Last updated: 27 August 2024
Next review: 27 August 2025
Use the index below to find out what we pick up as part of your household bin collection service, and how you can get rid of the things we don’t collect from the kerbside. If you don't find what you are looking for please complete a Waste Enquiry form
- green recycling: should be placed your green wheelie bin, green communal recycling bin or green recycling sack (depending on the type of property you live in).
- food and garden waste: should be placed in your brown wheelie bin or communal food waste bin (food items only).
- black bin: is not recyclable and should be placed in your black wheelie bin, communal refuse bin or general refuse sacks.
Other items may be suitable for a large item collection or disposing of at a local waste and recycling centre.
This is for residential waste only. Businesses and landlords must use trade waste contractors.
A
- Aerosol: green recycling
- Aftershave bottles: green recycling bin
- Aluminium cans and foil: green recycling
- Aluminium foil: clean food trays and clean foil wrapping in the green recycling bin
- Appliances: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Asbestos: cement bonded asbestos can be accepted at Hornsey Street HWRC in Islington. Asbestos must be pre-booked before being dropped off at the site.
B
- Baby food pouches: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Batteries: placed inside a regular plastic or carrier bag left on top of your two-wheeled bin on your collection day. You can also take them to Waltham Forest libraries or to a local waste and recycling centre
- Beds: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Bike recycling: bikes can be taken to local waste and recycling centres or directly to our second time around shop at Kings Road Reuse and Recycling Centre
- Bicycle inner tubes and bicycle tyres: cannot be recycled at home, but there are lots of recycling points you can take them to. They are part of a scheme called Velorim. Just search on the Velorim website to find one near you.
- Biscuit and chocolate wrappers: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Black food trays: green recycling bin
- Blister packs: recyclable at the Berwickwy Walthamstow Superdrug Pharmacy under the Superdrug medicine packet recycling programme.
- Boiler: can be taken to local waste and recycling centre to dispose of or it can be collected through the 'Premium service' of the large item collection service
- Bones: brown food and garden waste
- Books: if in good condition take to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre
- Bottle tops: green recycling. Please unscrew and place in bin separately. Tops from milk, fizzy drinks, beer, wine are all accepted
- Bottles: plastic and glass bottles in the green recycling bin
- Bricks from domestic DIY only: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Broken glass: small amounts such as broken bottles or drinking glasses can be safely wrapped in newspaper and placed in your black refuse bin, otherwise take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Bubble wrap: Black bin
- Building materials (domestic only): take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Business waste: how to dispose of trade waste
C
- Car batteries or parts: take to local waste and recycling centre.
- Cables: Computer cables, chargers, electrical: If the item is not reusable, you can recycle it. Anything with a plug, battery or cable can be recycled at a local waste and recycling centre
- Cardboard: green recycling
- Carpet recycling (Carpets can only be accepted at South Access Road Recycling Centre and Gateway Road not Kings Road this is because carpets are accepted as general waste and Kings Road is a reuse and recycling centre only./ underlay: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Carrier bags: reuse them as much as possible in the first instance, and try to use reusable bags instead. Please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Cat litter: black bin
- Cat poo: black bin
- Cat food pouches: black bin
- CDs/DVDs: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Cassettes and videos: black bin
- Ceramics: if in good condition please take to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre
- Cereal liners: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Cheese wrapping: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Chemicals: hazardous waste, please arrange a hazardous waste collection
- Christmas trees: take to a local waste and recycling centre or if you have a kerbside brown bin collection, leave next to your brown bin on your collection day. You can also arrange a large item collection.
- Christmas decorations: decorations that are in good condition could be sold or donated for reuse or to charity. If the items are not reusable, they can be disposed of in your black bin.
- Cling film: black bin
- Clinical waste: arrange a clinical waste collection
- Clothing: if in good condition please take to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre
- Coat hangers: take to a local charity shop for re-use
- Compostable coffee cup: Black bin please check individual company website for advice if the cup can be composted at home
- Computers: small computers take to a public electric recycling bank, larger computers take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Coffee cups: black bin
- Coffee filters: black bin
- Coffee pods
- Compostable card takeaway containers: black bin
- Compostable plastic, bioplastic, biodegradable plastic: black bin
- Computers: keyboards or monitors take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Concrete domestic DIY only: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Cooking oil: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Cotton wool: black bin
- Creosote: can be collected by the City of London
- Crisp packets and sweet wrappers: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Crockery: if in good condition please take to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre
D
- Dairy products: Solid dairy products can go in the food waste bin but nothing liquid, like milk.
- Dead animals: report a dead animal
- Delivery bags: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Detergent pouches: Please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Diesel: arrange a hazardous waste collection
- Disposable nappies: black bin
- Disposable coffee cups: The inner lining of coffee cups is made from a mixture of paper and plastic and cannot be recycled at home. There are some coffee cup recycling schemes available in some coffee shops, or alternatively dispose in the in the black bin
- Disposable plastic cups: When made from only one type of material can be recycled. Please empty, rinse them and remember to remove the plastic straw since these are not recyclable.
- DIY waste domestic only: please take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Dog poo: black bin
- Doors: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Drink cartons: green recycling
- DVDs/CDs/videos: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- DVD Cases: black bin
E
- Egg cartons: green recycling bin
- Egg shells: brown food and garden waste
- Electric cables: take to a grey electrical bring bank or to a local waste and recycling centre
- Electrical items (small): take to a grey electrical bring bank or to a local waste and recycling centre or if you have two-wheeled bins place these items in a carrier bag on top of the two-wheeled bins to be collected by the collection crew on your collection day
- Electrical items (large): arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Energy saving light bulbs: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Engine oil: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Envelopes: green recycling (with plastic windows torn out)
- Expanded polystyrene: The kind of sturdy packaging material that is used to protect products such as large electrical appliances. It is not the same as the type of polystyrene used to make takeaway container, take to a local waste and recycling centre
F
- Face masks: black bin
- Face cream jars: empty glass jars in the green recycling bin
- Fencing: wooden fencing panels, take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Fibreglass loft insulation: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Fish: brown food and garden waste
- Fish tank: if in good condition please to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre
- Fish wrapping: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Flowers: brown food and garden waste
- Fluorescent light tubes: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Foil: green recycling
- Foil trays: can be recycled as long as it does not have any food residue or grease on or in it.
- Food waste: brown food and garden waste
- Food and drink cartons: green recycling
- Frozen food bags: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Fridge / freezers: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Fruit net packaging: black bin
- Frying pans: if in good condition take to a charity shop, if not, place in your black bin or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Furniture: arrange a large item collection for this item
G
- Garden chemicals: arrange a hazardous waste collection
- Garden waste: brown food and garden waste
- Gas bottles: take to a local waste and recycling centre
(Contact the manufacturer first to see if they are able to take back the item for refilling or disposal. One gas bottle up to 15kg in size, either propane or butane will be accepted per resident at the site.) - Glass bottles and jars: green recycling
- Glasses: Some opticians and charity shops will accept old glasses for repair and shipment to developing countries.
- Gloves (rubber): black bin
- Grass: brown food and garden waste
H
- Hand sanitiser bottle: Empty and rinse well, labels can be left on, green recycle bin
- Hardcore and rubble: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Hay: brown food and garden waste
- Hedge trimmings: brown food and garden waste
- Household batteries: placed inside a regular plastic or carrier bag left on top of your brown bin on your collection day. You can also take them to Waltham Forest libraries or to a local waste and recycling centre
- Household chemicals: arrange a hazardous waste collection
- Household plants: brown bin, plant only no soil
I
- Irons: placed in a carrier bag on top of your green recycling bin
- Incontinence pads: black bin, double bagged, to reduce spillage
- Inhalers: should be taken to a pharmacy to be safely disposed of
- Ink cartridges: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Irons: placed in a carrier bag on top of your green recycling bin
J
- Japanese Knotweed: or any soil that has been near Japanese knotweed must not be placed in any of our bins. Please read advice from the Environment Agency on how to dispose of Japanese knotweed safely and legally
- Jars: washed and empty, green recycling bin
K
- Kettles: placed in a carrier bag on top of your green recycling bin
- Kitchen Towel Roll: black bin
- Keys: metal, take to a local waste and recycling centre
L
- Lateral flow tests: put all of the items from the test, and the plastic packaging into the small waste bag provided with the kit, and then put it in your black bin
- Leaves: brown food and garden waste
- Light bulbs: if they are energy saving take them to your local waste and recycling centre. If they are ordinary bulbs please dispose of them in the black bin
- Lithium batteries: take to your local waste and recycling centre.
M
- Mattress: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Magazines: green recycling bin
- Make up: Foundation bottles (including plastic jars, tins etc) can be put in your green recycling if emptied and rinsed out. Used-up make up brushes should go in the general waste bin.
- Metal: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Microwaves: arrange an electrical item collection take the item to one of the 3 reuse and recycling centres in the borough
- Mirrors: if in good condition please take them to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre
- Mobile phones: can be placed in a local grey electrical recycling bank or taken to a local waste and recycling centre
- Monitors: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Multi-pack wrapping: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
N
- Nail varnish bottles: black bin
- Nappies (disposable): black bin. To switch to reusable, washable cloth nappies visit Real Nappies for London and claim your free voucher worth £70
- Nappies (eco/biodegradable): black bin. These cannot be composted in your brown bin. To switch to reusable, washable cloth nappies visit Real Nappies for London and claim your free voucher worth £70
- Needles: arrange a clinical waste collection
- Newspaper: green recycling bin
O
- Oil: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Organic waste: Please make sure you do not add plastic bags, soil, turf, stones, rubble, plant pots, painted/treated wood, animal faeces, animal litter, food waste, logs over 30cm in diameter or 2m in length, or any invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed in the brown bin
P
- Paint: take to a local waste and recycling centre so that it can be reused via the Forest Recycling Project. Leftover paint is also available for residents to take away for free from waste and recycling centres in the brought.
- Paint stripper: arrange a hazardous waste collection
- Paper: green recycling
- Paper Towels: black bin
- Paraffin: arrange a hazardous waste collection
- Pasta wrapping: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Paving stones (domestic DIY only): take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Pesticides: arrange a hazardous waste collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Pet food pouches: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Petrol: arrange a hazardous waste collection
- Phones: can be placed in a local grey electrical recycling bank or taken to a local waste and recycling centre
- Photographs: black bin
- Pizza Boxes: if greasy or stained with foods then it must be placed in the black bin. Otherwise it is green recycling.
- Plants (small): brown food and garden waste
- Plant Pots: local waste and recycling centre or black bin
- Plasterboard: local waste and recycling centre
- Plastic Tubs: i.e cosmetic tub: green recycling bin
- Plastic food packaging: Plastic bags which hold things like bread, potatoes or salad cannot be recycled at home. Please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Plastic bags and magazine wrapping: reuse plastic bags as much as possible in the first instance, and try to use reusable bags instead. Please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator . Magazine wrapping cannot be recycled. Please put it in your general waste bin.
- Plastic bottles: green recycling
- Plastic cups and straws: green recycling:
- Plastic drinks packaging: green recycling
- Plastic film lids: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Plastic lids: please unscrew and place in the green recycling
- Polystyrene and foam: black bin
- Pots and pans: if in good condition please take to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre, or put in your black bin
- Prams or buggies: local waste and recycling centre
- Printers: local waste and recycling centre
- Printer cartridges: place in a carrier bag on top of your green recycling bin. For communal blocks/flats please take to your local waste and recycling centre
- Prunings: brown food and garden waste
R
- Radiators: local waste and recycling centre
- Rioce bags: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Rubble / hardcore: local waste and recycling centre
- Rugs: local waste and recycling centre
S
- Sandwich packets: Paper or card sandwich packets can be recycled as long as they don't have lots of food stuck to them. Please ideally remove the plastic window before putting into your green recycling bin.
- Salad bags: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Sanitary towels: black bin, double bagged, to reduce spillage
- Sanitiser (hand sanitiser- plastic bottle): green recycling
- Scrap metal: local waste and recycling centre
- Sharps: arrange a clinical waste collection
- Shelves: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Shredded paper: green recycling
- Small electrical items
- Sofa / suite: arrange a large item collection
- Soil: take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Suitcase: if in good condition please to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre
T
- Tetra Pak: green recycling
- Textiles and shoes: local textiles recycling bank or take to a local waste and recycling centre or if you have two wheeled bins place these items in a carrier bag on top of the two wheeled bins to be collected by the collection crew
- Tins, cans and foil: green recycling
- Timber: local waste and recycling centre
- Tins (biscuits/sweets): green recycling
- Tissues: black bin
- Toilet roll wrapping: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
- Trade waste: how to dispose of trade waste
- Trimmings: brown food and garden waste
- Trigger Sprays: green recycling, please separate in to 2 parts if possible
- TVs: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Twigs: brown food and garden waste
- Tyres: try your local garage (they will sometimes dispose for a small fee)
U
- Underlay / carpet: local waste and recycling centre
V
- Vacuum cleaner: if in good condition please take to a charity shop, arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Vapes: Vapes cannot go in your rubbish or recycling bin. Like anything with a battery, cable or plug, vapes can and should be recycled. This is the same for all single-use vapes, rechargeable vapes and those that are rechargeable with a single-use chamber. You can recycle vapes at any north London reuse and recycling centre or use a take back-scheme. Refer to this Vape Recycling Guide for further advice
- Vegware: black bin or check with the individual company website for advice if the vegware can be composted at home
- Videos/DVDs/CDs: local waste and recycling centre
W
- Wardrobes: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Waste enquiry form
- Weeds: brown bin food and garden waste
- Wet wipes: black bin
- White goods: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Wood (from trees): brown bin food and garden waste
- Wood (treated wood) - take to a local waste and recycling centre
- Wood shavings: brown bin food and garden waste
Y
- Yoghurt pots: Please just give them a quick rinse to make sure there is no food left inside. Remove film lids and any cardboard packaging but labels can be left on and place in the green recycling bin
More information
If we haven't listed an item you want to get rid of, try the Wise up to Waste A to Z.
You may also be able to take reusable items to a charity shop or list them with the Waltham Forest Freecycle group.