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Wandsworth Council

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How do I recycle or dispose of...

A-Z of items

Aluminium foil

Aluminium foil can't be recycled using the orange service provided by the council because it's hard to separate foil from aluminium cans and other materials.  

But, any foil mixed in with other general rubbish is now likely to get recycled along with any other metals in the rubbish.  This is because it is now sent to an energy-from-waste incinerator rather than a landfill site.  Any foil tends to end up as small pellets in the incinerated ashes and is then recycled along with any other metals present in the ash.  

If you still want to find your nearest facility for recycling aluminium foil, please search the Recycle Now database. 

You may also be able to help the environment by reducing the amount of foil waste you make, for example by washing and reusing foil containers.

Asbestos

Free collection from the City of London 020 7332 3433. More information on asbestos.

Batteries

Household batteries can be recycled at any Wandsworth library, leisure centre, or the Town Hall.

Take household and car batteries to Smugglers Way household waste and recycling centre. More information where to recycle batteries.

Regulations mean that all retailers selling portable batteries totalling a weight of 32kg per year (it roughly equates to selling one 4-pack of AA batteries a day) must provide or show information about a free service to take back and recycle used batteries. You don't need to have bought your batteries there. Information from Defra website.

Bicycles

Take old bicycles to Smugglers Way reuse and recycling centre or give to the youth offending team's bike project.

Books

Find your nearest library or Trust library, or donate them to charity shops or through free exchange websites.

You can also deposit them in selected recycling sites (search recycling sites), and at Smuggler's Way Household Waste and Recycling Centre.

Bottle tops

A joint effort is being made to collect half a tonne of milk bottle tops for charity. Staff at Swaffield school, sheltered housing schemes and coffee shops in the borough are all helping to collect the lids, which will be recycled into children's toys and new bottle tops. The value of the plastic will be donated to Age UK Wandsworth.

Bottle tops are not suitable for  recycling using the council collection service because of the process by which materials are sorted at the recycling facility.  To donate your milk bottle tops contact milkbottletops1@yahoo.co.uk

Cash for Cans

Take used aluminium cans to the Cash for Cans project and get 30p for every kilo of cans. If you have more than 50kg, you'll get 35p per kilo.

SavaCentre
1 Merton High Street,
SW19 1DD
Telephone: 020 8540 9728

Christmas trees

Clothes

Even frayed or damaged clothing can be recycled into things like furniture stuffing, or reclaimed to make yarn. You can take wearable items to a charity shop, and old cushion covers, towels, sheets and blankets to textile recycling points.

Beware "charitable" clothing donation or recycling companies you've never heard of. Bogus collections are common and the operators may ship selected items overseas for sale while discarding anything they don't think will fetch a price.

Confidential paper

Bills, statements or documents showing your address should ideally be cross-shredded before being put in your refuse bin. Please do not recycle shredded paper.  

Electrical goods and computers

Take to Smugglers Way Reuse and Recycling Centre if it is large and no longer working.

The British Heart Foundation collects large electrical items in working order. Wandsworth Oasis and the Salvation Army also generally accept working electrical goods as they are able to test them for safety before resale.

BJ Electronics (UK) Ltd can collect both working and broken electrical items free of charge including computers, televisions, cookers, microwaves, audio equipment, washing machines, fridges, freezers and dishwashers.  To arrange a free collection, call 020 8520 4447 or email: info@bjelectronicsltd.co.uk. 

For more options see our Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment page.

Engine oil

Take to Smugglers Way reuse and recycling centre. Do not dispose of oil in to drains. 

Fireworks

Unexploded fireworks should be soaked in a bucket of water for 24 hours before being taken to either of the reuse and recycling centres.

Food waste

Uncooked fruit and vegetable scraps can be composted at home using a compost bin or wormery. Left over food can be composted using a kitchen composter (including cooked food, meat and dairy) or a Green Cone. 

Cut down on the amount of rubbish you put out by installing an under-sink food waste disposer. Search Insinkerator for a local stockist by entering 'Wandsworth' in the 'Search by place name' box.

Too Good To Waste - a Sustainable Restaurant Association report on food waste in catering operations.

8.3 million tonnes of food and drink is wasted in the UK each year, of which nearly 800,000 tonnes is bakery waste. Read WRAP's report, Reducing Household Bakery Waste, which includes insights and recommendations for the consumer.

Foreign currency

You can donate unwanted foreign currency left over from trips abroad to various charities including RNIB and Age Uk.

Fridges and freezers

Take to Smugglers Way reuse and recycling cente or phone 8871 8558 to arrange a collection.

Furniture

Items can be taken to Smugglers Way reuse and recycling centre.

Some charities offer free or low-cost collections:

  • Furniture Aid South Thames (FAST) supply affordable second hand furniture and white goods to vulnerable members of the community and will collect donated goods for free.  Phone 020 7793 7787.
  • The British Heart Foundation furniture and electrical stores offer free collections. Phone 0844 412 5000. 

It can be given to others - visit the useful links page.

Garden waste

We collect garden waste in special biodegradable sacks. Don't forget that you can also compost at home or take suitable garden waste to local reuse and recycling centres. 

Glasses (spectacles)

You can recycle unwanted pairs of glasses via Vision Aid Overseas.

Household chemicals

Free collection from the City of London 020 7332 3433. Information on hazardous waste.

Junk Mail

In the UK producers of addressed and unaddressed junk mail use 550,000 tonnes of paper and 16.5 billion litres of water every year. This equates to over 9 million trees. The volume of junk mail produced is decreasing every year. You can reduce the amount you receive by some of the methods below.

  • Get a 'No Junk Mail' sticker for your door from your local library or by contacting Waste Services (email: wasteservices@wandsworth.gov.uk, call 020 8871 8558).
  • Unwanted direct mail: register with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) online or phone 0845 703 4599.
  • There is also a fax and telephone preference service (FPS and TPS), and even a Baby MPS which puts a stop to mailings from baby-related companies.
  • Unaddressed mail from Royal Mail: telephone 08457 740740 or email your address to optout@royalmail.com.
  • The Junk Buster claims to sign you up to the MPS, Royal Mail's Door-to-Door Opt-Out and Your Choice Preference Scheme for Unaddressed Mail simultaneously.
  • Remember that any junk mail you do receive can be recycled.

Light bulbs

Use energy saving bulbs where possible, which will reduce waste and energy use. 

Light bulbs can be recycled at Ryness Lighting and Electrical. There is a store on Putney High Street. 

Florescent tubes and energy saving light bulbs can be recycled at Smugglers Way reuse and recycling centre and at Sainsburys, Garratt Lane, Wandsworth.

Medication

Take unwanted medication to your nearest chemist. (Throwing medicines in the bin or pouring them down the sink can lead to unwanted chemicals getting into the soil and drinking water)

Empty medication bottles can be rinsed and recycled as normal if they are made of materials that are accepted in the orange sacks or banks.

Metal

Broken saucepans and other scrap metals can be taken to the scrap metal bay at the reuse and recycling centres. They will be sold on to a scrap metal merchant. Functional items can be taken to charity shops, sold or given away on free exchange websites.

Mobile phones

Recycle mobile phones to raise funds for the Mayor of Wandsworth's Charity Appeal.

Find mobile phone envelopes at Wandsworth libraries and some  other locations in the borough

Nappies

By using reusable nappies you no longer have to keep buying expensive disposable nappies which take hundreds of years to break down in landfill

Buy second-hand baby and children's items - including reusable nappies - at a fraction of the original cost. An example is Nappy Valley which requires registration and a £2 fee for placing ads. Or try Used Nappies.

For more information go to the Reducing Waste page.  

Paint

  • Free collection from the City of London 020 7332 3433
  • Request or donate paint
  • Remember, you can always pass on unwanted paint within your local community via free exchange networks
  • Paint can be allowed to dry and harden for disposal via your usual refuse collection service
  • Some retailers offer to take back empty paint tins for recycling, so do ask when buying

Plastic Bags and packaging films

The council only accepts plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays for recycling, and not plastic bags or packaging films

Please try to reduce the number of plastic bags you use and reuse them where possible. Remembering to take cloth shopping bags or a supply of old plastic carrier bags with you when you go shopping is a good start. 

Your community may be trying to reduce their use in local shops - take a look at http://projectdirt.com/  to see if like-minded residents are boycotting plastic carriers in your local area. The Furzedown Community Network are.

Some supermarkets have facilities for recycling plastic bags. In April 2011 the British Retail Consortium announced these facilities now collect clean plastic packaging films as well.

Reuse bags where possible. Your community may be oustting their use in local shops - visit http://projectdirt.com/ to see if like-minded residents are boycotting plastic carriers in your local area. The Furzedown Community Network are. Printer cartridge recycling box

Printer/toner cartridges

Wandsworth sites: Toner and inkjet cartridges can be recycled at Smugglers Way reuse and recycling centre or at some public recycling sites in Wandsworth. 

Other sites: For recycling toners and other items at different sites in London find your nearest recycling site.

Charity: Order a box and collect them yourself. Servicing is free, and revenue generated by recycling toners and cartridges is donated to the Mayoral Charities. Contact 0800 435 576 or collection@ebpgroup.com.

Schools can also take part or keep proceeds themselves.

Shoes

Shoe recycling locations
Town  Location 
 Balham  Telferscot 
 J Sainsbury
 Battersea  Alex Shoe Repairs 
 Shipton & Heneage
 Capstick Sports
 Clapham  Profeet Ltd
 Putney  One Small Step One Giant Leap
 Riverside Clobber
 Bemrose Limited
 Pied Piper
 Cobblers of Putney
 Roehampton   Asda
 Southfields  TJ's Shoecare
 Tooting  Evershine Dry Cleaners
 Shimmers
 Wandsworth  Leaders Gardens

Stamps (used)

You can help to raise funds for the Royal National Institute of the Blind by sending them used stamps, whether British or foreign. 

Videos, DVDs and CDs

Recycle by taking these items to charity shops, along with other unwanted household items.

Search for your nearest charity shop and for your nearest CD and DVD collection point in aid of Barnardos (Barnardos shops or Llyds TSB banks).

Old DVDs and CDs that can not be reused can be recycled

Water filters (BRITA cartridges)

Can be recycled at a range of stores

See also

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