Reuse and recycling A-Z
For more information on what waste can and can't be recycled, see our table below.
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Please do not bag your recycling in black sacks or carrier bags. We must be able to see the contents. Please wash and squash food packaging, where practical, before placing the items loose in your recycling bin. For a full A-Z list, please download the A to Z of Reuse and Recycling (PDF) [160KB] .
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cans | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Please rinse these out before you put them in your bin. |
Cardboard boxes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Cardboard boxes can go in your recycling bin. Large cardboard boxes can be flattened and placed next to your recycling bin or you can take them to the household waste recycling centres. Please make sure cardboard is dry, we cannot recycle wet cardboard. |
Cards | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Some supermarkets will recycle Christmas cards for a short time after Christmas. Cards with decorative glitter, glue, ribbons/bows or musical attachments cannot be recycled in your blue lidded recycling bin. |
Carpets | No | No | No | Yes | No | |
Carrier bags | No | No | No | No | Compostable carrier bags only | Plastic carrier bags cannot be placed in the recycling bin. Most carrier bags can be recycled at your local supermarket or reused when you go shopping. |
Cartons (cardboard eg Tetra Pak) | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Please wash and squash cartons and replace any lids. |
Catalogues | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | You can find out how to opt out of unwanted catalogues on our Stop junk mail page. |
CDs and DVDs | No | No | No | Yes | No | Discs cannot be recycled and go in your general rubbish bin. You could also donate them to your local charity shop or give them to a friend. |
Cereal boxes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Cereal boxes can be recycled but the plastic bag in the box can't. You should put this in the general rubbish bin. |
Ceramics | No | No | No | Yes | No | If they are in good condition why not give them to your local charity shop. |
China plates and ornaments | No | No | No | No | No | If it is in good condition why not donate it to a local charity shop? |
Cling film | No | No | No | No | No | Cling film goes in your rubbish bin. |
Clothing | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Clothes can be donated to a local charity shop, clothing banks; sell online or give to family/friends. |
Coffee pods | No | No | Yes | Yes - some, not all | No | Horden, Potterhouse, Tudhoe and Stainton Grove tips accept coffee pods. These cannot be recycled in your household bin. |
Cooking oil | No | No | No | Yes | No | Please do not pour cooking oil down the sink, toilet or drain. |
Corks (synthetics/plastic) | No | No | No | No | No | These go in your rubbish bin. |
Crisp packets | No | No | No | No | No | These go in your rubbish bin. |
Curtains | No | No | No | No | No | Donate to local charity shops/clothing banks; sell online or give to family/friends. |
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Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fabric | No | No | No | No | No | Reuse for dusters/cleaning cloths. Upcycle into clothing/cushion covers etc. |
Face masks | No | No | No | No | No | Disposable face masks should be placed in the rubbish bin as they cannot be recycled. Reusable face masks can be washed and reused many times. At the end of their life, if they are cotton, they can be composted at home or placed in the rubbish bin. |
Foil | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Foil can only be recycled if it is clean. Please remove food residue. |
Food packaging | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Clean plastic food tubs, polystyrene, shrink wrap, cling film and Polythene tubs can be recycled. |
Food tins | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Please rinse and remove food residue before recycling. |
Food waste | No | No | No | No | Yes | Vegetable peelings and fruit only. No cooked food, meat or dairy. |
Fridges or freezers | No | No | No | Yes | No | Fridges and freezers in good working order can be donated to a furniture reuse scheme. If they are broken they can be collected as part of the Book a bulky waste (large items) collection. |
Furniture | No | No | No | Yes | No | Furniture in good condition can be donated to a furniture reuse scheme. If it is unsuitable it can be collected as part of the Book a bulky waste (large items) collection |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Garden waste | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | This goes in your garden waste bin if you have subscribed to the scheme. To sign up see our Garden waste collections page. |
Glass (broken) | No | No | No | No | No | Please wrap the glass and put it in your rubbish bin. |
Glass (panes) | No | No | No | No | No | This glass is different to glass bottles and must be taken to your household waste recycling centre (tip). |
Glass (bottles and jars) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Please wash bottles and jars before recycling. Clean metal lids and caps can now be recycled in your recycling bin. If they are a mix of metal and other materials such as plastic, these should go in your rubbish bin. |
Gloves | No | No | No | No | No | Disposable gloves (personal protective equipment/PPE) should be placed in the rubbish bin as they cannot be recycled. |
Greaseproof/wax paper | No | No | No | No | No | This goes in your rubbish bin. |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hangers | No | No | No | No | No | These cannot be recycled but you can reuse them at home or donate them to a local charity shop or dry cleaners. Some supermarkets will recycle coat hangers. |
Hard plastics | No | No | No | Yes | No | Hard plastic items such as garden furniture, buckets, plant pots and children's toys cannot be put in the recycling bin. Please take these to your household waste recycling centre (tip). |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Juice cartons | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Please wash and squash cartons and replace lids before recycling. |
Juice bottles | Yes (plastic) | Yes (glass) | Yes (glass) | Yes (glass) | No | Please wash and squash the bottles and replace the lid before recycling. |
Junk mail | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | View our Stop junk mail to reduce your chance of receiving junk mail. |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laminated paper and cardboard | No | No | No | No | No | These items go in your rubbish bin. |
Letters | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes (shredded) | We recommend you shred personal details. Shredded paper can be composted or put in your rubbish bin. |
Lids (plastic) | Yes | No | No | No | No | Plastic lids can now be recycled. Please wash and squash cartons and plastic bottles and replace lids. Trigger sprays (like those on cleaning product bottles) can also now be recycled. Please wash and squash the bottle and replace the trigger spray. |
Lids (metal) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Clean metal lids and caps can now be recycled in your recycling bin. If they are a mix of metal and other materials such as plastic, these should go in your rubbish bin. |
Light bulbs | No | No | No | Yes | No | Light bulbs contain mercury, which is hazardous. These should be taken to a household waste recycling centre (tip) and not put in your rubbish or recycling bins. |
Loo roll tubes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Magazines | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | You can also donate magazines to doctors, dentists and hairdressers' waiting rooms. |
Margarine tubs | Yes | No | No | No | No | Please wash clean before recycling. You can also reuse tubs for storage. |
Mattresses | No | No | No | Yes | No | Mattresses can be collected as part of the Book a bulky waste (large items) collection or take them to a household waste recycling centre (tip). |
Medicine bottles | No | No | No | No | No | Empty medicine bottles go in your rubbish bin. Unfinished bottles should be returned to a chemist. |
Microwave ready meal containers | No | No | No | No | No | These go in your rubbish bin. |
Milk bottles | Yes (plastic) | Yes (glass) | Yes (glass) | Yes (glass) | No | Please wash and squash and replace the lid. |
Mirrors | No | No | No | No | No | Give mirrors to a furniture reuse scheme, take to your household waste recycling centre (tip) or Book a bulky waste (large items) collection. |
Mobile phones | No | No | No | Yes (HWRCs do not offer secure data removal or confidentiality of data, therefore it is your responsibility to ensure your data is removed before depositing any item for recycling or reuse. Items include electrical and mobile devices as well as paper documents). | No | Take to your local household waste recycling centre (tip) or donate them to a local charity shop or one of our small electrical recycling points. Small Electrical Recycling Points |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paint | No | No | No | Yes | No | Emulsion Paint (water based) can be disposed of at the household waste recycling centre in the general waste skip. Oil based paint can be disposed of by obtaining a Hazardous Waste Permit. |
Paper | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (shredded) | Shredded paper can be added to your compost bin. |
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) | No | No | No | No | No | See "Disposable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)". |
Pet waste | No | No | No | No | Yes (vegetarian pets only) | Waste from vegetarian animals can be safely composted. Waste from meat eating animals such as cats and dogs must be placed in your rubbish bin. |
Phone books | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
Photographs | No | No | No | No | Yes | Photographs go in your rubbish bin. |
Pillows | No | No | No | No | No | |
Pizza boxes (takeaway) | No | No | No | No | No | Put these in your rubbish bin. This is because the box is often contaminated with food and grease. |
Pizza boxes (supermarket) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | The cardboard outer can be recycled in your recycling bin. Put the polystyrene disc and plastic wrap in your rubbish bin. |
Plant pots | No | No | No | Yes | No | |
Plastic bags | No | No | No | No | No | Most carrier bags and polythene plastic wrap can be recycled at your local supermarket or used again when you go shopping. |
Plastic bottles | Yes | No | No | No | No | All empty, clean plastic bottles go in your recycling bin. Please wash and squash and replace the lid (except pumps). |
Plastic milk bottle tops | Yes | No | No | No | No | Please replace on clean empty bottles before recycling. |
Plastic pots, tubs and trays | Yes | No | No | No | No | Plastic tubs, trays and pots can be recycled but black food trays can't. Please rinse before recycling. |
Plastics (rigid) | No | No | No | Yes | No | Small hard plastics go in your rubbish bin. Large hard plastics can be taken to a household waste recycling centre (tip). |
Polystyrene | No | No | No | No | No | Polystyrene goes in your rubbish bin or to a household waste recycling centre (tip). |
Polythene (plastic wrapping) | No | No | No | No | No | Polythene (plastic wrapping) such as bread bags, fruit and vegetable bags, plastic-wrapped groceries, toilet-roll wrap, multi-pack shrink-wrap are not collected as part of your recycling service, but they can be recycled in the carrier bag collection points at the larger stores of most major supermarkets including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's. Check with your local supermarket. Alternatively, place polythene in rubbish bin along with cellophane such as confectionary box overwrap and CD overwrap. |
Postcards | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
Pots and pans | No | No | No | Yes | No | If they are in good condition why not donate them to a local charity shop? |
Pringle crisp tubes | No | No | No | No | No | |
Pyrex | No | No | No | No | No | Broken pyrex glass should be wrapped and put in the rubbish bin. Pyrex dishes in good condition can be donated to a charity shop. |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rubbish (household waste) | No | No | No | No | No | General waste should be separated and sorted into items that can be recycled or reused. If you take general waste to a household waste recycling centre (tip) you will be asked to separate your waste. |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Table cloths | No | No | Some banks are clothes only but some are textiles and accept blankets, sheets etc. | No | No | In clean/good condition, donate to local charities. Reuse for outdoor picnics. |
Takeaway food containers | Yes | No | No | Yes (aluminium) No (plastic) | No | Plastic and aluminium containers go in the recycling bin. Please rinse beforehand. Polystyrene containers go in the rubbish bin. |
Tea towels | No | No | Some banks are clothes only but some are textiles and accept blankets, sheets etc | No | No | In clean/good condition, donate to local charities. |
Telephone directories | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
Televisions | No | No | No | Yes | No | Televisions in good working order can be donated to a furniture reuse scheme. If it is unsuitable for the schemes it can be taken to the household waste recycling centre (tip) or you can arrange Book a bulky waste (large items) collection. |
Tetra Pak | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Please remove plastic lids and rinse before recycling. |
Textiles (clothing) | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Do not put clothes in the recycling bin. Donate to a charity shop. Donate bedding to a local animal rescue centre. Visit Clothes recycling for more tips. |
Tins | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Please rinse before recycling. |
Towels | No | No | Some banks are clothes only but some are textiles and accept blankets, sheets etc. | Yes in a textile bank | No | In clean/good condition, donate to local charities. Some animal charities will accept used duvets. |
Toys | No | No | No | Yes | No | Large broken plastic toys can be taken to your household waste recycling centre (tip) or you can arrange Book a bulky waste (large items) collection. If they are in good condition why not donate them to a local charity shop or to family and friends. Remember to remove and recycle batteries. |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unaddressed mail | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | See our tips on how to Stop junk mail. |
Underwear | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | In clean/good condition, donate bras, tights, lingerie and undergarments to local charities. |
Rubbish type | In your recycling bin? | In your recycling box? | At a Recycling bank? | At the tip? (Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)) | In your compost bin? | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wallpaper | No | No | No | No | No | Wallpaper should not be put in the recycling bin as we cannot recycle it. Please put it in your rubbish bin. New unused rolls can be donated to your local charity shop. |
Washing powder boxes (empty) | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Empty washing powder boxes can be recycled. Squash the box before recycling. |
Washing up liquid bottles | Yes | No | No | No | No | Please rinse before recycling. |
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) | No | No | No | Yes (HWRCs do not offer secure data removal or confidentiality of data, therefore it is your responsibility to ensure your data is removed before depositing any item for recycling or reuse. Items include electrical and mobile devices as well as paper documents.) | No | Electronic items in good working order can be donated to a furniture reuse scheme. If they are unsuitable they can be taken to a household waste recycling centre (tip) or you can arrange Book a bulky waste (large items) collection. |
Wine glasses (broken) | No | No | No | No | No | Broken wine glasses cannot be recycled and should be wrapped up and put in your rubbish bin. |
Wrapping paper | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Brown wrapping paper and plain wrapping paper (without glitter or foil) can be recycled. Foil and glitter based paper cannot be recycled and should be placed in your rubbish bin. |
- Email wasteaware@durham.gov.uk
- Telephone 03000 26 1000