a–z materials

This A to Z gives tips on recycling a whole range of household items from Ash to Zuccinini. If you have any other recycling tips of your own we would love to hear from you. Send your top tips to us at suffolk.recycling@et.suffolkcc.gov.uk

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Aluminium
Aluminium and aluminium foil (such as takeaway carton bases) can be recycled at all 18 Household Waste Recycling Centres. It is helpful that you squash or crush your cans (which can be an effective form of stress relief!)

Asbestos
Please do not attempt to do anything, which disturbs asbestos. If you know it's there, be aware that it may be exposed inadvertently when carrying out renovation or extension work.

For further advice on the disposal of asbestos contact Suffolk County Council on 0845 606 6067

Ash
Ash from wood burning fires is an excellent form of waste to add to your compost, or as a soil fertilizer. Ash contains valuable minerals essential to healthy plant growth, such as, nitrogen and potassium. Remember that the ash must have cooled down before going into your compost bin!!!

Batteries

Car batteries, as well as household batteries, can be recycled at all 18 Household Waste Recycling Centres in Suffolk. When buying electrical presents why not accompany them with a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger.

Bedding
Charity shops will accept bedding and sheets. Items donated however, should be clean and in good condition. Another option is to take your bedding, or any other textile, to the textile bank, at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre. To find your nearest visit the bank locator.

Bicycles
If the bicycle is in working order you may be able to sell it through adverts in local shopsor you may wish to put it on to freecycle - a website where you can exchange free items. There are several charities who accept bikes, including OWL in Cambridgeshire. Metal bicycle parts can be taken to Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Books
You can pass unwanted books to friends or colleagues. There are a number of book banks in Suffolk. To locate the nearest one to you please see the bank locator. Local charity shops will also be pleased to accept books in good condition. Do also consider using libraries more in the future, who do stock the latest titles as well as DVDs, CDs etc. By reducing the number of books we buy, the less of a problem there will be in disposing of them when we have finished with them. If they are beyond reuse, please take them to your local HWRC and place in the cardboard container.

Bottles
Most types of plastic drinks bottles can be recyled at Household Waste Recycling Centres providing they are rinsed and dry with the lids removed - or in your kerbside collection bin if your council provides this service. Clean glass bottles can be taken to a HWRC or colour sorted and put in the correct bottle bank.

Cans
Clean steel & aluminium food and drink cans are accepted in most kerbside recycling collection schemes and at all Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Cardboard
Cardboard can be put into your compost bin or be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres. Cardboard is a good way of reducing smells and increasing the effectiveness of your compost bin, it does this by providing air pockets.

Carpets
Old carpet can be used in outbuildings, either on the floor or to insulate walls. They can be used as a pond liner, or in the garden as a mulch mat, if it is hessian backed. The other option is to take it to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Carrier Bags
Try and reuse carrier bags as much as possible, or buy a cloth bag. Some supermarkets provide thicker re-usable bags. Old carriers are useful for wrapping your black bin waste and help reduce bin-smells, particularly in the summer months. Once your carrier bag has no life left, look out for the plastic bag carrier point at most supermarkets or at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre

Cartons (Milk/drink)
Drink and milk cartons, including Tetra Pak, can be recycled at all 18 of the Household Waste Recycling Centres in Suffolk.

The cartons will be collected separately and the collection points will be clearly marked. You need to make sure that the cartons are clean.

These are recycled by a 6 step process:

1) Baled cartons are dropped into a pulper, similar to a giant domestic food mixer,
2) filled with water, and
3) pulped for around 20 minutes.
4) This breaks down the packaging to produce a grey-brown mixture.
5) The aluminium foil and polyethylene are separated from the fibre, which is recovered to make new paper products.
6) The remaining mix of plastic and aluminium can then be used in furniture, to generate energy or even separated out into pure aluminium and paraffin

For more information, click here to visit www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk

Christmas trees
Try to buy a live tree with roots that can be planted in the garden. Christmas Trees (real, live ones) can be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres but please remember to remove the pot and decorations!

Artificial Christnas Trees which are no longer usable can be recycled in the metal container at Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Christmas Wrapping Paper
All types of wrapping Paper (inluding foil based) can be recycled in your kerbside collection recycling service.

It can also be placed in the cardboard container at Household Waste Recycling Centres (but please do not place foil-based paper at these facilities).

Clothes
Further details about recycling clothes

Computers
If your computer is still in working order but you have simply upgraded yours, you may wish to place it on the Freecycle website where you can exchange unwanted items for free to ensure that items are reused for as possible before being disposed of.

However, if your computer and screen is beyond reuse, you can bring it to your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre.

We would advise that you ensure your hard drive is wiped of all personal data before bringing it to us, and there are local companies who will do this for you for a small charge.

The base units of computers are placed in metal recycling bins and compacted on site. They are then taken to metal reprocessors where all the metals go through a shredder and are sorted. The computer monitors and screens are sent to a company in Boston, Lincolnshire where they are checked to see if they are in working order. If not, they are reprocessed in the UK. If the screens do work, they are exported to Africa where they are repaired and used.

Domestic appliances
When buying domestic appliances try to buy one that has a high energy efficiency grading (A is very efficient and G not efficient) and that will last you a long time. This will save you money and benefit the environment in the long run. Your local Household Waste Recycling Centre accepts 5 different types of electrical and electronic equipment to go on for recycling. This includes ovens, fridges, boilers, flourescent lamps, computers, irons, hairdryers etc etc

Egg Boxes
Egg boxes that are made from card can be put in your home compost bin.

Eggshells
Eggshells are a good way to add lime to your compost to reduce its acidity, which creatures such as worms dislike. Worms are an important part of the composting process.

Eggshells can also be crushed and sprinkled around your prized plant to act as a slug deterrent.

Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers from your home can be taken to any Household Waste Recycling Centre except Halon and BCFs. Please only take small quantities. You may be required to fill in a declaration form. Please contact Suffolk County Council 0845 606 6067 for information on the disposal of fire extinguishers from your business.

Food
We throw away 1/3 of the food we buy and if that goes in to your black bin, it goes in to expensive landfill and produces methane gases which contribute to climate change. Find new ways of how to reduce your food waste and use up any leftovers so you minimise the amount you throw away at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

Garden Waste
Garden waste can be recycled in 3 main ways; through kerbside green waste collections (if your council provides this service), at any Household Waste Recycling Centre or through home composting. Further details about recycling garden waste.

Gas Cylinders
Gas cylinders should be collected for disposal by the agent or company that you acquired them from.

If you do not know where the cylinders came from, then householders can take them to their local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Advise on dealing with gas cylinders
If you use gas cylinders for any purpose make sure that you return them to your supplier when they are empty or you no longer have a use for them.
If you have gas cylinders on the premises in a garage, lock up or shed and you are unlucky enough to have a fire then let the fire brigade know what type of cylinders they are and where they are located.
If you are going away then make sure you have nominated a key holder who also knows what cylinders are on the premises and where they are.

What do I do if i find an abandoned disused gas cylinder?
Do not move or disturb the gas cylinder yourself
Try to identify who owns the cylinder. Their name should either be on the shoulder of the cylinder near the top or on the base of the cylinder or on the foot ring welded to the base. If the contents label is still attached then ownership details will be on that as well.
Try to identify the contents of the cylinder. This will usually be on the label. The shape of some cylinders and their colour may also tell you what has been inside.
E.g. Acetylene cylinders have a maroon shoulder colour and oxygen has a white.


As a general guide Industrial Gas Cylinders such as Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Acetylene will be tall and thin with a seamless construction and are relatively heavy for their size when empty. Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cylinders such as Butane and Propane are short and squat with a welded construction and are light for their size when empty.

Glass
Further details about recycling glass

Hazardous Waste
Most garden chemicals, such as, pesticides are classed as hazardous waste. This means that they cannot be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres. If this is the case it is best to ring your local District or Borough council to arrange for a hazardous waste collection. Call 0845 606 6067

Ink Cartridges
Ink cartridges can be refilled at less cost than buying new, saving waste and money. Many charities now collect ink cartridges for re-use.

Jars
For information about recycling glass jars click here

Junk faxes
The Fax Preference Service can remove your details from marketing lists. Register by calling 0845 070 0702, or visit www.fpsonline.org.uk

Junk mail
Although junk mail can be put into your blue bin, or paper-recycling bank, it is best to stop unsolicited mail arriving through your letterbox! You can register with the Mailing Preference Service to be removed from mailing lists. Write to MPS, FREEPOST 22, London, W1E 7EZ, or call 0207 291 3310. If you’re on the Internet visit www.mpsonline.org.uk

Kitchen and toilet roll centres
Kitchen and toilet roll centres are made from cardboard and are compostable. Most kerbside recycling collection schemes will take cardboard or it can be taken to Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Try to use a re-usable kitchen cloth (often made out of recycled material) instead of disposable kitchen roll. It will save you money in the long run and reduce your rubbish.

Light bulbs
All type of lightbulbs including Halogen, flourescent light bulbs and energy saving lightbulbs can be taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre for recycling.

If a light bulb needs replacing try using an energy efficient bulb instead. Traditional bulbs waste a lot of their energy by turning it into heat. Each energy saving bulb can reduce your electricity bill by around £7 a year. They also last, on average up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.

Medicines
Please take back out of date or unwanted over the counter and prescription medicines to your local pharmacist for disposal.

Mobile Phones
Some charities will accept mobile phones, which are then either recycled or if useable are given to developing countries. Alternatively you can recycle them at our Household Waste Recycling Centres

Musical Instruments
Please donate any unwanted useable musical instruments to your local school or charity shop.

Nappies
Disposable nappies take an estimated 200-500 years to decompose in landfill sites. ‘Real’ cloth nappies are a far cheaper option and modern ‘real’ nappies are easy to use, easily washable in the home and are available in a wide range of styles and colours. Call the Suffolk Real Nappy Network (SRNN) on 0870 005 3985 for advice on how to get started with reusable nappies.

Disposable nappies can not be recycled at either your household waste recycling centre or in your kerbside recycling scheme

Oil
Householders can take their car oil to their local Household Waste Recycling Centre. Businesses producing waste cooking oil should arrange for collection from a registered waste carrier (details can be found in the Yellow Pages).

For further information on the disposal of waste engine oil please see www.oilbankline.org.uk
It is important that all waste oil is contained securely, and disposed of appropriately to avoid contamination of our environment.

Ovens
See Domestic Appliances

Paint
* Try and use it up … either yourself, or give away to friends or relatives, or donate it to a charity.
* If you can’t use it up or find it a good home by giving it away, for emulsion paints (83% of paint currently collected in Suffolk is emulsion), add sawdust, sand or soil to the tin and leave the lid off until the paint becomes solid and dry. You can then double wrap it and place it into your kerbside residual waste bin for collection
* As a last resort, contact your local District or Borough Council to arrange for a collection (which may incur a charge).

In the future, follow the guidelines on the tin of paint before buying to ensure that you buy just the amount you need for a job.

Paper
Most types of paper can be recycled in your kerbside recycling collection service, in paper bring banks or at any Household Waste Recycling Centre in Suffolk. Further details about recycling Paper

Pet Waste
The contents of the average rabbit or guinea-pig hutch (e.g. straw, wood shavings, vegetable trimmings) could be home composted in small amounts, providing your pet has a vegetarian diet.

You are allowed to deposit 1 bag of pet waste (e.g. rabbit hutch material) per week in the general waste container. Excess pet waste is accepted at most landfill sites and transfer stations (please refer to your local telephone directory). You may be charged for disposal.

Alternatively, your local District or Borough Council may provide a collection for this type of waste - charges may apply.

Plastic Bags
Try and reuse plastic bags as much as possible, or buy a cloth bag. Some supermarkets provide thicker re-usable bags. They can be used to line your kitchen bin. Once your carrier bag has no life left, look out for a plastic bag carrier point at most local supermarkets or at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre

Plastic bottles
Most Clean plastic bottles (look out for the labelling PET '1' or '2' inside the triangular symbol on the bottle) can be placed inside your kerbside recycling collection bin. Please wash and remove the bottle tops.

Plastic Plant Pots
Plastic plant pots cannot currently be recycled due to the type of plastic they are made from. Call your local garden centre to see if they can re-use them or take them to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre for disposal.

Plastics
Click here for further details of how to recycle plastics

Quiz magazines
Magazines (quiz or otherwise!) can be put into your kerbside dry recyclables collection bin. Or if you live in Suffolk Coastal District council you can put them into your green paper crate.

Rubble
Rubble from your house can be taken to local Household Waste Recycling Centres. However, no more than two bags per day will be allowed.

Sheets
Sheets and bedding can be donated to charity shops. They should be clean, and in a good reusable condition. Clean and dry sheets and blankets can also be accepted in textile banks (place them in bags to keep them dry) but duvets or pillows cannot.

Shoes
Shoes should be clean and in a good condition for reuse. Ideally they need to be tied in pairs otherwise they tend to go astray. They can be donated to charity shops, or placed in any of the textile banks provided at the Household Waste Recycling Centres. See also textiles

Shredded Paper
Shredded paper can be put into your home compost bin or used as pet bedding.

It can also be placed in the cardboard collection containers at any Household Waste Recycling Centre in Suffolk.

Please do not put shredded paper in your kerbside recycling collection bin as this can damage machinery at the Materials Recycling Facility where recycling is sorted for reprocessing.

Most kerbside garden waste collections now accept shredded paper with garden waste but please check with your District/Borough Council in advance.

Tetra Paks
See Cartons (Milk/drink)

Textiles
Further details about recycling textiles

Tyres
Tyres can no longer be disposed of in landfill sites, and cannot be accepted at Household Waste Recycling Centres. They should be taken to a local garage or tyre and exhaust centre where they will be disposed of safely, although they may make a small charge for this service.When you purchase new tyres the garage may take the old ones.
Businesses should take their tyres to disposers that are registered with the Environment Agency to accept tyres.

Umbrellas
Umbrellas are always useful particularly with the British weather. If you have a useable umbrella that you don't want, take it to your nearest charity shop and give someone else the opportunity to keep dry!

Videotapes/DVD’s
Videotapes, as well as DVD’s, can be taken to your local charity shop for re-use. It may be worth considering renting them as it may save you money and space. Damaged CDs, videotapes and DVDs can be disposed of in your black bin.

Washing Machines
Washing machines are bulky household items and ca be collected by your district or borough council, although you may be charged a fee for this ervice. Alternatively you can take your old washing machine to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre free of charge.

Wrapping Paper
See Christmas Wrapping Paper.

Xylophone
If you have a musical instrument, which still works, you can donate it to local theatrical groups and music groups.

Yellow Pages
Yellow pages can be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre. It is also accepted on most kerbside collection schemes. If you are unsure contact your local district or borough council or contact 0845 606 6067.

Zucchini

Zucchinis, along with other vegetable waste, can be composted in your compost bin.