guidance
- GOV.UK household waste service
- Community pharmacy medicine return
- Recycle Now soft plastics guidance
- Recycle Now paper guidance
- British Heart Foundation furniture collection
- Podback
- Recycle Now vapes guidance
- Recycle Now batteries guidance
- Recycle Now wood and timber guidance
- Currys electrical recycling
- TRAID clothes banks
- Community RePaint
- Sheffield local recycling sites
- Recycle Now
- Recycle Now aluminium foil guidance
- TerraCycle UK
- Recycle Now furniture guidance
- Recycle Now paint guidance
- British Heart Foundation
- Recycle Now polystyrene guidance
- Recycle Now plastic bottles guidance
- Recycle Now duvets and pillows guidance
- Recycle Now food and drink cartons guidance
- Recycle Now garden waste guidance
- Recycle Now aerosol cans guidance
- Electrical retailer take-back
- Podback drop-off
- Recycle Now tools guidance
- Portable battery retailer take-back
- Recycle Now printer cartridges guidance
- Recycle Now gas bottles guidance
- British Heart Foundation shop donations
- IKEA removal and recycling
- Environment Agency upholstered seating guidance
- Recycle Now food tins and drink cans guidance
- Recycle Now engine oil guidance
- Recycle Now cardboard guidance
- Recycle Now plastic pots, tubs and trays guidance
- Recycle Now carpets and rugs guidance
- British Red Cross charity shops
- GOV.UK clinical waste collection finder
- Recycle Now white goods guidance
- Recycle Your Electricals locator
- Boots electrical take-back
- Local hazardous waste disposal service
- Recycle Now recycling locator
- Recycle Now dvds and cds guidance