Adhesives and glues
Adhesives and glues used at home for repair/hobby purposes should be used up as ... |
Aerosol Cans
These cannot be recycled. Do not place in can recycling banks, as they can expl... |
Aluminium drinks cans
(See cans)
... |
Aluminium foil
This is currently not accepted at Recycling Centres. However there are a few sch... |
Animal Litter
Responsible disposal of domestic animal excrement is to be encouraged. But is t... |
Asbestos
Asbestos can be a real danger to health and must be disposed of correctly. Comm... |
Ash from wood fires
Wood ash is really good for the garden. Mix it into soil in beds – particular... |
Basins, baths & loos
If these are in good condition, advertise them for sale in local papers and shop... |
Batteries
The energy needed to make batteries is 50 times greater than the energy they giv... |
Batteries (button cell)
These are used in digital watches, hearing aids and cameras, for example. Most a... |
Batteries (car)
Both the lead and acid can be re-used with care. Car batteries are the only batt... |
Batteries (mobile phone)
see Mobile phones... |
Bedding
Clean items that are in good condition are welcomed by most charity shops. Item... |
Beds (see Furniture)
... |
Bicycles
Bikes are relatively easy to repair and can be sold even if in poor condition. ... |
Books
There are lots of options for re-using and extending the life of old books. You... |
Boots & Wellingtons (see Shoes)
... |
Bottles - glass & plastic
Glass bottles can be recycled at most centres and plastic bottles are collected ... |
Brushes
The Wuppertal Institute calculates the amount of waste generated in producing a ... |
Building materials
Think before you buy - can you use scrap material or cast-offs which you have st... |
Burning (See Dioxin)
Burning untreated wood and garden brush do little damage (though the smoke and s... |
Buttons & buckles
Ask in charity shops if they accept them, or find out if your local school can u... |
Cans
Cans are generally made of aluminium or steel, and both can be recycled at Recyc... |
Cans (aluminium)
Aluminium cans make up 60% of the drinks cans sold in the UK. They are easy to r... |
Cans (steel - also known as ferrous cans)
Steel cans have a much smaller recycling value than their aluminium counterpart.... |
Car / engine oil
Every year in Scotland there are over 500 recorded water-pollution incidents cau... |
Card / Cardboard
Re-use cardboard as much as possible, e.g. using boxes for storage, posting parc... |
Cards (postcards, greetings cards)
Birthday and Christmas cards can be useful for handicrafts (e.g. gift tags, cale... |
Carpets
Carpets in good condition may be sold at auction or through ads in the local pre... |
Cars
Adverts in the local press and auctions are options for selling cars. The End o... |
Cars batteries (see Batteries)
... |
Cartons/Tetra Pak
Tetra Pak Recycling
Any drinks cartons are recyclable! There is now a carton co... |
CDs, DVDs, tapes, records and videos
If in good condition or special in some way, you may be able to sell them second... |
Chemicals (see hazardous waste)
... |
Christmas
In Scotland we create an estimated 1.5 million tonnes of waste over Christmas an... |
Christmas trees
There are many types of Christmas tree ranging from the traditional cut spruce t... |
Cleaning Products (see also Hazardous Waste)
Many cleaning products consist of hazardous waste, so try to use alternative pro... |
Cling film
Cling film by its nature is harder to re-use than other means of protecting food... |
Clothes / Textiles
Clothes in good condition can always be passed on to friends/family or donated t... |
Cloths
Try to avoid disposable cloths – it’s possible to clean even really dirty cl... |
Coffee
Old coffee grounds can be composted or used as a mulch, or the beans can be put ... |
Coins
Old and foreign coins can be of value to collectors – if you have a sizable co... |
Comics
Re-use, either by donating to charity shops or hospitals. If in good condition,... |
Composting
An estimated 60% of household waste is organic material. Much of this may be re... |
Computer printer ribbons, inkjet cartridges, laser toner cartridges
Its easy to refill printer cartridges take (needleless)syringe and printer ink a... |
Computers
The Wuppertal Institute calculates the amount of waste generated in the producti... |
Cooking oil
This can be saved in jars and re-used for cooking. It may also be possible to us... |
Corks
Every year around ten billion corks are used as bottle stoppers, but few are re-... |
Crockery and cutlery
Most charity shops will take crockery and cutlery if they are in reasonable cond... |
Cups - disposable plastic
Try to avoid them whenever possible, using instead ceramic or porcelain cups. I... |
Dioxins
Dioxins are one of the most toxic chemicals ever made and are known to cause can... |
Disposable nappies (see Nappies)
... |
DIY equipment
If tools are in good condition, it may be possible to sell them through an adver... |
Dog waste (see Animal litter)
... |
Egg boxes
They can be re-used – investigate shops near you where you can return egg boxe... |
Egg Shells
Egg shells are lime-rich and can be composted. If broken down they can be used ... |
Electrical appliances
It is always worth investigating getting broken appliances repaired. Electrical ... |
Envelopes
Envelopes tend to be made from relatively robust paper and can withstand severa... |
Fabric (see Clothing / textiles
... |
Feathers
Feathers can be composted; they are full of protein and will add valuable nitrog... |
Film containers
Boots will take them for re-use, so make the most of this plastic waste facility... |
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers contain chemicals that can cause explosions if not disposed o... |
Fireworks
Unwanted fireworks should be taken to your local police station for safe disposa... |
Flower pots
Can be returned to some garden centres for re-use. If broken they can be placed ... |
Food Waste
Vegetable waste can be composted. However meat, fish and much cooked waste are b... |
Fridges & Freezers
Since it was discovered that the coolant chemicals used in fridges were contribu... |
Furniture
Furniture in good condition may be passed on to friends, sold either at auction,... |
Games
As long as in good condition, most charity shops generally accept games. ... |
Garden tools & equipment
Advertise in local shops or press, or consider donating them to charitable organ... |
Garden waste
Much of this can be composted, so it is not waste but a valuable resource for th... |
Gas Cylinders
Empty Calor gas cylinders are not waste, they remain the property of the issuing... |
Gas cylinders - camping/small ones
Once empty, small gas cylinders can be put in the rubbish bin. If the cylinder i... |
Glass
Common glass is made from sand, limestone, soda ash (made from salt) and old gla... |
Glasses (spectacles)
Spectacles can be taken to Boots Opticians, which sends them to communities in d... |
Grass (see Garden Waste and Composting)
... |
Greenhouse (from recycled bottles) – see Bottles
... |
Hair
For anyone who does home hair-dressing or is wondering what to do with hair from... |
Hazardous waste (see Car / engine oil, Paint, Cleaning products)
There are many types of household hazardous waste which we may all be familiar w... |
Hearing Aids
Send any working, unwanted hearing aids to the HearingAid Appeal (Help the Aged)... |
Hypodermic needles
Take them to a local hospital, which should be able to arrange for disposal or i... |
Jars (see Glass)
... |
Jewellery
You may be able to sell your jewellery or donate it to charity shops or playgrou... |
Keys
Recycle them as scrap metal - see scrap metal.... |
Kitchen Waste (see Food Waste)
... |
Leaves (see Garden waste)
... |
Light bulbs
As light bulbs are made from both glass and metal, it is hard to recycle the mat... |
Litter, dumping and fly tipping
It cost £2.25 million per year to keep the Highland’s streets clean in 2002. ... |
Magazines
Hand them on to friends and family or donate them to a medical surgery. Brightl... |
Medicine & tablets
Medicine bottles and unfinished medication can be returned to the dispensing che... |
Metal (see Scrap metal)
... |
Milk bottles
Milk delivered in glass bottles is a fantastic re-use system, although sadly suc... |
Mobile Phones
The Wuppertal Institute calculates that the amount of waste generated in produci... |
Motor oil (see Car / engine oil)
... |
Musical instruments / sheet music
Offer unwanted sheet music to local school-music departments or music teachers. ... |
Nappies
Some sobering facts: the plastics in disposable nappies may take hundreds of yea... |
Needles (see hypodermic)
... |
Newspaper (see Paper)
... |
Office – greening the office
While at present the Highland Council is not able to offer collection services f... |
Office furniture
Sell office furniture through adverts or auction rooms, or consider donating it ... |
Office paper (see Paper)
... |
Oil (see Car / engine oil, Cooking oil)
... |
Organic waste (see Garden waste, Food waste, Compost)
... |
Packaging
This is a large part of what we throw away. Figures vary from one-third to one-s... |
Paint
Household paints are one of the most common household hazardous materials. Pain... |
Paint
Unwanted tins of paint can be given to Newstart... |
Paper
Paper can be recycled at Recycling Centres (including Inverness). At present, it... |
Pet Waste (see Animal litter)
... |
Petrol
Unused petrol or diesel should be returned to a garage.... |
Phones (see Mobile Phones)
... |
Photocopier cartridges (see Computer - printer ribbons,inkjet cartridges, laser toner cartridges)
... |
Plastic (see also Polystyrene)
Plastics account for 10% by weight of household waste, and occupy about 20-30% o... |
Plastic Carrier Bags
Many of you will be aware of plastic carrier-bag recycling schemes operated by s... |
Polystyrene
A variety of items are made from polystyrene, including fast-food containers, ve... |
Pots and pans
As with other household items, they can be donated to charity or even sold if in... |
Printed circuit boards
Specialist Metal Services Ltd recycles printed circuit boards, plugs, sockets, c... |
Records (see CDS, DVDS, tapes, records and videos)
... |
Sanitary products
It takes a tampon six months to biodegrade while a plastic sanitary towel liner ... |
Scrap metal
Scrap metal is collected at civic amenity sites in this area, and is then sent o... |
Shoes
Investigate repairs - see yellow pages for contacts. Shoes in reasonable qualit... |
Soap & Shampoo
Shampoo bottles can pose a problem to recyclers due to contamination from the or... |
Spectacles (see Glasses – spectacles)
... |
Stamps
Many charities (Guide Dogs for the Blind, Oxfam, Leprosy Mission etc) collect ol... |
Stereo Equipment
It's always worth investigating repairs, and even head cleaners for tape and CD ... |
Tape (see CDS, DVDS, tapes, records and videos)
... |
Tea
Tea in bags or loose can be added to compost or wormeries, or used directly as c... |
Telephone directories
White pages can be recycled in paper banks. Yellow pages should be placed in ded... |
Telephones (see also Mobile phones)
Donate to charity through charity shops or other organisations... |
Televisions
Televisions are now recycled at Dingwall & Alness recycling centres. Newstart ta... |
Textiles (see Clothes / Textiles)
... |
Tights
Although a small item, large numbers are sold around the world. Nylon is a synt... |
Tin cans (See Cans - steel)
... |
Toilet roll tubes / kitchen role tubes
Rip up the cardboard and add to compost.
Use to make biodegradable seedling p... |
Toner cartridges (see Computer– printer ribbons, inkjet cartridges, laser toner cartridges)
... |
Tools
Investigate resharpening and repairing tools. Tools can be sold - advertise loca... |
Trees (See Wood, Christmas trees)
There are a range of uses of unwanted trees. If freshly dug with roots intact, p... |
Tyres
The Landfill Directive bans whole and shredded tyres from landfill (from July 20... |
Unwanted Mail
Reduce the amount of unwanted mail that you receive by contacting the Mailing Pr... |
Videos (see CDS, DVDS, tapes, records and videos)
... |
Wax
Old candle wax, or wax coating from cheeses can be melted down (e.g. in a steel ... |
Wood
Doors, fencing etc. in good condition may be sold on through advertising in loca... |
Yellow pages
Yellow pages should be placed in dedicated collection banks (available in some A... |
Yoghurt pots
Reuse your yoghurt pots as plant pots, bird feeders, storage container, desk tid... |
Zips
Zips can be rescued for reuse from clothing destined to become rags, so that the... |
