A to Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal

See 'Crisp packets'.

Using your local library will help you to reduce the amount of unwanted books you have. Books can be taken to any charity shop for resale or you can put them in the book banks at your nearest recycling centre. The books put into book banks are sold in charity shops or recycled into new paper and cardboard products.

Washed and clean glass jars can be used again for storing homemade jam, pickles, herbs and other foodstuffs. Wine and beer bottles can be re-used in home brewing. Empty glass bottles and jars of any colour can be placed in your green recycling bin, or taken to a glass bank or recycling centre. Give them a quick rinse first, leave caps and lids on and they'll get recycled too. Glass recycled in green bins and bottle banks is 100% re-melted in Yorkshire and can be back on the shelf as a new bottle or jar within 30 days.

Stretchy plastic bread bags, carrier bags and fresh or frozen fruit and vegetable bags can be recycled in your green bin.

Donate bric-a-brac that is good enough to be reused to your local charity shop or drop off at your local household waste recycling centre's reuse container.

Alternatively, you could organise a jumble sale or local swap shop event to pass on items that you no longer want.

Bricks can be cleaned and used for a wide variety of projects around the house or garden for example paths, edging, raised beds, compost heaps or barbecues. Bricks* and rubble* can be taken to your nearest recycling centre and put in the skips marked Bricks and Rubble. These items will be used for roads and surface cover on landfill sites. *Charges apply for disposing of some types of rubbish at our household recycling sites including bricks and rubble. To find out more see our guide to waste disposal charges.

You can recycle your unwanted brochures by putting them in your green recycling bin or taking them to your nearest bring site or recycling centre.

Bubble wrap is useful in the garden as it can be used to protect plants from frost. Bubble wrap can be recycled by putting it in your green recycling bin or taking it to your nearest bring site or recycling centre. It is recycled into new plastic products.

Bricks and other building materials can be cleaned and used for a wide variety of projects around the house or garden for example paths, edging, raised beds, compost heaps or barbeques. Bricks* and rubble* can be taken to your nearest recycling centre and put in the skips marked Bricks and Rubble. These items will be used for roads and surface cover on landfill sites. *Restrictions apply for disposing of some types of rubbish at our household recycling sites including bricks and rubble. To find out more please see our guide to DIY waste disposal.

Please consider donating large furniture items that are in reasonable condition and working electrical appliances to local re-use organisations (please note mattresses and three piece suites will need a fire label). Many of these organisations will come and collect them from your home. Freecycle is also another way to pass your unwanted items to others who may need them. If your unwanted items are not suitable to be used again, you can take them to your nearest recycling centre. If you are unable to do this, you can book a bulky waste collection online. These items will be recycled where possible.

Donate cameras in good working condition to your local charity shop or drop off at your local household waste recycling centre's reuse container. Broken cameras can be recycled at your local recycling centre's small electrical items bank.

Rinse and squash all cans (steel and aluminium) and recycle them through your green recycling bin. These items are used in metal smelters and made into new metal products.

You can take your diesel and petrol car batteries to your nearest recycling centre. Contact your car manufacturer or dealer for advice on recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Cardboard sheets can be used in the garden as a mulch to suppress weeds or ripped up can be added to your compost heap. It can also be shredded and used for animal bedding. All cardboard such as brown card, cereal boxes, egg boxes and toilet roll tubes can be placed in your green recycling bin. Larger corrugated cardboard boxes should be flattened and deposited in the cardboard skips at your nearest recycling centre. This is recycled back into cardboard products such as packaging materials, cat litter and more.

Remove any glittery or metallic parts from cards and recycle the rest in your green bin. You could reuse glittery or metallic parts by making them into gift tags. These items are recycled back into cardboard products such as packaging materials and cat litter.