A to Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal

Try to buy low energy lightbulbs, particularly for rooms where lights are left on for long periods of time. This will save money on energy and by not replacing lightbulbs so often. Low energy lightbulbs can be recycled at your nearest household waste recycling centre. Other types of (incandescent) lightbulbs cannot be recycled at present. These should be wrapped in newspaper and placed in your black household bin.

Visit the medical waste page for more information on what we will collect and how to book collections.

Unused medicines, for example, tablets, liquids, inhalers and creams should be returned to your doctor or pharmacist. Empty medicine bottles can be recycled in the green bin or bottle banks.

You can take scrap metal to your local recycling centre. Metal will be recycled into new metal products.

If your microwave still works, please donate it to a charity shop or your local reuse organisation. You can recycle your microwave by taking it to your nearest recycling centre, where you can put it in the small waste electrical container. The metal and plastic will be recycled into new products.

Some charities run postal collection schemes for unwanted phones. You will be able to find out more information on the internet. Most supermarkets and phone shops have collection facilities for unwanted mobile phones. You could also put them in your nearest WEEE bank (see W for a list of sites).

You can recycle your old style monitor or flat screen monitor by taking it to your nearest recycling centre, where you can put it in the television/monitor container. The metal and plastic will be recycled into new products.

Please consider using real nappies. Real nappies are reusable and washable. They are easier to use than you might think and can work out cheaper in the long run than disposable ones. Leeds Cloth Nappy Library offer support to cloth nappy users and provide a lending facility.

If you are using disposable nappies, please bag them up before you put them in your black bin.

Leeds City Council does not collect trade waste. However, you can take your office waste to either the Kirkstall or Seacroft recycling centre and pay the appropriate fee to recycle it. For further information about our trade waste fees, visit the business waste page.

Please see Composting and Food Waste

Please see Chemicals

It can be difficult and dangerous to dispose of unwanted paint. It should not be poured down the drain or put in your black rubbish bin. You can donate unwanted paint and varnish that is still useable to your local recycling centre and put it in the distinctive pink Seagulls paint collection container. The paint will be donated to Seagulls, a local community paint re-use organisation.

There are three recycling centres in Leeds where you can take your paper containers with metal ends such as hot chocolate, gravy granules, coffee and Pringles for recycling - Kirkstall, Wetherby and Yeadon.