A to Z of rubbish and recycling
Check what to do with items that you want to get rid of.
If you cannot find an item in this list, check:
Animal bedding
Put animal bedding in your black rubbish bin.
Asbestos
Contact the City of London hazardous waste service to arrange a collection. You must do this as soon as possible to avoid the breakdown and dispersal of the asbestos.
Batteries (household like AA or AAA batteries)
You can take household batteries to:
- any shop that sells a large amount of batteries, like supermarkets
- Household Reuse and Recycling Centre
- Kingston, Hook, New Malden or Tolworth library
Bedding, blankets and sheets
Donate to a charity shop if they’re in good condition, or take damaged ones to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. You can also book a free charity collection from your address.
Books
Donate books in good condition to a charity shop. You can book a free charity collection from your address.
Take damaged books to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Bottle tops (metal, foil and plastic)
Put in your green recycling bin or box separate from the bottle.
Bricks and building rubble (including DIY)
Take small amounts of brick and building rubble to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Large amounts will need to be removed from your home by a commercial waste collection or skip hire company.
Work done by builders and other professionals
Building rubble is counted as commercial waste if the work has been done by a professional.
We cannot accept any commercial waste at the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Bubble wrap
Bubble wrap is not recyclable. Reuse it if you can or put it in your black rubbish bin.
Take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Bulky waste
Take bulky items like furniture or white goods to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre or book a bulky waste collection.
Car batteries
Take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Card and cardboard
Recycle in your blue lid paper and cardboard bin.
If the cardboard has food residue on it or is very wet or oily, it cannot be recycled. Put it in your black rubbish bin.
Carpet
Small amounts of carpet can be taken to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Cartons for food and drink (Tetra Pak)
Cartons for liquids like juice and soup can be recycled in your green recycling box or bin. Make sure you rinse them first.
CDs
Some charity shops take CDs as donations.
You can also put them in your black rubbish bin or take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Chemicals
Hazardous waste can be collected by the City of London hazardous waste service.
China plates, crockery and ornaments
Donate good quality items to charity shops.
A couple of broken items can go in your black rubbish bin. Take large amounts of broken crockery to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Clinical waste (like needles)
Arrange a special collection for clinical waste. Do not put clinical waste in your rubbish or recycling.
Clothes and shoes
Donate items in good condition to friends, family members, or charity shops. You can book a free charity collection from your doorstep.
Coat hangers
Reuse them where possible and put them in your black rubbish bin if you no longer need them. Take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Coffee
Put coffee grounds in your food waste bin. For coffee pods used in coffee machines (like Nespresso), you can now recycle these at the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. Visit the Podback website for more information.
DIY waste
Some waste from the renovation of your home can be taken to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. You must have done the work yourself, otherwise, it is counted as commercial waste.
Duvets
Donate to a charity shop if they’re in good condition. Take duvets in poor condition to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
DVDs
Some charity shops take DVDs as donations.
You can also put them in your black rubbish bin or take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Electrical appliances
If the items still work, take them to a charity shop or the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. You can also book a free charity collection from your address for small electricals.
If the items are large you can book a bulky waste collection.
Engine oil
Take engine oil to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Envelopes
Recycle paper envelopes in your blue lid paper and cardboard bin. You do not need to remove any plastic windows.
If the envelope contains bubble wrap, reuse it if you can or put it in your black rubbish bin.
Flowers (cut)
Put in your food waste bin or your garden waste bin if you have one.
Flower pots
Plastic flower pots are not recyclable in Kingston. Put them in your black rubbish bin or take large ones to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Food waste
Recycle food waste from your home every week in your food waste bin. No food waste should go into your black rubbish bin.
Furniture
Book a bulky waste collection to get furniture in any condition collected from your home.
Good condition
Take furniture in good condition to a charity shop that accepts furniture. Some charity shops will collect furniture from your home.
Broken or stained
If the furniture cannot be reused, take it to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Garden waste
Garden waste cannot be put in your black rubbish bin or your food waste bin.
You can:
- subscribe to the garden waste collection service
- compost at home
- take it to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre
Glass bottles and jars
Put glass jars and bottles in your green recycling box or bin.
Do not put broken glass in your recycling. Wrap it in paper or carrier bags and put it in your black rubbish bin.
Kitchen roll
Put it in your black rubbish bin. Do not put it in your food waste bin.
Light bulbs
Fluorescent or gas-filled light bulbs
Take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre or find a local retailer that accepts fluorescent or gas-filled light bulbs.
Filament bulbs
Wrap in newspaper and put it in your black rubbish bin.
LED lightbulbs
Take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre or find a local retailer that accepts LED lightbullbs.
Mattress
You can:
- use the Kingston Community Furniture mattress recycling service
- book a bulky waste collection
- take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre
Metals
In your green recycling bin or box you can put:
- food and drink cans and tins
- aerosol containers
- metal jar lids
- foil
You cannot recycle other metals from home. Take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Paint
Water-based
Leave to dry out with the lid off then take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre for disposal.
Oil-based
We cannot recycle or dispose of this. Contact the City of London hazardous waste service to arrange a collection.
Paper
Put paper, card and cardboard in your blue lid paper and cardboard bin or clear sack. Remove any plastic packaging around magazines or junk mail.
Put tissue paper and wet or oily paper in your black rubbish bin.
Pillows
Donate to a charity shop if they are in good condition. If not, take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Plastic bags
You can:
- reuse plastic bags at home
- check where you can recycle plastic bags
- put them in your black rubbish bin
Plastic film and wrapping
We cannot accept plastic film in your household recycling. This includes:
- cling film
- salad bags
- magazine wrapping
- film lids (like from meat packaging)
- crisp packets
- bubblewrap
You can check where you can recycle plastic film and wrapping or put in your black rubbish bin.
Plastic bottles, tubs and trays
Plastic containers for most food, drink, cleaning and cosmetics products can be recycled in your green recycling bin or box.
This includes:
- meat trays (except polystyrene ones)
- fruit and vegetable trays
- yoghurt pots
- trays for cheese or cold meats
- drinks bottles
- shampoo bottles
- cleaning product bottles
Remove any film or sheets of padding at the bottom and rinse off any remaining bits of food.
Black plastic
Black plastic can go into your recycling box or bin. Ignore any messages, numbers or coding on the packaging (like LDPRE or PET) about whether it can be recycled or not.
Plastic toys, tools and equipment
Take hard plastics to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre, including:
- toys
- kitchen utensils
- coat hangers
- Tupperware
- garden furniture
- washing up bowls
Do not try to recycle in your green recycling bin or box at your home.
Polystyrene
Put small amounts in your black rubbish bin.
Take large amounts (like packaging for large electrical items and white goods) to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Shredded paper
Recycle this in your blue lid paper and cardboard bin. Take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Shoes
Donate shoes in good condition to a charity shop. You can book a free charity collection from your address.
Take damaged shoes to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Takeaway containers
Recycle plastic and aluminium containers in your green recycling bin or box.
Tins and cans
Rinse and put in your green recycling bin or box. Put large tins like biscuit tins in your black rubbish bin.
Tissue and kitchen towel
Put it in your black rubbish bin. Do not put it in your green recycling bin or box or food waste bin.
Towels
Donate them to a charity shop if they’re in good condition, or take damaged ones to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. You can also book a free charity collection from your address.
Wood
Wood cannot go in your bins. Take it to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.