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Current location: Environment and planning > Rubbish and recycling > A to Z of recycling

Contact

Mail :	Environmental Services Plymouth City Council Plymouth PL1 2AA
Phone :	01752 668000
Email :	recycling@plymouth.gov.uk
Fax :	01752 304786

A to Z of recycling

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

This page relates to household waste only and not waste from businesses.

A

Acetate

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Acrylic

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Aerosols

Reduce - use pump sprays instead of aerosol cans
Recycle - aerosols can go in your green recycling bin, make sure that they are empty with the tops removed before you put them in your bin, do not pierce or squash the aerosols
Recycle - take aerosols to either of our household waste recycling centres

Aluminium

Aluminium can be recycled over and over again, saving natural resources and energy. Aluminium recycling requires only 5% of the energy and produces only 5% of the carbon dioxide emissions.

Reuse - try to pass aluminium pans on to a charity
Recycle - large aluminium items like pans, window frames or scrap can be put in the scrap metal containers at our household waste recycling centres

Aluminium cans

Everyday 80 million food and drinks cans end up in landfill. One recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours and reduces the waste going to landfill.

Recycle - aluminium cans can go in your green recycling bin, wash and squash cans first - use old washing up water as this saves both water and energy
Recycle - cans can be taken to one of your local recycling banks
Recycle - you can take cans to either of our household waste recycling centres

Aluminium foil

Reuse - it is possible to clean, flatten and put foil back in the drawer for next time
Reuse - containers can be used as seed trays
Reuse - aluminium foil is also great for art projects
Recycle - aluminium foil such as takeaway containers can go in your green recycling bin (provided they are rinsed out first)

Antifreeze

Antifreeze is classed as hazardous waste and is not suitable for recycling and needs to be disposed of separately from general waste items. our household waste recycling centres accept antifreeze in small quantities. Please hand containers to members of site staff on your arrival to ensure that they can be stored safely before disposal.

Reuse - if you have any left over offer it to your neighbour or a local mechanic

Asbestos

The Environment Agency classifies all asbestos containing materials as special waste. However, you are permitted to take small amounts of asbestos waste (from your own house) to Chelson Meadow, one of our household waste recycling centres, for safe disposal.

Please contact Chelson Meadow on 01752 408408 before taking asbestos waste to the recycling centre. Due to the risks of handling asbestos in its various forms it is strongly recommended that professional advice is sought and a licensed dismantler/disposer is used to deal with these potentially harmful wastes. This can be found in the Yellow Pages.

If you are disposing of bonded asbestos from your home, you should bear in mind the following points:

The asbestos should be double bagged, or double wrapped before being delivered to the site.
You should not cut, chop, drill or break it. Do not break or cut asbestos cement in order to fit it into bags. Instead wrap it in plastic sheeting and dampen the sheeting with water to prevent the release of cement fibres.
When you arrive at the site, please tell a member of staff what you are carrying, they will then direct you to the disposal point and ask you to complete a simple form to identify where the asbestos came from.

Ash - wood

Recycle - ash can be sprinkled lightly into a compost heap or around your garden as it contains valuable minerals which improve soil quality

Ash – coal or clinker

Reuse - coal ash or clinker can be used for garden paths, but don't put it on plants or soil. Coal ash is bad for the garden due to the high levels of tar

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B

Baby goods

Reuse - good condition clothes and equipment can go to second-hand shops and charity shops, please note that shops may not take things like baby seats, or toys, for reasons of safety
Recycle - clothes and shoes can go in one of your local recycling banks (please tie the shoes together)
Recycle - clothes and shoes can be recycled at Plymouth's household waste recycling centres

Bathroom fittings and furniture

Reuse - sinks, soil pipes and even old toilets (and chimney pots) can be used for plants, a sink in the ground is useful for containing mint and other invasive plants
Reuse - consider selling or donating to architectural salvage yards

Barrels (beer, wine etc)

Reuse - contact the original supplier of the barrel - barrels can be easily reused
Reuse - can be cut in half to make plant containers
Recycle - can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres

Batteries - car

Car batteries are classed as hazardous waste but are routinely recycled in the UK. If a car battery is disposed of at a landfill site or not disposed of responsibly, it may leak and could cause a great deal of damage to the environment.

Recycle - they are collected at garages and scrap metal facilities
Recycle - car batteries can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres

Batteries - household

The UK generates 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes of batteries every year but less than 1,000 tonnes are recycled.

Reduce - use rechargeable equipment or rechargeable batteries and a battery charger
Reduce - cut down on batteries - use the sun! Buy solar powered, or wind up equipment, visit the Centre for Alternative Technology website for information on solar powered equipment
Recycle - see our household batteries page for details of recycle points across the city

Batteries - rechargeable

Recycle - rechargeable batteries can be sent to the following companies for recycling:
- VARTA, Freepost, 154 Staines, Middlesex
- Ever Ready Recycling, Freepost, LOL 2311, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4YY
- Panasonic UK Ltd, Panasonic House, Willoughby Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8FT

Bedding

Reuse - can be reused as dust sheets
Reuse - you can also donate bedding (duvets, pillows, sheets, duvet covers) to the Salvation Army, Devonport House, 24 Park Avenue, Devonport, Plymouth, PL1 4BA. Telephone 01752 562170 or 01752 564545
Reuse - charity shops such as Oxfam, SCOPE, and St Luke’s Hospice etc will accept clean, good quality bedding
Recycle - non stuffed bedding can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres and at some local recycling banks

Beds

See furniture

Beverage cartons

See cartons

Blankets

Reuse - Woodside Animal Welfare Trust will take fleece type blankets only. Please ring 01752 347503 first
Recycle - Shirley Collenette takes blankets for the homeless, telephone 07817 958185 or email shirley@collenette.eclipse.co.uk

Blockboard

You should not burn composite woods like blockboard because of the resins and glues, which are toxic.

Recycle - block board can be taken to our household waste recycling centres

Body Shop containers

Recycle - all items bought at The Body Shop can be returned for recycling

Books

Reduce - use your local library
Reuse - books in good condition can usually be sold to second hand book shops, otherwise you could donate books to a charity shop
Reuse - you could also try using a website like read it swap it where you can swap your old books for someone else’s
Recycle - you can take them to your nearest book banks at Sainsburys (Marsh Mills), Tescos (Roborough), Morrisons (Peverell), Asda (Estover) and Mudgeway car park (Plympton)

Bottles - glass

See glass bottles and jars

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Reuse - bottles and jars have many uses, they can be used to contain food, small household items or small DIY items
Recycle - glass bottles and jars can be recycled at one of your local recycling banks
Recycle - glass bottles and jars can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres

Bottles - plastic

Recycle - plastic bottles can be recycled in your green recycling bin (provided they are rinsed out)
Recycle - plastic bottles can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres

Bottle tops

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Boxes

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Bric-a-brac

Reuse - consider whether you could donate, sell or swap the item, there is a good chance that there is someone not too far away who will be after exactly the thing you are trying to throw away!
Reuse - there are lots of publications and web sites that can help you find takers for your unwanted items - some allow you to sell your items or place them up for auction, others are designed for advertising items that you want to give away, some of these websites are listed below:
- EBay
- Freecycle
- Plymouth Gumtree
- Recyclingworld
- Trade-it

Please let us know if you find any others!

Bricks

Reuse - cleaned bricks have many possible uses in the garden, use them in barbecues, to line paths, to support water troughs etc
Recycle - bricks can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres

Brushes

Reduce - buy good quality brushes and look after them by cleaning them properly after use
Reuse - trim the ends off old brushes and use them for cleaning jobs

Bubble wrap

Reuse - local potters and craft shops can reuse it if it’s big enough
Reuse - use it for wrapping things before sending them in the post
Reuse - people are always looking for bubble wrap when they move house, why not place your bubble wrap on Freecycle so others can reuse it?
Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Building materials/rubble

Reuse - if you are planning any DIY building projects you may need some rubble for hardcore: store it in a corner until needed, it is also useful for landscaping foundations in the garden too
Reuse - advertise it locally, it may be useful to somebody, give it away free to anyone willing to take it away
Reuse - consider selling any wood, metal, or building materials to a reclamation yard or donating it to a community project
Reuse - don't forget that you might find the materials useful in any work you may be carrying out, for example if you are renovating your house, bricks and stone can be used in the gardenRecycle - DIY building materials and rubble can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres

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C

Cans

Recycle - cans can be recycled in your green recycling bin (provided they are rinsed out)
Recycle - cans can be recycled at one of your local recycling banks
Recycle - cans can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres
Recycle - if you use a lot of drinks cans, for example at work or at school, you can sell them to a local Cash for Cans organisation

Cardboard

Reuse - large cardboard sheets are useful in the garden as a weed-suppressing mulch, ideally, cover it with compost
Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Recycle - put cardboard in your green recycling bin
Recycle - cardboard can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres
Recycle - put it in your compost bin in small quantities and over time, but remove all plastic and sellotape, as this cannot be composted

Cards

Reuse - re-use as gift tags, or postcards
Recycle - put in your green recycling bin

Carpets

Reuse - use in the garden to stop weeds or cover compost heaps
Reuse - advertise in Trade-it or sell it at car boot sales
Reuse - carpet samples only Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Carpets should not be put into your green recycling bin. They can get caught up in the machinery which sorts the recycling at our materials recycling facility and may damage the equipment.

Carrier bags

Reduce - use the 'bag for life' scheme at most supermarkets who will replace your bag free of charge when it is worn out
Reduce - use reusable bags or boxes for carrying your shopping rather than plastic carrier bags
Reduce - pack your bags efficiently to minimise the number used
Reuse - as bin liners
Reuse - donate to charity shops or local crafts people
Recycle - most supermarkets offer recycling facilities for carrier bags

Cartons

Reduce - avoid where possible, cartons are difficult to recycle as they are usually made from a combination of plastic, card and foil
Reuse - cartons can be used as plant pots - on their sides for seedlings and upright for single plants
Recycle - if you want to recycle your Tetra Pak® carton you can post them directly to the collection site. Mark the package as 'tetra paks' and send to Recycling - Tetra Pak, c/o Perrys Recycling, Showground Road, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 6AJ. Telephone 01278 459995

Cartridges - ink-jet, toner and laser

Reuse - printer cartridges can be refilled several times. The following places refill printer cartridges: Cartridge World, 42 Mutley Plain, Plymouth PL4 6LE. Telephone 01752 515151
Recycle - there are several charities that will give you freepost bags so that you can send them your cartridges, the charity then sells them to companies that reuse or recycle them, try your favourite charity, some charities that collect cartridges are listed below:
- ActionAid Recycling - Unit 14, Kingsland Trading Estate, St Philips Road, St Philips, Plymouth, BS2 0JZ. Telephone 0117 3042390.
- British Red Cross
- Childline - will take individual cartridges - proceeds to helpline@Childline - HP, Cannon, Lexmark, etc, must be original inkjets. Telephone 0800 091 0696.
- Oxfam
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
- Tonerflow Ilford - operate a national collection service, take cartridges, fill and re-manufacture, sell back at low prices, also offer printer maintenance and servicing, only want large numbers. Telephone 0870 4435353.
- Winston Wish - recycle phones and ink jet cartridges, check their website first to see if they take a particular make. Telephone 01242 515157.

See compact discs

Christmas cards

Recycle - WH Smith, Boots, Marks and Spencers, and TK Maxx collect Christmas cards after Christmas in partnership with the Woodland Trust
Recycle - cards can be recycled in your green recycling bin

Christmas trees

Recycle - you can take to either household waste recycling centres, please remove all pots and decorations

Clothes

D

Detergents

Reduce - use refill schemes such as Ecover, who produce vehicle and household cleaning products as well as washing powder and hand soap, these are available at Riverford Farm Shop Yealmpton

DIY materials

See building materials

Duvets

Reuse - Salvation Army, Devonport House, 24 Park Avenue, Devonport, Plymouth, PL1 4BA. Telephone 01752 562170 or 01752 564545

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E

Egg boxes

Reuse - sometimes they can be reused by the producer
Reuse - as seedling trays/pots or compost cardboard ones
Reuse - donate to play groups or schools
Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Recycle - compost cardboard egg boxes
Recycle - put in your green recycling bin

Electrical goods

Recycle - waste electrical equipment can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres

Electrical equipment should not be put into your green recycling bin, it can damage the machinery at our materials recycling facility.

Engine oil

Oil is the most commonly reported cause of waste pollution, with over 5,000 incidents recorded annually in the U.K. Even a small quantity can cause a lot of damage to the environment and threaten human health. Please dispose of oil responsibly and do not pour it down the drain.

Recycle - engine oil can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres
Recycle - no engine oil or any other liquid should be put into your green recycling bin, which is for dry materials only, engine oil contaminates the other materials and can lead to the rejection of a whole lorry load of recycling

Envelopes - including those with plastic windows

Reuse - many charities produce envelope re-use labels, an example Friends of the Earth sell 100 reuse labels for £2.50
Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Recycle - can be recycled in your green recycling bin
Recycle - can be taken to one of your local recycling banks

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F

Fabric

Reuse - take to a local charity shop
Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Recycle - fabric can be recycled in clothing banks at our household waste recycling centres and at some recycling banks

Feathers

Reuse - reuse for stuffing
Recycle - small quantities of feathers can be composted

Files

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Film (camera) pots

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Fireworks

Unused fireworks are not suitable for recycling and should be treated as hazardous waste. Please take unused fireworks to our household waste recycling centres for disposal. Spent firework cases can be placed in the brown rubbish bin for disposal.

Fluorescent tubes and low energy lamps

Recycle - lamps and tubes are classed as hazardous waste, take them to our household waste recycling centres for recycling
Recycle – lamps (but not tubes) can also be recycled at some Libraries and at Sainsbury’s Supermarket at Marsh Mills. Collection points can be found at Recolight website.
Lamps and tubes contain small quantities of mercury. Seek specialist advice if they are broken in the home.

Foam

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Foil (not crisp packets)

Recycle - clean foil can be recycled in your green recycling bin
Recycle - clean foil can be recycled at our household waste recycling centres

Folders

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Reuse - donate to schools
Reuse - take to a local charity shop

Food

Reduce - try to minimise food waste, visit the Love Food Hate Waste website for information
Reduce - only buy the quantity you need, 'buy one get one free' offers can result in high wastage of perishable goods
Recycle - put fruit and vegetables in your compost bin or wormery
Recycle - food should not be put into your green recycling bin, which is for dry materials only, food waste contaminates the other materials and can lead to the rejection of a whole lorry load of recycling

Food containers

Reuse - reuse for storage

Fridges and freezers

Recycle - if your unwanted fridge or freezer cannot be reused please call our Contact Centre 01752 668000 and arrange for a bulky waste collection, there is a small charge for this service
Recycle - can be taken to our household waste recycling centres for degassing and recycling

Fruit

See food

Furniture

Recycle - if your unwanted furniture cannot be reused please call our Contact Centre 01752 668000 Centre and arrange for a bulky waste collection, there is a small charge for this service

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G

Garden waste

Recycle - compost it at home (see composting section for details of our subsidised home composters) or take compostable garden waste to either of our household waste recycling centres
Recycle - if you are on our pilot scheme, we offer a free collection of garden waste each fortnight in the summer
Recycle - garden waste should not be put into your green recycling bin, which is for dry materials only, garden waste contaminates the other materials and can lead to the rejection of a whole lorry load of recycling

Gas bottles

LPG (liquid petroleum gas) bottles are classed as hazardous waste. In most cases, empty gas bottles are likely to be owned by the manufacturer or supplier of the product that they contain and they are regarded as being hired by the user.

Recycle - try to contact the manufacturers or suppliers of the gas bottles to arrange for their return, if you cannot return them to the retailer where they were purchased or if the manufacturer is unidentifiable recycle them at our household waste recycling centres

Gas cookers

Recycle - advertise in Trade-it or phone second-hand shops

Glass bottles and jars

Reuse - jars are ideal for storing nuts and bolts, for mixing paint or cleaning paint brushes, as mini-cloches over seedling or for keeping slugs off young plants
Reuse - as jars are airtight they are perfect for storing dried foods, herbs and seeds in the kitchen, they are also useful for bottling home made jams and chutneys
Reuse - you can buy glass paints from most craft shops to decorate your jars
Reuse - if you have no use for jars give them to friends, children’s playgroups, or local farm produce stalls
Recycle - if you have no use for them recycle them at our household waste recycling centres or at one of your local recycling banks

Glass should not be put into your green recycling bin. The glass breaks in the back of the refuse lorry and contaminates the other materials. Paper reprocessors will reject a load of paper if it contains glass shards and broken glass presents a health and safety risk to our staff when they are sorting the material for recycling. Broken glass can lead to the rejection of a whole lorry load of recycling.

Glass sheets

Reuse - for cold frames or advertise in Trade-it

Greetings cards

See cards

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H

Hats

Reuse - take to a charity shop or car boot sale

Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste includes:

Asbestos only accepted at Chelson Meadow Household Waste Recycling Centre
Batteries and battery acid
Fireworks
Household cleaners
Paint stripper
Pesticides
Pharmaceuticals (can be returned to your local pharmacy for disposal)
Poisons
Preservatives
Pressurised gas cylinders (see gas bottles)
Toxic paint (see paint)
Weed killers

Small quantities of household hazardous waste can be taken to either of our household waste recycling centres. Please leave household and garden chemicals in their original containers and hand items to members of site staff on your arrival to ensure that they can be stored safely before disposal.

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I

Ice cream containers

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Ink jet cartridges

See cartridges

IT equipment

J

Jars

See glass bottles and jars

Jam jar lids

Reuse - jam jar lids can be used to raise plant pots off the ground to let water drain away
Recycle - put them in your green bin or take to our household waste recycling centres

Jiffy bags

Reuse - save them and reuse, by buying labels that can be stuck on old envelopes making them reusable
Recycle - you can compost some jiffy bags, those made from brown paper and padded with shredded newsprint are 100% compostable if they are too damaged to be reused

Jigsaw puzzles

Reuse - donate unwanted jigsaw puzzles to schools, playgroups, residential homes, or take them to charity shops or jumble sales

Junk mail

Reduce - you can take action and stop junk mail by signing up with the Mail Preference Service, this free service enables you to have your name and address removed from mailing lists, you can do this by writing to the following address Mailing Preference Service, Freepost, 29 LON20771, London, W1E 0ZT, telephone 08457 034599, fax 0207 323 4226, email mps@dma.org.uk
Reduce - unaddressed mail can be stopped by contacting Royal Mail, door to door is the Royal Mail’s direct marketing service that delivers unaddressed mail - such as flyers, circulars and supermarket leaflets, registering will stop these being delivered to your door, however it does not stop mail addressed to 'The Occupier' as the Royal Mail are legally required to deliver these, to receive an application pack to register, write to Freepost RRBT-ZBXB-TTTS Door-to-door opt-outs, Royal Mail, Kingsmead House, Oxpens Road, OXFORD, OX1 1RX
Recycle - junk mail can be recycled in your green recycling bin or at one of your local recycling banks, remember to remove any plastic wrappers
Recycle - alternatively scrunch it up and add it to your compost bin

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K

Kitchen scraps

Recycle - use in your compost bin or wormery - only uncooked fruit and vegetables

Knitwear

Reuse - give to charity shops
Reuse - unravel and use to make new items or see clothes or textiles
Recycle - take to one of your local recycling banks

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L

Leather

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Leaves

Do not burn leaves, as they produce highly carcinogenic smoke.

Recycle - put wet leaves in a plastic bag, stab a fork in to make some holes, and a year later you’ll have leaf mould
Recycle - you could pick the leaves off the lawn with a mower, which will mix grass cuttings and chop the leaves up, and you’ll have leaf mould more quickly
Recycle - or put in your compost bin or wormery
Recycle - take to our household waste recycling centres

Lids

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Low Energy Lamps and Fluorescent tubes

Recycle – Lamps and tubes are classed as hazardous waste, take them to our household waste recycling centres for recycling
Recycle – Lamps (but not tubes) can also be recycled at some Libraries and at Sainsbury’s Supermarket, Marsh Mills, Plymouth. Collection points can be found at Recolight website.
Lamps and tubes contain small quantities of mercury. Seek specialist advice if they are broken in the home.

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M

Magazines

Reuse - give to doctors' or dentists' waiting rooms or charity shops
Recycle - put in your green recycling bin
Recycle - take to our household waste recycling centres
Recycle - take to one of your local recycling banks

Material

See clothes or textiles

Medicines

Return to local chemist - don't use toilet or bin, as this is hazardous

Metal

See scrap metal

Mirrors

Recycle - take to charity shops or donate to community projects

Mobile phones

Recycle - most mobile phone shops and some supermarkets will take them back
Recycle - Envirocare, telephone 0845 4588822
Recycle - Crump (Freepost Crump) - child advocacy charity, freepost address for one or two phones, for ten or more, phone 0800 0832103 for collection
Recycle - Oxfam, Oxfam Bring Bring Scheme, Freepost, LON16281, London, W5 5BR, less than ten phones can be posted or taken to any Oxfam shop, for ten or more, phone 0870 7520999 for collection
Recycle - ActionAid Recycling, Unit 14, Kingsland Trading Estate, St Philips Road, St Philips, Plymouth, BS2 0JZ, telephone 0117 304 2390 or email recycling@aarecycling.org.uk
Recycle - Winston Wish recycle phones and ink jet cartridges by calling their office on 01242 515157, and requesting freepost recycling pouches, if you have a large number of cartridges or phones, please telephone Office Green on 08700 502050, and they will arrange to collect them from you
Recycle - Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

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N

Nappies

Disposable nappies can't be recycled, so try cotton washable nappies instead. This stops disposable nappies being in our environment where they can take hundreds of years to rot down in landfill sites.

Reuse - buy your own cotton nappies and wash them yourselves, this saves approx, £600 for the first baby compared with the cost of disposables, including the cost of washing the nappies and depreciation on your washing machine, the same nappies can be used for two or three babies
Reuse - Local laundry services will supply you with cotton nappies and collect and wash them for you on a weekly basis, this works out about the same cost as disposable nappies
Reuse - Real nappy campaign - helpline 0845 8500606
Reuse - Women's Environmental Network

Neoprene

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

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O

Oil

See cooking oil or engine oil

Oil filters

Recycle - take to local garage

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P

Paint

All paints have the potential to create mess or nuisance and are considered to be hazardous waste.

Reduce - try to avoid using toxic paints, try to use natural paints where possible
Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Recycle - you can take tins of paint to our household waste recycling centres
Recycle - no paint or any other liquid should be put into your green recycling bin, which is for dry materials only, paint contaminates the other materials and can lead to the rejection of a whole lorry load of recycling

Paper (white, coloured, newspapers, envelopes)

Reduce - use digital communication (emails etc) where possible, only print these off if you have to
Reduce - reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by visiting the Mail Preference Service website or telephoning 0845 7034599
Reuse - The Plymouth Play Association will take clean paper, card, and cardboard for children’s' art projects, no staples, please ring 01752 256633 first
Recycle - we will collect all paper (including telephone directories) from your green recycling bin.
Recycle - take to one of your local recycling banks
Recycle - take to our household waste recycling centres

Perspex®

See acrylic

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Phones

Recycle - BT Sales Shops take old domestic phones (BT phones only)

Plant pots

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Plasterboard

Plasterboard is made up of 95 per cent gypsum and 5 per cent paper and can be 100 per cent recycled. It is not classed as household waste but we will accept small quantities from DIY enthusiasts at Chelson Meadow, one of our household waste recycling centres. It is no longer legal to dispose of plasterboard in landfill as it can react with biodegradable materials to produce toxic substances which have a negative impact on the environment. If you are taking plasterboard from your home to Chelson Meadow please bear in mind the following points:

Plasterboard should be clean and dry and a covering of paint or wallpaper or small amounts of wood screws and fixings is acceptable
Plasterboard that is wet or damp or has insulation, ceramic tiles, timber or metal studs attached will not be accepted
Plasterboard should not be placed in your wheeled bins, black bags or recycling containers. If you employ a tradesperson to remove your plasterboard, you should ensure they have a Carriage of Waste Licence and take the material to an appropriately licensed facility
Plasterboard will not be accepted at Weston Mill household waste recycling centre due to lack of space on site and neither Chelson Meadow or Weston Mill will accept plasterboard from professional traders.

Photocopiers

Reuse - if working, see if charities, community groups or schools want them, you can advertise a working photocopier using one of the reuse organisations listed on our reuse page

Pillows

Reuse - Salvation Army, Devonport House, 24 Park Avenue, Devonport, Plymouth, PL1 4BA. Telephone 01752 562170 or 01752 564545

Plastic (for plastic bottles see below)

Reduce - there are numerous ways to reduce the amount of plastic you throw away, please check our reduce page for tips on how you can do this. Here are some more ideas:
- Refuse plastic bags - most supermarkets now run 'bag for life' schemes
- Refill containers
- Purchase alternative products
- Avoid plastic cups - most wine shops offer glass hire services
- Contact manufacturers and retailers and trading standards to let them know if you think products are over packaged

In 2006, Britain's Environment Minister recommended that over packaged products should be unwrapped in supermarkets and the packaging left at the checkout. This practice has been common in Germany for some time.

Reuse - there are also many ways you can reuse plastic:
- Use plastic bags to line your indoor bins, as plastic is not compostable!), or for future shopping trips
- Re-use plastic packaging and bubble wrap for your own post
- Reuse plastic pots
Reuse - if you think that a product could be useful for children’s' art projects, contact Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Recycle - donate to charity shops
Recycle - put yogurt pots and margarine tubs in your green recycling bin (please rinse first)

Plastic bottles

Reduce - by buying products (for example bin bags) made from recycled plastic, you can save natural resources, visit Recycled products website for a range of products like this
Reuse - plastic bottles are easily reusable for a wide range of purposes. Here are just a few ideas:
- Save your plastic bottles and refill them with drinking water or juice
- Turn your old plastic bottles into plant waterers
- Use the neck of plastic bottles as a cloche to protect plants
Recycle - put in your green recycling bin (please rinse first)

Plastic wrappers (from magazines, etc)

Recycle - Polyprint Mailing Films - this is a company which accepts polythene envelopes for recycling, the sender must ensure that all sticky labels are removed, please send any polythene packaging to Mackintosh Road, Rackheath Industrial Estate, Rackheath, Norwich NR13 6LJ, it is advised that you call 01603 721807 to check details first

Polystyrene

There are no local recycling schemes for polystyrene at present

Printer cartridges

See cartridges

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R

Rags

Reuse - as floor/dish cloths, stuffing for pillows

Radiators

See scrap metal

Ribbon

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Rope

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Rubber

Recycle - British Rubber Manufacturers Association hold details on various aspects of rubber manufacture and recycling, telephone: 0207 4575040

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S

Sail cloth

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Saucepans

Reuse - give to charity shops
Recycle - put in the scrap metal bin at our household waste recycling centres

Scrap metal

Recycle - Sims Metals Lorries will collect, but only large tonnage - skip collection service Sutton Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 0HN, telephone 01752 661 576
Recycle - EMR recycling Faraday Road, Plymouth, PL4 0ST, telephone: 01752 601121
Recycle - put in the scrap metal bin at our household waste recycling centres

Shoes

Reuse - take to charity shops
Recycle - put in one of our textile recycling banks, shoes should be tied loosely together and be good enough to be reused

Shredded paper

Not suitable for recycling as the fibres are too short to be reprocessed into new paper. You could re-use shredded paper for small animal bedding*, packing material, or put in your home compost bin. Shredded paper can go in your brown rubbish bin.

*If you do choose to use shredded paper for animal bedding, please consider the welfare of your pet as there could be sharp edges on the paper.

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Sheets

See bedding and blankets

Storage containers

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

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T

Tea bags

Recycle - put in compost bin

Telephone directories (including Yellow Pages)

Recycle - put in your green recycling bin

Televisions

Recycle at one of our recycling centres

Textiles

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Recycle - put wearable clothes and shoes in one of your local textile recycling banks, they can't take curtains, fabric off-cuts and rags or stuffed items such as cushions, sleeping bags, quilts, eiderdowns, pillows

Textiles should not be put into your green recycling bin, they can get caught up in the machinery which sorts the recycling at our materials recycling facility and may damage the equipment.

Tiles

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Reuse - use broken tiles in mosaics or take to community art projects

Timber

See wood

Tools

Reuse - take to charity shops

Toys

Reuse - give to doctors' surgeries, playgroups, and local children's hospitals

Tubes

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Tyres

Reuse - can be used to create compost bins, flower or plant containers
Recycle - take to car dealer where bought or your local garage

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U

UPVC

Reuse - very difficult to recycle - reclamation firms are only interested in pre-consumer waste by manufacturing companies, try second hand furniture shops or advertise in Trade-it as builders use both to obtain odd doors and windows.

Stuart Oades is hoping to have established a destination for UPVC window frames within a couple of weeks. Need to call to confirm details and whether this will operate at one or both HWRCs.

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V

Vegetables

Recycle - put vegetable peelings in your compost bin or wormery

Video (VHS) tapes

Reuse - if in good condition take along to charity shops. If they cannot be used, some companies do offer a recycling service. We cannot currently accept old video tapes in our doorstep recycling collection service.

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W

Walking sticks

Reuse - take to old people's homes or charity shops

Wallpaper

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Washing machines

Recycle - if it can't be reused, call 01752 668000 to arrange for a bulky waste collection for a small charge

Wood

Recycle - take pallets, timber off cuts, furniture, MDF, chipboard, laminated chipboard and plywood to our household waste recycling centres.

Hardboard, sleepers, and impregnated treated timber such as decking, fence posts and fence panels are not suitable for recycling.

Wood should not be put into your green recycling bin. It can get caught up in the machinery which sorts the recycling at our materials recycling facility and may damage the equipment.

Wool

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first

Wormeries

A wormery is a container that you can keep inside or outside. It contains special worms that eat your left over food waste. The worms produce a rich compost and liquid fertiliser

Recycle - make your own wormery visit the Ollie Recycles website
Recycle - you can buy a wormery from Original Organics, telephone 01884 841515
Recycle - Wiggly Wigglers

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Y

Yoghurt pots

Reuse - Plymouth Play Association, please ring 01752 256633 first
Recycle - put in your green recycling bin (please rinse first)

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Z

Zimmer frames

Reuse - donate to Social Services, care homes, hospitals or health centres
Reuse - PLUSS at Unit 4 -5 Haxter Close, Belliver Industrial Estate, Roborough, Plymouth PL6 7DD, telephone 01752 306583
Recycle - put in the scrap metal bin at one of our household waste recycling centres

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Plymouth City Council

Plymouth City Council

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