A to Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal

Hot drinks paper cups are used in high street coffee shops, fast food outlets and supermarkets. These cups are lined with several layers of polyethylene (plastic). Because of this they are not suitable for recycling along with normal cardboard. Why not try a reusable cup? You can recycle your paper coffee cups in the recycling on the go bins for coffee cup in the city centre.

Peat bogs are rare habitats that are being destroyed to produce peat, so try to avoid buying or using it. If you have unwanted peat, it can be added to your compost heap or spread on your garden.

Please see Chemicals

Household waste recycling centres are not equipped to handle pet waste, and you should not take it there. Large quantities of pet waste can be disposed of for a fee at the Kirkstall waste transfer station.

Photographs and photographic paper cannot be recycled due to the plastic laminate on them being difficult to remove at paper pulping plants. If plastic is mixed into the process the recycled paper become unusable. Please dispose of these items in your black bin.

Please see bedding and blankets

Some garden centres offer plastic plant pot takeback schemes. Contact your local garden centre to check. 

You can take plasterboard* to your nearest recycling centre. Please put it in the container for plasterboard. Plasterboard is used as a soil conditioner and blended with organic waste in the manufacture of compost. *Restrictions apply for disposing of some types of rubbish at our household recycling centres including plasterboard. To find out more please see our guide to DIY waste disposal.

All the following types of plastic bottles found around the home can be recycled in your green bin: drinks bottles, cooking oil bottles, milk bottles, skincare and soap bottles, bleach bottles, washing up bottles.

Caps, lids, pumps and triggers can all be left on as they will be recycled too.

See 'carrier bags'.

Please try avoid using plastic cups by using drinking glasses instead. They can be put in your green recycling bin if the cups are made from plastic types 1 (PET/PETE), 2 (HDPE/PE-HD), 4 (LDPE/PE-LD) or 5 (PP).  These numbers can be found in a triangle on the cup. 

See also Plastic trays, Plastic bottles, Plastic yogurt pots. Please try to buy loose fruit and vegetables and meat and fish from shops that don't over-package their goods. A large proportion of plastic packaging is difficult to recycle. 

Stretchy carrier bags, bread bags, fresh or frozen fruit and vegetable bags, and tearable cereal, salad, pasta and rice bags, as well as cling film, plastic film lids, baby and pet food, coffee, detergent and cleaning pouches can all be recycled in your green bin. Check out our plastic recycling page for all the other plastic items that can be recycled in Leeds. 

As a general rule, if plastic wrap, bags or packaging is stretchy or tearable and not foil-lined, then it can be recycled in your green bin.
 

All your plastic fruit, meat and vegetable trays (except those made of black or brown plastic) can be recycled in your green bin.

See 'plastic packaging'.

See yogurt pots.