A-Z recycling guide

• A-C
• D-F
• G-I
• J-O
• P-Z

How and where items can be recycled.

A-C

Aerosols: Residents can recycle empty aerosol canisters through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins.  Businesses can recycle empty aerosol through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins.

Aluminium foil: You can drop off your clean foil at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.  Alternatively some charity shops may accept it for recycling.

Batteries:  Around 600 million UK household batteries (22,000 tonnes) – the equivalent weight of 110 Jumbo Jets – are sent to landfill unnecessarily every year. Recycling batteries stops harmful chemicals being released into soil and water, and saves natural resources.

The average household could save up to £50 per year on the purchase cost of batteries by switching disposable for rechargeable batteries or buying mains operated rather than battery operated equipment (or even using solar panels!).

Household batteries can be recycled in special recycling containers at: 

• Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre
• Idea Store Whitechapel
• Idea Store Bow
• Idea Store Chrisp Street
• Idea Store Canary Wharf
• Bethnal Green One Stop Shop
• Bow and North Poplar One Stop Shop
• Stepney and Wapping One Stop Shop
• Bethnal Green Library
• Cubitt Town Library

All shops selling more than 32 kg of batteries each year must collect batteries for recycling, more information can be found at Directgov.

Car batteries can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Bicycles: Adult bicycles can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Books: Give someone a chance to enjoy your unwanted books and offer them to a friend or drop them off at a local charity shop. There are five Spitalfields Crypt Trust charity shops in the borough that would be grateful for donations of books, DVDs, CDs and good, clean clothing.

Alternatively you can bring books to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. Books are given to the charity Scope to sell in their charity shops.

Bottles (glass and plastic): Glass bottles and jars: Residents can recycle all colours of glass bottles and jars (even blue glass) through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse. Businesses can recycle glass bottles and jars through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins.

Plastic bottles: Residents can recycle any type of plastic bottles, even cleaning product and shampoo bottles, through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse. Businesses can recycle plastic bottles through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins. Other plastic packaging can not be recycled at present.  

Cans: Residents can easily recycle food and drink cans through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins.  95% less energy is used to make cans from recycled aluminium than from the raw materials.  Businesses can easily recycle cans through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins.

Car batteries: Car batteries can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Cardboard: Residents can recycle cardboard through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins.  This includes brown boxes as well as greeting cards and cereal boxes. Businesses can recycle cardboard through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins.

Cards and wrapping paper: Residents can recycle cards and wrapping paper using the pink sack or purple bins. Businesses can recycle cards and wrapping paper through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins. 

In the month of January you can support The Woodland Trust's Christmas card recycling scheme. Just take your Christmas cards along to a participating Marks and Spencer or TK Maxx Store and deposit them in the special collection containers. The cards will be recycled with the money raised going to help the Woodland Trust plant trees and maintain our woodlands. Read more

Apart from shiny wrapping paper, all other wrapping paper can be recycled.

Cartons: Residents can recycle food and drink cartons through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse. Businesses can recycle food and drink cartons through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins.

Clothes: Clothes can be given a whole new life!  If you don’t want to customise them at home you could drop them off at a local charity shop. There are five Spitalfields Crypt Trust charity shops in the borough that would be grateful for donations of good, clean clothing. 

Alternatively, you recycle them through a network of special charity textile recycling bins throughout the borough. Find your nearest.

Textile recycling bins can be used to recycle clothes and texiles in any condition and you can also drop off good quality shoes if you no longer need them (please tie the laces together or put them in a plastic bag to keep them in pairs). The clothing will be hand-sorted, clothing in good condition will be sold in charity shops and damaged items are shredded and made into cloths or used for furniture stuffing.

Swap events will be held during the year to give you the chance to swap unwanted clothes and accessories (and books, bric-a-brac, toys, paired shoes, unwanted gifts). To register to receive information about future events please email recycling@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Computers and monitors: Some charities will collect computers for reuse in developing countries.  Alternatively you can drop them off at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Donate your unwanted computer and IT equipment to Computer Aid, a charity that provides refurbished computers for reuse in education, health, agriculture and not-for-profit organisations in developing countries.

Cooking oil: Some companies will collect waste cooking oil free of charge from businesses and recycle it into fuel. Read more about this on our waste cooking oil page.  Residents can drop off waste cooking oil at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.

D-F

Electrical items:  Every year an estimated one million tonnes of waste electronic and electrical equipment are discarded in the UK. 

Unwanted electrical appliances including items like computer monitors, printers, fax machines, hair dryers, digital watches, electronic toys can be taken to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Some retailers will accept your old small electricals for recycling in store when you buy new ones, for more information visit Recycle Now.

If the appliances are still in good working order, some charity shops may take them or you could post them on a website like freecycle.

Residents can also request a free collection of large items such as washing machines (white goods).

Engine oil: Engine oil can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Fluorescent tubes: Fluorescent tubes can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Food waste: Food waste is a great resource and shouldn’t go to waste!  Each month, the average family throws away £50 of food that was bought but not eaten.  For ideas on reducing your food waste and saving money at the same time see our food waste reduction tips.

You can turn your vegetable peelings and fruit cores into your own home made compost.  We will provide a low cost composter or wormery for just £5 each. 

Some households in Tower Hamlets are taking part in a food waste collection scheme.

Furniture and other large items: If your unwanted furniture is in good condition please contact Homestore who will collect it free of charge and sell it at a low cost to those in need.  Alternatively take your items to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre or request a special collection of bulky waste. For more information see our large items or give and take pages.

G-I

Garden waste: If you have a garden we will provide a reusable green bag for your grass, twigs and leaves and empty it every week. Read more about this on our garden waste collection pages.

You can also drop off your garden waste at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Alternatively you could compost at home to make your own free compost! Residents can buy compost bins at the subsidised price of £5 each.

Gas bottles: Gas bottles can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Glass bottles and jars: Residents can easily recycle all colours of glass bottles and jars (even blue glass) through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse. Businesses can recycle glass bottles and jars through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins.

Household batteries: see batteries

Inkjet cartridges:  see printer cartridges

J-O

Low energy light bulbs:  Go to the Recolight map (external site) and enter your postcode to find sites to recycle low energy light bulb in your area, including Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. Some large supermarkets may also provide containers for the public to recycle light bulbs.

Using low energy light bulbs is one of the easiest ways to reduce your energy bills. You could save up to £54 per lightbulb over five years, by switching from traditional lightbulbs to low energy light bulbs.

Traditional lightbulbs also can not be recycled.

Mobile phones: Some companies and charities collect mobile phones for recycling and will send you a freepost envelope to send the phones in.  Take a look at the internet to find companies and charities in your area that are collecting mobile phones.

Alternatively you can recycle them at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Nappies: A baby typically gets through around 5,000 nappy changes! Since it isn’t currently possible to recycle nappies, ninety per cent of disposable nappies in the UK go to landfill where they can last for over 100 years.  There is now an amazing choice in washable nappies.  Boiling nappy cloths and pins are a thing of the past and real nappies now come in a wide range of easy to wash soft and natural fabrics with popper and Velcro fastenings and breathable waterproof wraps in funky designs.  With real nappies, you can ensure you are putting natural fabrics next to your baby’s skin as well as saving hundreds of pounds. 

P-Z

Paint: Paint can be taken to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre where it is collected and used by community re-paint. 

Paper: Residents can easily recycle paper through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins, just remove any plastic wrapping from magazines. Businesses can recycle paper through the lilac sacks and purple recycling sacks.

Find out about reducing junk mail.

Plastic bottles: Residents can recycle any type of plastic bottles, even cleaning product and shampoo bottles, through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse.  Recycled plastic bottles are often used to manufacture clothes such as fleeces by making a polyester yarn. Businesses can recycle plastic bottles through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins. Other plastic packaging can not be recycled at present.  

Printer cartridges: Printer cartridges can be taken to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Scrap metal: Scrap metal can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Shoes: You can trade your unwanted shoes with your friends or drop them off at a local charity shop. There are five Spitalfields Crypt Trust charity shops in the borough that would be grateful for donations of good, clean shoes.

Alternatively, you can recycle them through a network of special textile and shoe recycling bins throughout the borough  (please tie the laces together or put them in a plastic bag to keep them in pairs). Find your nearest.

Televisions: Televisions and other electrical items can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Textiles: Textiles can be given a whole new life!  If you don’t want to customise them at home you could drop them off at a local charity shop. There are five Spitalfields Crypt Trust charity shops in the borough that would be grateful for donations of good, clean clothing. 

Alternatively, you can recycle them through a network of special charity textile recycling bins throughout the borough. Find your nearest.

Textile recycling bins can be used to recycle textiles in any condition and you can also drop off good quality shoes if you no longer need them (please tie the laces together or put them in a plastic bag to keep them in pairs). The clothing will be hand-sorted, clothing in good condition will be sold in charity shops and damaged items are shredded and made into cloths or used for furniture stuffing.

The council animal pound would be grateful for donations of old bedding, towels, blankets, sheets, pillows, pillow cases, quilts and quilt covers. Any donations can be dropped off at the pound at Arch 326 Burdett Road, E3 4AA (beside the go-kart track) any weekday between 9 am and 4 pm.

Toner cartridges: Toner cartridges can be taken to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

You can refill many types of cartridges or recycle them at specialist shops such as Cartridge World.   

Some charities collect empty cartridges to raise money by refilling and reselling them. Take a look at the internet to find charities in your area that are collecting toner cartridges.

Wood and timber: Wood and timber including MDF, plywood, chipboard etc can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Wrapping paper: Residents can recycle paper wrapping paper in the pink sacks and purple bins. Businesses can recycle paper wrapping paper in the lilac sacks and purple bins. All wrapping paper, apart from shiny paper can be recycled.  

Yellow pages: Residents can recycle yellow pages and other telephone directories through the pink sacks and purple recycling bins, just remove any plastic wrapping. Businesses can recycle yellow pages through the lilac sacks and purple recycling bins.