A to Z of recycling - M

Re-use

  If your mattress is in good condition, charity shops may be to take them or alternatively advertise them on an online re-use network.

Disposal

 If the mattress is not suitable for re-use, you can take it to any Suffolk Recycling Centre and place it in the non-recyclable container.

Alternatively your local borough or district council offers a charged bulky waste collection service. 

Disposal

Take unwanted medicines to a pharmacy, where they can be disposed of safely.

Never throw unused or expired medicines in the rubbish bin or flush them down the toilet.

Children could take the medicine from the bin, and medicines that have been flushed down a toilet could end up in the drinking water system or harm the environment.

Also see "Needles" 

Reduce

Before thinking about reuse, recycling or disposal options for your metal pots, pans or trays, have you considered whether it could be repaired?

There are several repair cafes and groups in Suffolk who offer free help to local communities. Please visit this page to find out more.

Recycle

You can recycle your metal pots, pans and trays:

in the metal container at any Suffolk Recycling Centre

Disposal

You cannot place glass pan lids in your kerbside bin. Glass pan lids rimmed with metal can go into the scrap metal container at any  Suffolk Recycling Centre.

Metal pots, pans and trays can no longer go in the kerbside recycling bin because they cause blockages at the Materials Recycling Facility and accepting these materials leads to other metal items ending up in the recycling bin such as brake discs, coat hangers and even engine blocks, which can cause further problems. 

For information on cans and aluminium foil see information here.

Reduce

Before thinking about reuse, recycling or disposal options for your metal item, have you considered whether it could be repaired?

There are several repair cafes and groups in Suffolk who offer free help to local communities. Please visit this page to find out more.

Re-use

    Metal items in good condition could be offered to charity shops or through an online re-use network. Find your nearest charity shop.

You might also be able to sell some metal items through a car boot sale, jumble sale, or online market.

Offer unwanted items to friends, neighbours or relatives. 

You may be able to sell some types of metal (such as cars) to your local scrap metal dealer. 

Recycle

  You can recycle any metals item in the metal container at any Suffolk Recycling Centre. 

For information on cans and aluminium foil see information here.

Recycle

Metal tubes such as tomato puree can be placed in your recycling bin if they are clean and dry. Cut the bottoms and open flat to remove residue and ensure that the tubes don’t fall through the small holes in the sorting drum at the recycling facility (items under 45mm diameter can’t be recycled). Lids should be removed and placed in rubbish bin.

You can recycle the whole tube in the metal container if they are clean and dry at Recycling Centres, with lids removed the lid can go in the hard palstics container.

Re-use

Offer mirrors in good condition to charity shops or through an online re-use network, sell at a car boot sale, jumble sale or online market place.

You can also be offer mirrors to friends, neighbours or relatives. If it is in good condition, you can also take it to any Suffolk Recycling Centre and placed in the re-use container (ask site staff for details).

Recycle

  Take mirrors to any Suffolk Recycling Centre and place in the flat glass container.

Wherever possible, and if safe to do so, please remove glass from the frame first. If you can't remove the frame, ask a member of staff on site for advice of where to dispose of it.

Reduce

Before thinking about reuse, recycling or disposal options for your mobile phone, have you considered whether it could be repaired?

There are several repair cafes and groups in Suffolk who offer free help to local communities. Please visit this page to find out more.

Re-use

If your phone is still working (and sometimes newer broken models) can be sold to companies that will refurbish it to sell on. 

      Alternatively, charity shops often have envelopes for you to send the phone off as a donation.

Recycle

  You can recycle older and broken phone models at any Suffolk Recycling Centre.

Find other organisations and charities which could recycle your mobile phone.

Reduce

Before thinking about reuse, recycling or disposal options for your musical instrument, have you considered whether it could be repaired?

There are several repair cafes and groups in Suffolk who offer free help to local communities. Please visit this page to find out more.

Re-use

    Musical instruments in working condition can be passed on or sold through websites and/or music shops. Alternatively, they can be donated to charity shops.

Disposal and recycle

  If you have an instrument broken beyond economic repair, please take it to any Suffolk Recycling Centre and place it in the material container appropriate to what the instrument is made from.