Welcome to North Lincolnshire Council's A-Z of waste and recycling. Is there something you are about to throw away that you are wondering could be recycled? Use the alphabet below to navigate through the materials.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Acids – acids used at home can be hazardous. Acids can be deposited in the chemical stores at one of the Household Recycling Centres to ensure they are disposed of safely.
Remember – don't pour acids down the drain. If in doubt telephone our Customer Helpline on 01724 297000 or email wastemanagement@northlincs.gov.uk for advice.
Aerosols – aluminium and steel aerosols can't be recycled at the kerbside in your green box. But you can recycle your aerosols in one of the can banks around North Lincolnshire. Make sure that aerosols are completely empty before recycling them and never attempt to puncture, crush or burn an aerosol can!
Aluminium cans and foil – making an aluminium can from an old one uses 95 per cent less energy than manufacturing it from raw materials. Aluminium cans and clean aluminium foil can be recycled in your green kerbside recycling box. Or you can recycle your aluminium cans and foil in the can banks around North Lincolnshire. Visit our Recycling cans page for more facts and tips for recycling your aluminium cans and foil.
Asbestos – Asbestos from your household can be taken to Cottage Beck Road Household Recycling Centre. Vans and commercial type vehicles need a permit to access the Household Recycling Centres and we don't allow signwritten or hire vehicles onto the site. Please see Household Recycling Centres for more information. Cottage Beck Road will only accept asbestos from your household and it will not accept asbestos from trade or business premises. We do not offer a collection service for asbestos. Alternatively look in the telephone directory under asbestos removal if you cannot remove the waste yourself.
Asbestos is a hazardous substance and should always be handled with care. Where possible damp down large sheets and double bag broken pieces for transportation.
Ash – ash from a solid fuel fire cannot be recycled or composted. You will therefore be required to dispose of ash as general waste. Ashes should be placed into your green/grey bin. Wait until the ash has cooled before handling the ash. Do not put hot ash into your green/grey bin.
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Batteries – batteries contain heavy metals that are harmful to the environment. Following the introduction of the Batteries Directive in the UK, business who produce and sell batteries are now responsible for their collection and recycling.
You can now recycle your household batteries at each of the eight Household Recycling Centres. A separate container for collecting batteries will be available. All household battery types will be collected and recycled including both rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries and battery packs from electronic and electrical equipment.
Instead of buying disposable batteries why not buy rechargeable batteries as they are better for the environment.
Bedding and blankets – you can recycle unwanted bedding and blankets either in your Salvation Army collection bag at the kerbside or in one of the textile banks at locations across North Lincolnshire. Check out our recycling textiles page for more information. You could give unwanted bedding and blankets to your local charity shop. Please also see Quilts as these cannot be recycled at the kerbside. Even if you no longer want it, it could be recycled or reused.
Bicycles – if you have an unwanted bicycle, this can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres for recycling, or donate it to your local charity shop for reuse. Why not advertise it in your local newspaper or local shop?
Blue box – North Lincolnshire Council provides around 69,000 properties with a blue kerbside recycling boxes for the collection of paper. To find out more about the blue box collection service check out our Blue box page.
Books – Books are difficult to recycle due to the spine and the glue that holds them together. However, you can take unwanted books that are in good condition to your local charity shop. Damaged or worn books could be taken apart and recycled. If you separate the pages from the cover and spines, the pages can be recycled as paper in your blue kerbside box or in a paper bank and the cover as cardboard at one of the Household Recycling Centres. You can also take unwanted books to your local doctor's surgery or hospital for the waiting rooms.
Brita water filter cartridges – Brita have recently launched a new instore recycling scheme. Brita have situated recycling bins in high street stores such as Argos where the Brita products are sold. Please visit the Brita website to locate your nearest recycling point. Other water filter products are available however not all will be recyclable. Please check with individual manufacturers if their filters are recyclable.
Brown bin – North Lincolnshire Council provides around 65,000 properties with a brown wheeled bin for the collection of organic material. To find out more about the brown bin collection service check out our Brown Bin page.
Bulky items – the council runs a special collection service for bulky household items such as TVs and furniture. Each property is entitled to one free collection of up to three items in any financial year (1 April to 31 March). Additional collections can be provided but at a cost. Visit the bulky item collection page for more information and details of what can and cannot be collected.
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Cans – recycling aluminium and steel cans conserves raw materials used in their manufacture and also conserves energy. Aluminium and steel cans can be recycled in your green kerbside recycling box or in one of the yellow can banks around North Lincolnshire. Check out our recycling cans page for more information and ideas of the different cans that can be recycled.
Car batteries – car batteries can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres where they are collected for recycling. To find your nearest centre visit: Where can I recycle?.
Cardboard – From 3 September 2007 most residents will be able to recycle cardboard from the kerbside in their burgundy bin. Facilities to recycle cardboard also are provided at the eight Household Recycling Centres. Visit where can I recycle to find your nearest site.
Cards – greetings cards are sometimes difficult to recycle due to glitter, glue and other non-card items that can contaminate the recycling process. Greetings cards cannot be recycled as paper but can be recycled as cardboard at one of the Household Recycling Centres. In January each year the Woodland Trust conduct a Christmas card recycling scheme. This scheme can also accept other greetings cards as well as Christmas cards. Look out for our Christmas recycling pages between December and January for more information. Why not reuse your Christmas and greetings cards by making them into gift tags?
Carpets and rugs – good quality carpets can be donated to your local charity shop. If you cannot find a use or new home for your unwanted carpets, they can be taken the one of the Household Recycling Centres or collected on the Bulky item collection service. Carpets and rugs cannot be recycled and so would be disposed of as general waste. If your carpets and rugs are in a good condition, why not advertise them in your local paper or shop?
Carrier bags – only accept a carrier bag if you really need one. Carrier bags can be taken for recycling at some supermarkets across the region. Tesco Extra in Scunthorpe has a carrier bag recycling point just outside of the main doors and Sainsbury's supermarket in Scunthorpe has a point just inside the entrance.
Look out for incentives in your local supermarket for reusing carrier bags. Also look out for 'bags for life' that some supermarkets offer and will replace when worn.
CDs and DVDs - at present North Lincolnshire Council does not provide a recycling service for unwanted CDs and DVDs. Unfortunately companies who will recycle them are very few and far between, but it is possible. Your unwanted CDs, DVDs, cases and paper inserts will be recycled by separating and recovering the different materials used. The recovered materials will then be reused to create new products, for example new CDs, automotive parts, artificial wood material, electric cables, or street lighting.
Below are a few companies who will take unwanted CDs, although more may be available in the local telephone directory. To recycle simply follow the steps below. This is for recycling only and not for secure destruction. Please do not send confidential waste. You are not charged for this service, but you need to pay for postage. Your CDs, DVDs and CDRs (the plastic cases and inlay cards are fine too) should be placed in a sturdy envelope or box and posted to one of the following companies:
London Recycling Ltd
Beeby Road
Canning Town
London
E16 1QJ
The Laundry CD Recycling
Joe Laverty
London Recycling
4d North Crescent
Cody Road
London
E16 4TG
Keymood UK Limited
Wolf Business Park
Alton Road
Ross-on-Wye
Herefordshire
HR9 5NB
You may be able to donate your unwanted CDs or DVDs to a local charity shop.
Ceramics – unwanted ceramics or china may be donated to your local charity shop if still usable. Broken ceramics or china could be used for drainage in plant pots. Alternatively it can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres and disposed of as general waste.
Chemicals – chemicals used at home can be hazardous. These can be deposited safely at one of the Household Recycling Centres in the chemical store.
Do not pour chemicals down the drain as they may damage the environment. If in doubt telephone our Customer Helpline on 01724 297000 or email wastemanagement@northlincs.gov.uk. You can check out the Environment Agency website for further guidance.
Civic amenity sites – please see Household Recycling Centres.
Clothing – unwanted clothing can be recycled at the kerbside in your Salvation Army collection bag or in one of the textile banks at locations across North Lincolnshire. Check out our recycling textiles page for more information, or donate unwanted clothing to your local charity shop. Even if you no longer want it, it could be recycled or reused.
Clinical waste – There are two types of clinical waste currently collected from domestic households. The first is waste relating to incontinence and similar conditions. This is not classed by the NHS as hazardous and as such can be placed into the general wheeled bin. If you or a member of your household suffer from incontinence and are struggling with the waste collections, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Helpline on 01724 297000 as we may be able to put you in touch with the local Primary Care Trust (PCT) who may be able to help.
The second type of clinical waste relates to dressings and wounds. Such waste will contain blood. The NHS considers this hazardous and as such the PCT offers an incineration service. If you, or a member of your family has dressings and similar waste, please telephone the Customer Helpline on 01724 297000 and we can put you in touch with the PCT.
Composting – please see our Home Composting pages for information on composting at home and how to get hold of a reduced price compost bin. Composting your organic waste produces an excellent soil conditioner that will improve soil structure and fertility.
Computers – If you have an unwanted or broken computer or computer accessories, why not donate it to Second Byte in Scunthorpe. Second Byte IT Ltd is a not-for-profit social enterprise that will recondition unwanted computers for the benefit of the local community. Visit Second Byte's website for more information or call in at:
Unit D2
Mercia Way
Foxhills Industrial Estate
Scunthorpe
DN15 8RE.
Telephone 01724 280055
Or take your unwanted computers to one of the Household Recycling Centres. Arrangements have been made to receive these at each of the eight Household Recycling Centres where they will be recovered by the producers under the new WEEE Regulations. Please also see electrical items.
If your computer contains personal and confidential information, we would recommend that for your peace of mind, that you delete this information before passing your computer on.
Confidential waste – households do produce some confidential waste such as bank and credit card statements and till receipts. With identity fraud becoming more common this is a concern for many households. While waste collection systems are inherently safe, once waste is transferred to collectors it becomes their property. Consequently it is recommended that confidential waste should not be put into any waste container without firstly shredding or ripping it up. Confidential waste can also be composted at home. Please do not put this material into the brown bin. Shredded paper can be placed into the blue box but we would recommend that you wrap your shredded paper in sheets of newspaper so as to reduce the chance of being blown from the box.
For businesses the council does offer a deep burial service for confidential waste. Businesses interested in this service should contact our Trade Waste team on 01724 297848. Other companies may offer similar services and can be found in the telephone directory.
Cooking oil – Old cooking oil can now be brought to our Cottage Beck Road Household Recycling Centre and recycled in the special container provided. Small quantities of cooking oil from your house can also be taken to other Household Recycling Centres for disposal but unfortunately it will not be recycled.
Why not make a bird feeder using your unwanted cooking oil. Mix some bird seed in with your cooking oil and place the mixture into an empty yoghurt pot (or similar). Place a piece of string into the centre of the mixture and place somewhere cold to set. When the oil and food mixture has set, you can use the string to hang the bird feeder outside.
We can't accept cooking oil from trade premises and would direct businesses back to their supplier of cooking oil who should take any used oil back.
Remember, pouring oil down the drain is illegal and is damaging to the environment.
Commercial waste – visit our commercial waste pages to find out the waste services offered to businesses in North Lincolnshire. You can also look in the local telephone directory under waste disposal for other companies in this area that offer trade waste collections.
Commercial waste is accepted at Cottage Beck Road Household Recycling Centre but is chargeable by weight. Please contact the site operators SITA for details on these charges by telephoning 01724 878100.
Waste produced by a business or trade is not covered by local taxation and so disposal is chargeable. Please see the Duty of Care for some of the responsibilities of waste producers in arranging their waste disposal.
Businesses can also make use of online waste exchanges to help divert waste away from landfill. Here you can search for and advertise waste on exchange sites such as redundant stock, surplus raw materials and other waste that could be reused or recycled. For more details visit Why Waste? a free online waste exchange for businesses in Yorkshire and The Humber.
Curtains – unwanted curtains can be recycled as textiles at the kerbside in your Salvation Army collection bag or in one of the textile banks around North Lincolnshire. Visit our recycling textiles page for more information. Or why not donate these to your local charity shop? Even if you no longer want them, they could be recycled or reused.
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Dead animals – if you find a dead animal at the side of the road, please telephone our Customer Helpline on 01724 297000 with a detailed location and we can arrange to move the animal if it is on a public highway.
Disposable nappies – eight million disposable nappies are used in the UK each day, none of which are recycled. Despite this, nappies make up just 2.4 per cent of the UK domestic waste stream. Many families have expressed concerns about the storage of disposable nappies through the new waste and recycling collection schemes in North Lincolnshire. However bagging your used nappies and ensuring that the lid of the wheeled bin remains closed at all times will reduce any smells and will not cause any health risks. Disposable nappies are made of a mixture of materials (plastic, textile, adhesive strips), and cannot be recycled. The alternative to disposable nappies is of course reusable nappies. Please see Real Nappies for more information.
Duty of care – every waste producer, including households (see Householders' Duty of Care), is under a legal obligation to ensure the waste they produce is managed correctly and disposed of safely. Waste should be stored safely and securely and if waste is passed on, it should be passed on to an authorised carrier only. Records of waste transfer and disposal should also be kept by all businesses. Please see the Environment Agency website for more information.
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Egg boxes – egg boxes will either be 100 per cent cardboard or will be plastic coated. Those boxes that are plastic coated are more difficult to recycle than those that are 100 per cent cardboard. Egg boxes can be recycled at one of the Household Recycling Centres as cardboard. Alternatively, they can be torn up and placed into a home compost bin. Please don't place egg boxes into your brown bin, as they cannot be recycled through the North Lincolnshire Council Scheme. Remember - a home compost bin is different to your brown organic bin.
Eggshells – egg shells shouldn't be placed into the brown bin as the composting facility is not licensed to take material from animals. Regulations such as the Animal Bi Product Regulations prevent the composting of animal waste outdoors. Therefore the list of material on the sticker on the underside of the brown bin lid is a definitive list of material that can be accepted in the brown bins. Eggshells can however be placed into your home compost bin for composting at home.
Electrical items – since the introduction of the WEEE Regulations producers of electrical equipment must now make arrangements to reuse or recycle our unwanted electrical items. These items can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres for recycling. The site attendants will point you to the correct container to place your items in. If the item is still in working order, can you pass it on to someone else?
Bulky electrical items such as fridges, freezers, TVs, washing machines can also be collected from your household as part of a Bulky item collection.
Engine oil – small amounts of engine oil from your household can be taken to the Household Recycling Centres for disposal. The Household Recycling Centres cannot be used to dispose of large quantities of oil from a business or trade. Businesses such as garages wanting to dispose of engine oil should contact the Oil Bank Line on 0800 663 366 to find a company registered to remove any waste engine oil.
Remember, it's illegal and dangerous to dispose of engine oil down the drain. Many drains are connected to a river or stream that can become polluted. Heavy fines are imposed for oil pollution offences.
Envelopes - plastic windows and adhesive strips on envelopes contaminate the recycling process. Residents are advised not to recycle envelopes in the blue box or paper banks. However if you are willing to remove the sticky adhesive strip and plastic window, the remainder of the envelope can be recycled.
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Fluorescent tubes – under new legislation, fluorescent tubes are now classed as hazardous waste. Arrangements have been made to receive these at each of the eight Household Recycling Centres where they will be recovered by the producers under the new WEEE Regulations. Fluorescent tubes produced within your domestic household can continue to be disposed of as general waste for the time being if you cannot get to one of the Household Recycling Centres.
Energy saving light bulbs can also be recycled with fluorescent tubes at the Household Recycling Centres.
Businesses however, are now required to arrange hazardous waste collection for fluorescent tubes. The council's trade waste team does offer this service to businesses, as do other companies in the telephone directory under waste disposal.
Foil – clean aluminium foil can be recycled in your green kerbside box or in one of the yellow can banks across North Lincolnshire. There are a number of plastic coated foils such as those used to make crisp packets however that cannot be recycled.
Top tip: Try the scrunch test to check if it is foil or plastic coated foil – if it stays scrunched it's not plastic coated foil and can be recycled.
Food – uncooked fruit and vegetable waste can be disposed of in your brown bin. Any other food wastes – uncooked or cooked, will have to be disposed of as general waste. The council is backing a new campaign, Love food, hate waste to help cut the amount of food we throw away. Try not to cook too much food, and before you throw it away ask yourself whether it can it be saved for the next day.
Food and drink cartons – liquid food and drinks cartons are used to store fruit juices, long life milk, cooking sauces and smoothies to name just a few items. These cartons are made of a mixture of waxed cardboard, plastic and foil. Previously it was very hard to recycle food and drink cartons as there were very facilities available in the UK. The cartons display the recyclable symbol, but they cannot be recycled with cardboard or plastic and instead have to be recycled as a material on their own. Please do not put cartons in your burgundy bin.
With the help of the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment in the UK (ACE UK) and the National Recycling Fund more and more facilties for carton recycling are being made available throughout the UK, and facilities are now available at selected Household Recycling Centres. Please see below for details of where you can recycle your cartons.
- Cottage Beck Road, Scunthorpe
- Gravel Pit Road, Barton
- College Road, Goxhill
- North Street, Winterton
- Epworth Road, Belton
Fridges and freezers – fridges and freezers contain CFCs in their coolant system. CFCs are damaging to the environment and fridges and freezers need to be disposed of correctly. These items can either be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres or can be collected as a bulky item from your household. Please see electrical items or Bulky items for more information.
Fruit – you can place fruit peelings and cores into your brown bin, or you can place them into you home compost bin and compost them at home.
Furniture – unwanted furniture such as three-piece suites, beds, and tables can be collected from your household using the Bulky item collection service. These items can also be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres for disposal or recycling. But before you take it for disposal, think if it can be donated to a charity shop or local community group if it's still in a reasonable condition. Even if you no longer want it, it does not mean that it could not be of use to someone else.
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Garden waste – garden waste can be placed into your brown wheeled bin. The material collected in the brown bins is sent for composting locally. We can't collect excess garden waste alongside the brown bins. Extra garden waste or more bulky garden material can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres for recycling. The final compost can purchased at the Household Recycling Centres in 40 litre bags. Large quantities of compost can be purchased directly from the composting facility. Please telephone SITA for more information on 01724 878100. You can also compost your garden waste at home in a home compost bin.
Gas cylinders – gas cylinders/bottles should be returned to the supplier for reuse. As a last resort gas cylinders from your household can be take to the Cottage Beck Road Household Recycling Centre in Scunthorpe. Businesses or trade cannot dispose of gas cylinders at any of the Household Recycling Centres. Only one gas cylinder can be deposited per visit.
If you are unsure which company supplied your gas cylinder, the documents below are a guide to help you find the company that own the gas cylinder and the company you can contact to recover it.
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Glass – Glass bottles and jars can be recycled in your green box or in one of the glass banks around North Lincolnshire. Visit our recycling glass pages for more information. Sheet glass cannot be recycled at the kerbside. If you have any sheet or window glass to dispose of it should be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres.
Green box – North Lincolnshire Council provides around 65,000 households with a green kerbside recycling box for the recycling of glass, tins and cans. To find out more about the green box service, please check out our Green Box page.
Green/grey bin – the council has a green or grey wheeled bin for the collection of general non-recyclable waste. New residents are provided with a 140L general waste wheeled bin free of charge when they move into North Lincolnshire. For more information on obtaining a general waste wheeled bin residents should contact our Customer Helpline on 01724 297000. For more information on the materials that cannot be accepted in this container, please visit our green/grey bin page.
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Hazardous waste – as the name suggests, care should be taken when disposing of hazardous or potentially hazardous waste. Please see chemicals and acids for more information on these items. If in doubt whether an item is classed as hazardous or can be disposed of at one of the Household Recycling Centres, please telephone our Customer Helpline on 01724 297000 or email wastemanagement@northlincs.gov.uk. If in doubt, just ask.
Householders' duty of care - from Monday 21 November 2005 all householders in England have a legal responsibility to ensure that all of their waste is disposed of properly. Under the waste ‘Duty of Care’ regulations, all householders need to make sure their rubbish is passed to authorised carriers only. Householders not taking reasonable measures to do so could face fines of up to £5,000.
If you're using an outside company, other than North Lincolnshire Council to remove household, garden or construction waste, you can check they are registered waste carriers by telephone or online:
Call the Environment Agency on 08708 506506 and request an instant Waste Carrier Validation Check
Always ask for a waste carrier's number or check their details with the Environment Agency. Remember that household waste can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres or you may be able to use our Bulky Item Collection service.
If in doubt, check with the Environment Agency because if this waste is flytipped, it's the householder that is now liable for the £5,000 fine. More information on this legislation can be found on the Defra website or you can telephone our Customer Helpline on 01724 297000 or email us at wastemanagement@northlincs.gov.uk.
Household Recycling Centre – The council has eight Household Recycling Centres for residents of North Lincolnshire to dispose of their household waste. For details of the locations of the centres and the waste that can be accepted at each site please see our Household Recycling Centres page.
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Inkjet cartridges – see printer cartridges.
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Junk mail – Put a stop to unwanted direct mail by contacting the Mail Preference Service (MPS). This is a free service and MPS will take you off of its databases and put a stop to a large proportion of the junk mail received by householders. Visit the MPS' website or phone 0845 7034599.
In the meantime, don't forget to recycle your junk mail in your blue box or in one of the paper banks around North Lincolnshire.
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Keys and locks – keys and locks can be recycled as scrap metal. Please take them to your nearest Household Recycling Centre and place them into the scrap metal skip.
Kitchen and toilet roll tubes – inner tubes from your toilet and kitchen roll tubes are made of cardboard and can be taken to the Household Recycling Centres and recycled in the cardboard container. Or if you compost at home you can place your inner tubes into your home compost bin. Don't place these into your brown bin.
Kitchen waste – your uncooked fruit and vegetable waste can be placed into your brown bin or can be composted at home. Any cooked food or raw meats should be placed into general waste, as they cannot be composted.
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Light bulbs – standard household light bulbs can't be recycled because of the type of glass they are made from. However, why not change your standard light bulbs for energy saving light bulbs? While energy saving bulbs may be slightly more expensive to purchase, they last up to eight times as long as a standard bulb but use only a quarter of the electricity but are the same brightness. Energy saving light bulbs can however be recycled at the Household Recycling Centres across North Lincolnshire when they reach the end of their life using the fluorescent tubes container.
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Magazines – unwanted magazines can be recycled as paper in your blue kerbside recycling box or in one of the blue paper banks around North Lincolnshire. Have a look at our recycling paper page for more information. You could always donate your unwanted magazines to your local doctor's surgery or hospital for use in the waiting room.
Medicine – return any unwanted medicines to your local chemist.
Metal – metal tins and cans can be recycled in your green box or placed in on of the yellow can banks around North Lincolnshire. See our recycling cans page for more information. Scrap metal can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres for recycling.
Mirrors – if in one piece, you could donate unwanted mirrors to a local charity shop. Broken mirrors shouldn't be placed in the green box and should instead be placed into your general wheeled bin. The type of glass used to make mirrors mean that they can't be recycled. Larger mirrors can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres for disposal.
Mobile phones – mobile phones can now be recycled under the WEEE Regulations. Please also see electrical items. Charity shops often provide collections of mobile phones. For example, Oxfam runs a mobile phone recycling scheme and you can send up to 10 handsets in a jiffy bag freepost to:
Oxfam Bring Bring Scheme
Freepost LON16281
London
WC1N 3BR
Other charities that recycle mobile phones include: Help the Aged, Action Aid, Bliss and NCH. If your mobile phone is in working order, why not advertise it in your local newspaper or shop? Just because you no longer want it, it can still be reused or recycled.
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Nappies – please see disposable nappies and real nappies.
Needles – if you use syringes or needles as part of a medical condition, you should speak to you GP or local GP practice about return used needles to them for safe disposal. If you find a discarded needle in a public place, don't handle it. Report this to our Neighbourhood Services team on 01724 297843.
Newspapers – newspapers can be recycled in your blue box at the kerbside or in one of the blue paper banks around North Lincolnshire. Check out our recycling paper pages for more information.
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Oil – see Engine oil and Cooking oil.
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Paint – paint contains hazardous chemicals and so should not be poured down the drain. Some DIY stores will accept unwanted paint back. Local community groups may also find a use for unwanted paint. If you can't find a new home for it, you can dispose of paint at one of the Household Recycling Centres. In order for it to be disposed of safely, it must firstly be dried out. This can be done by removing the lid and letting the paint stand for a couple of days. In this time, the paint will dry out and become less hazardous and will allow it to be disposed of in general waste.
Paper – making paper from recycled paper uses 40 per cent less energy than making it from virgin wood pulp. Paper can be recycled at the kerbside in your blue box or in one of the paper banks around North Lincolnshire. Check out our recycling paper pages for more information.
Plastics – The majorty of households throughout North Lincolnshire will be able to recycle plastic bottles from the kerbside in their new burgundy bin. There are seven common types (polymers) of plastic of which we can only recycle three. For details of what types of plastic you can recycle please see our burgundy bin page.
There are also banks for recycling plastic bottles at 25 locations across North Lincolnshire. Please check out our recycling plastics page for more information on the types of plastics and bottles accepted. earch for your nearest location on this website. Also see Carrier bags.
Polystyrene – currently there are very few local councils that collect or separate polystyrene for recycling. Polystyrene can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres, but it is not separated for recycling, it's simply disposed of as general waste. There is a company in Scunthorpe – Linpac Moulded Foams Ltd, that will accept small amounts of polystyrene from members of the public for recycling. Linpac is at 5/7 Menasha Way, Queensway Industrial Estate, Brigg Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 3RT. Or telephone Linpac on 01724 868153. The skip is at the gate.
Printer cartridges – charities such as Oxfam and Action Aid will accept used printer cartridges for recycling. Ask in your local charity shop if they accept printer cartridges. You can take your empty printer cartridges to Kirton-in-Lindsey Household Recycling Centre where they are collected for a local school. Why not refill your printer cartridges instead of throwing them away?
Pyrex glass – pyrex glass cannot be recycled as it will explode when it is heated up in the furnace as part of the recycling process. Instead, broken Pyrex dishes should be wrapped and disposed of in general waste.
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Questions – if you have any questions about any of the information here or you have a waste related question, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Helpline on 01724 297000 or email us at wastemanagement@northlincs.gov.uk.
Quilts – you can't recycle quilts in the textile banks or at the kerbside, but you can donate any unwanted quilts to your local charity shop or animal shelter. If you can't find a new home for your unwanted quilts they can be disposed of as general waste at one of the Household Recycling Centres.
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Real nappies – real nappies are reusable and instead of throwing them away after use, they are washed and reused. Research has shown that there is no significant difference in the environmental impact of disposable and reusable nappies. When comparing the impact of disposable nappies decomposing in landfill to the amount of electricity and water used to launder real nappies, there is little difference in the environmental impact. Our and many other local councils don't promote either type of nappy and advise that it's parental choice which nappy to chose.
The Women’s Environmental Network has information on its about real nappies and laundering services across the UK.
Rubble – rubble can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres where it is sent for reuse. Please visit our charges page for information and to find out the reasons for this. To dispose of rubble at the centres. Rubble should not be placed into your green/grey wheeled bin as it will make it too heavy and therefore may not be emptied.
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Salvation Army collection bag – North Lincolnshire Council provides around 65,000 households with a Salvation Army bag for the collection of textiles from the kerbside. For more information on this service look at our Salvation Army collection bag page.
Scrap metal – you can take scrap metal to one of the Household Recycling Centres where it is separated for recycling, or you may wish to take your scrap metal directly to a scrap merchant for recycling.
Shoes – these can be tied in pairs and placed for recycling either in your Salvation Army collection bag at the kerbside or in one of the textile banks around North Lincolnshire.
Soil – soil can be taken to the Household Recycling Centres for recycling. Please note that there is a charge for the disposal of soil at the centres. Please visit our soil and rubble page for more information on the charges and the reasons for this.
Spectacles – unwanted spectacles can't be recycled but can be donated to charity where they will be sent to the developing world for use there. Your local Vision Express opticians, Help the Aged stores and Dolland & Aitchinson opticians will all accept unwanted spectacles. Your unwanted spectacles can be sent to: (please note you will have to pay postage)
Vision Aid Overseas
Unit 12 The Bell Centre
Newton Road
Manor Royal
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 9FZ
Stamps – stamps can be collected and donated to charities. The charities will sell on the stamps to dealers and us the money to fund their projects. Charities that collect stamps include Oxfam, RSPB, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, RNIB and Help the Aged to name but a few. Local charity shops will often accept donation of stamps so why not ask at your local store.
Steel cans – Recycling steel cans conserves the raw materials used in their manufacture. Steel cans and tins can be recycled in the green box at the kerbside or at one of the can banks around North Lincolnshire. Check out our recycling cans page for more information.
Sweet wrappers – sweet wrappers and crisp packets are often thought to be made of foil. However the foil used to make the majority of crisp packets and sweet wrappers is plastic coated. When foil is plastic coated it becomes difficult to recycle. Some chocolates are wrapped in foil that is not plastic coated and this material can be recycled in your green box or in one of the can banks around North Lincolnshire.
Top tip: Try the scrunch test to check if it is foil or plastic coated foil – if it stays scrunched it is not plastic coated foil and can be recycled.
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Telephone directories – please recycle these in your blue kerbside box or in one of the paper banks around North Lincolnshire. Check out our recycling paper pages for more information.
Televisions – under the new WEEE Regulations TVs must now be recycled where these are deposited at one of the eight Household Recycling Centres, or where they are collected seperately on a Bulky collection. Special care needs to be taken when recycling televisions as they contain Cathode Ray Tubes, which contain hazardous chemicals. If your unwanted TV is still in working order why not pass it on to your local charity shop? Please also see electrical items.
Tetrapak – please see Food and Drink cartons.
Textiles – unwanted clothes and textiles can be placed for recycling in the Salvation Army collection bag from your property or can be placed in one of the textile banks around North Lincolnshire. Please check our recycling textiles page for more information on recycling textiles.
Toner cartridges – please see Printer cartridges.
Trade waste – please see Commercial waste.
Tyres – tyres can be taken to Belton, Barton or Cottage Beck Household Recycling Centres for recycling. A charge of £2.50 must be paid for each tyre deposited at these sites. Only car tyres can be deposited at the sites, we will not accept lorry or tractor tyres. Businesses cannot dispose of tyres at these sites. Please visit our charges page to find out more and the reasons behind these charges.
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Vegetable peelings – uncooked vegetable peelings can be placed into the brown bin for composting. If you compost at home, you can put vegetable peelings into your home compost bin.
Videos – why not donate to your local charity shop for reuse?
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Water – water is essential for natural life and for human use. Rainwater is better for your garden plants than tap water. Try investing in a water butt from your local water authority or DIY store. Rainwater can be collected to water your garden, wash your car or wash down your paths. Water meters can be installed to monitor water usage in your home and help you to save money and water.
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) Regualtions - please see electrical items. From 1 July 2007 the new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations, or WEEE Regulations, requires that in the UK producers of such electrical equipment must make arrangements to reuse or recycle our unwanted electrical items.
White goods – please see electrical items or WEEE.
Wood – unwanted wood can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres where it is collected for recycling.
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Xylophones – these and other musical instruments can't be recycled but you could donate your unwanted musical instruments to charity, advertise them for sale or offer them free to a good home. Oxfam is one charity shop that has a network specialist music shops will accept donations of unwanted musical instruments and sheet music.
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Yellow pages – your old yellow pages can be recycled in your blue box at your kerbside or in one of the blue paper banks across North Lincolnshire. Check out our recycling paper pages to find out more about the myths that surround yellow pages recycling.
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Zips – you could give your unwanted zips and sewing accessories to your local charity shop.
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Note: The above documents are in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need a suitable reader to view it. A reader can be downloaded free from the Adobe website (full instructions for downloading the reader are provided on the site).