Some items aren’t suitable for household recycling collections. Our A to Z explains where you can take many common household waste items for recycling or reuse.
This page is meant as a guide for household waste disposal only, not trade waste.
- find out what you can recycle in kerbside collections
- see Recycle Now for recycling bank locations for materials you can't recycle through household collections
- see Pass it on to find your nearest charitable organisations, along with the range of items they accept, and whether they can collect your donations (from North Yorkshire Council)
- make sure the items you donate for reuse are in good condition, clean and no parts are missing
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
A
Aerosols
- recycle empty aerosols in your household recycling collections and at local recycling banks - see Recycle Now for recycling bank locations
- make sure aerosols are completely empty before you recycle them, but don't puncture or crush them
Aluminium foil
You can recycle aluminium foil which has passed the "scrunch test" as part of your usual kerbside recycling collections, or at our household waste recycling centres at Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC.
See Recycle Now for aluminium recycling bank locations.
See details about excess and additional recycling.
B
Batteries (household and car)
- Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC have special recycling containers for batteries
- most retailers which sell household size batteries have in-store battery recycling containers
- contact us for information about battery recycling schemes in schools
Bicycles
- recycle bicycles at Hazel Court HWRC. Re-cycle York and the Toolbox Project refurbish and repair the bikes collected in partnership with other York community organisations and schools. Local people benefit from access to bicycle maintenance training and affordable second hand bikes
- Recycle bicycles at Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC in the scrap metal skip
- give away unwanted bicycles on Freecycle or search Facebook for local selling
- Re-cycle York reuse and refurbish bicycles
- Divert rubbish collection and removals will collect bicycles in any condition from your home address, and will dispose of them in a carbon neutral way
- The Recycle Project CIC (41 Huby Court, Walmgate, York, YO1 9UD)
Biscuit wrappers
- St Nicks accept sweet biscuit wrappers for recycling (multi-pack packaging or individual wrappers)
Blister packs
- Check whether your local pharmacy recycles empty blister packs (medicine packets).
Board Games
- see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you; click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
Books
- donate books to St. Sampson's Centre, Church Street, York; they accept items for re-sale to raise funds. Deliver to the Centre from Mondays to Fridays, 10.00am to 4.00pm
- see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you; click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- see Recycle Now for book recycling bank locations
- donate books to Community Bees
C
Candles
St Nick's collect candle waste including wax melts, scented and colourful candles with jars at kerbside (only for properties with a St Nicks recycling collection).
Cans (metal drinks cans and food tins)
- recycle cans in your kerbside recycling collections and at local recycling banks - see Recycle Now for recycling bank locations
- see Think Cans to find out how you could get paid for recycling aluminium cans
See details about excess and additional recycling.
Card and cardboard
- recycle cardboard in your household recycling collections (broken into small pieces and placed within your recycling container), or at local recycling banks - see Recycle Now for recycling bank locations
- take large amounts/big boxes to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC for recycling
- donate greetings cards (not Christmas cards) to St. Sampson's Centre, Church Street, York; they accept items for re-sale to raise funds. Deliver to the Centre from Mondays to Fridays, 10.00am to 4.00pm
See details about excess and additional recycling.
Car oil
- take to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC; you cannot dispose of petrol and diesel at our HWRCs
Carrier bags
Recycle plastic carrier bags at these supermarkets:
- Sainsbury's, Monks Cross
- Sainsbury's, Fossbank
- Morrison's, Acomb
- Morrison's, Foss Islands Road
- Waitrose, Foss Islands Road
- Asda, Monks Cross
Cars
- GiveACar raise money for charities by accepting donations of unwanted cars, and recycling those that are ready for scrap
Cassette tapes
- donate cassette tapes to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
CDs
- donate music/audio CDs to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- make into bird scarers for your garden or allotment
- CDs and DVDs (without their boxes or cases) can be posted to Revive Innovations Ltd where they are made into furniture. Read more about Revive Innovations
- donate CDs to Community Bees
Charging leads and electrical cables
St Nicks are able to recycle these.
Christmas cards
- recycle in your household recycling collection or in local recycling banks; see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
- cut them up and reuse as gift tags
- please note that cards which feature glitter, plastic or foam elements cannot be recycled with your card and paper
Christmas trees
- recycle Christmas trees and wreaths in your green wheelie bin as part of our garden waste subscription scheme; these must be inside the bin, so please chop them up
- Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC accept Christmas trees for composting
Coat hangers
- donate coat hangers to charity shops; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- recycle metal coat hangers as scrap metal at Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
Coffee packaging
- St Nicks accept coffee packaging for recycling
- plastic or aluminium coffee, tea, milk and hot chocolate pods from participating Podback member brands
Coins (foreign and old)
- donate to St. Sampson's Centre, Church Street, York; they accept coins for re-sale to raise funds. Deliver to the Centre from Mondays to Fridays, 10.00am to 4.00pm
- SNAPPY accept donations of old UK coins and notes and any foreign coins and notes
Computers
- take to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC for recycling
- donate good quality used computers to Computer Aid or Computers for Africa
D
Drinks cartons
- Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC have special recycling banks for "Tetra Pak" style drinks cartons
- see Recycle Now for drinks carton recycling bank locations
DVDs
- donate DVDs to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
E
E-cigarettes
- take to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC for recycling with other small electrical items
Electrical appliances
- recycle at Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
- donate fully working items to York Community Furniture Store for reuse
- The Recycle Project CIC (41 Huby Court, Walmgate, York, YO1 9UD)
- Some stores, including Currys and B&Q, now accept electrical appliances even if you didn't purchase them in their store - ask individual stores for details
Electrical cables and charging leads
St Nicks are able to recycle these.
Envelopes
- recycle all types of envelopes in your household recycling collections
- see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
F
Fabric
- donate reusable fabrics such as 'dress weight' cotton, polyester and wool (but please no heavier fabrics, such as sheets or curtains) to Brunswick Organic Nursery for reuse
- donate fabric to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
Fire extinguishers
- return any fire extinguishers you have rented for business use directly to the rental company
- take empty fire extinguishers to Hazel Court HWRC for recycling (there is a charge for disposal)
Fluorescent tubes and energy saving light bulbs
- recycle at Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
- 'older style' light bulbs aren't recyclable; you should dispose of these safely in your waste bin
Foil (such as aluminium foil and pie trays)
You can recycle aluminium foil which has passed the "scrunch test" as part of your usual kerbside recycling collections, or at our household waste recycling centres at Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC.
See Recycle Now for aluminium recycling bank locations.
See details about excess and additional recycling.
Furniture
All the charities named below offer free collections of good quality furniture for reuse:
- British Heart Foundation
- York Community Furniture Store
- St Leonard's Hospice - call tel: 01904 788777 to discuss what you would like to donate
- The Recycle Project CIC (41 Huby Court, Walmgate, York, YO1 9UD)
- Community Bees
G
Garden waste
- use our garden waste subscription scheme
- take garden waste for composting to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
- see Get composting for information on how to compost garden waste
Glass
- recycle all types of glass bottles and jars in your household recycling collections
- see Recycle Now for glass recycling bank locations
See details about excess and additional recycling.
Glass (cookware)
- donate reusable items such as Pyrex or drinking glasses to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
Glass (broken)
- broken glass of any type can't be recycled; please dispose of it carefully in your waste bin
Glass (windows)
- take for recycling to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
Glasses (spectacles)
- many opticians accept old/unwanted spectacles for charity - ask at your local opticians
- donate to St. Sampson's Centre, Church Street, York; they accept items for re-sale to raise funds. Deliver to the Centre from Mondays to Fridays, 10.00am to 4.00pm
- Vision Aid Overseas accept spectacles for reuse in the Third World; drop them off at VisionCare Optometry in Acomb or leave in the wooden trunk outside 48 Main Street, Bishopthorpe, YO23 2RB
Greetings cards
- recycle in your household recycling collection or in local recycling banks; see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
- cut them up and reuse as gift tags
- donate to St. Sampson's Centre, Church Street, York; they accept greetings cards (not Christmas cards) for re-sale to raise funds. Deliver to the Centre from Mondays to Fridays, 10.00am to 4.00pm
- please note that cards which feature glitter, plastic or foam elements cannot be recycled with your card and paper
H
Hand tools
- donate locally to The Conservation Volunteers for reuse
Hard plastic recycling
- take hard plastic items such as garden furniture, boxes and broken toys to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC for recycling
Hearing aids (working)
- donate to Age UK
- NHS hearing aids remain the property of the NHS; if you have an NHS hearing aid which you no longer need, please return to your nearest NHS hospital
I
Ink jet cartridges
Many office outlets or larger stationers will accept used printer or ink jet cartridges for recycling. A number of larger employers will also have recycling collection points in their offices. Check with local stores or with your employer.
J
Jewellery
- donate to St. Sampson's Centre, Church Street, York; they accept items for re-sale to raise funds. Deliver to the Centre from Mondays to Fridays, 10.00am to 4.00pm
Junk mail
- see Mailing Preference Service for how to register to stop junk mail being delivered
- recycle in your household recycling collection or in local recycling banks; see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
K
Kitchen waste
- we do not offer any separate collections for kitchen waste - why not try home composting?
L
Light bulbs
- recycle energy efficient light bulbs at Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
- 'old-style' light bulbs aren't recyclable, you should dispose of these safely in your waste bin
- some shops which sell light bulbs also have recycling bins for them in-store
M
Make up
Make up packaging which cannot be taken at kerbside can be recycled within Boots and Superdrug stores.
Mattresses
You can recycle used mattresses at Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe HWRC.
Medical equipment
Medequip collect medical equipment such as walking frames and crutches for reuse. These can be placed in designated bins at Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe HWRC.
Mobile phones
Do not dispose of mobile phones with general household waste, as this could cause a fire.
- contact your mobile phone retailer for recycling options, or part-exchange for an upgrade
- donate to a charity; see the Charity Retail Association website to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- recycle your phone through an organisation such as Green Smartphones
- see Recycle Now for recycling advice for mobile phones
You can also dispose of mobile phones at Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe HWRC in the electronic items container.
Music scores and musical instruments
- donate to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- recycle sheet music in your household recycling collection or in local recycling banks; see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
N
Nappies
- visit NCT York Nappy Library on Facebook. Email york@nct.org.uk to enquire about the nappy library and to 'try out' nappies before buying them yourself
Nappies (disposable)
- they cannot be recycled and need to be placed in your grey refuse bin. Whilst it is possible to recycle disposable nappies it is not a service available to householders at the moment. This service is being worked on by the recycling industry and it may be a provision that is available more widely in the future
P
Paint
- York Community Furniture Store is now a member of the Community RePaint scheme - they accept donations of leftover paint from businesses for a small processing charge (and also have a wide range of paint available to buy)
- take old tins of household paint to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC for safe disposal
Paper - brochures, catalogues, newspapers
- recycle in your household recycling collection or in local recycling banks; see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
- donate newspapers to Scout groups to raise funds; search for groups in your local area on the Scouts website
- non-glossy paper is great for home composting; see Get Composting for information
- See details about excess and additional recycling
Pens
- St Nicks accept all plastic pens, felt tips, marker pens and highlighters for recycling
Photographs
- photographs generally can't be recycled; please dispose of them carefully in your waste bin
- see Recycle Now > Photographs for suggestions about what to do with unwanted photographs
Pillows
- natural materials such as cotton and feathers can be composted
Plastics
- recycle certain plastics in your household recycling collection
- Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC accepts hard plastics (such as toys, garden furniture)
- local recycling banks may accept other types of plastic; see Recycle Now for recycling bank locations
- See details about excess and additional recycling
Plastic bags and plastic films
Recycle clean plastic carrier bags and plastic film (for example, bread bags) at many local supermarkets including:
- Aldi, Water Lane
- Asda, Monks Cross
- M&S York
- Morrison's, Acomb
- Morrison's, Foss Islands Road
- Sainsbury's, Fossbank
- Sainsbury's, Monks Cross
- Waitrose, Foss Islands Road
A full list of locations is available at Recycle Now.
Plastic (mixed)
- recycle certain plastics, including clear and light coloured food trays, ice cream tubs, and yoghurt pots in your household recycling collection
Polystyrene
- Polystyrene is a type of plastic which is not commonly recycled and should be placed in the household waste bin or taken to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC for disposal
Postage stamps
- recycle in your household recycling collection or in local recycling banks; see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
Postcards
- recycle in your household recycling collection or in local recycling banks; see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
Printer cartridges
- recycle through The Recycling Factory
- many office outlets or larger stationers will accept used printer or ink jet cartridges for recycling and a number of larger employers will also have recycling collection points in their offices; check with local stores or with your employer
R
Records (vinyl)
- donate to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
Reusable nappies
- see the Go Real website for information about modern reusable nappies and where to buy them
- visit NCT York Nappy Library on Facebook. Email york@nct.org.uk to enquire about the nappy library and to 'try out' nappies before buying them yourself
S
Schools
Community Recycle is a scheme established by companies operating within the external school environment sector. They collect, coordinate and donate overstocked, unsellable items, returned goods and second-hand equipment to schools in across the UK.
The scheme ensures goods that would otherwise be left in storage or even go to landfill, are put to good use in the community, saving schools money and brightening up school grounds across the UK. The types of material currently include:
- polycarbonate sheets
- shade sails
- post pads
- outdoor furniture items
You can see more information or contact them through the Community Recycle website.
Scrap metal
- recycle scrap metal at Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
Sewing machines
- donate working sewing machines to Tools for Self Reliance for reuse
- donate to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- recycle old sewing machines at Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
Shoes
- donate to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- see Recycle Now for shoe recycling bank locations
Shredded paper
We don't collect shredded paper as part of kerbside recycling collections.
- dispose of non-glossy shredded paper in household compost; see Get Composting for information
- dispose of shredded paper in local recycling banks; see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
Soil
- do not place this material into your household or garden waste bins as heavy items in the bin can make it potentially dangerous when moving and lifting the bin onto the vehicle; please take soil to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
Swimming accessories
Roko Health Club York is accepting
- armbands
- flip-flops
- floats
- goggles
- kickboards
T
Telephone directories
- recycle in your household recycling collection or in local recycling banks; see Recycle Now for paper recycling bank locations
'Tetra Paks' (food and drinks cartons)
- Hazel Court HWRC and Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
- St Andrews Church, Bishopthorpe, YO23 2QG
- Tesco, Askham Bar. Tadcaster Road, YO24 1LW
- Bishopthorpe Road car park
- see Recycle Now for further carton recycling bank locations in the wider area
Textiles
- Dunelm stores recycle textiles, both instore and online
- donate clean textiles such as clothing, bedding, curtains, blankets, bags, belts, hats to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- see Recycle Now for textile recycling bank locations
Toys
- donate to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- recycle broken electronic toys at Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
- donate toys and jigsaws to St. Sampson's Centre, Church Street, York; they accept items for re-sale to raise funds. Deliver to the Centre from Mondays to Fridays, 10.00am to 4.00pm
- The Recycle Project CIC (41 Huby Court, Walmgate, York, YO1 9UD)
- donate toys to Community Bees
Turf
- do not place this material into your household or garden waste bins as heavy items in the bin can make it potentially dangerous when moving and lifting the bin onto the vehicle; please take turf to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
Tyres (bicycle)
- bicycle tyres and inner tubes can be recycled within stores of Decathlon, Cycle Heaven and Cycle Street in York – there may be a small charge for this
Tyres (car)
- we don't accept any old car tyres for recycling; please contact your local car garage for safe disposal
V
Vapes
- take to Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC for recycling with other small electrical items
Vinyl (records)
- donate to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
VHS tapes (videos)
- donate to charity; see Charity Retail Association to find a charity shop near you, click 'Find a charity shop', then enter your postcode or town
- we no longer accept VHS tapes (videos) for reuse; dispose of these safely in your waste bin
W
Water butts
- purchase a water butt from Get Composting to reuse rain water for your garden
Wood
- recycle wood (for example, doors, planks, decking and fence panels) at Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe/Strensall HWRC
Wool
- donate wool to St. Sampson's Centre, Church Street, York; they accept items for re-sale to raise funds. Deliver to the Centre from Mondays to Fridays, 10.00am to 4.00pm
Y
Yoghurt pots
- recycle clean yoghurt pots in your household recycling collection
- recycle mixed plastic packaging such as yoghurt pots at recycling banks at Sainsbury's at Monks Cross and Foss Islands
- note: these recycling banks are provided and serviced by Sainsbury's