A to Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal

You can re-use sheets of glass by using them to make row covers (cloches) for gardening. Please do not put sheets of glass into bottle banks. You can dispose of sheet glass by taking it to your nearest recycling centre where you should put it in the non-recyclable waste container. If you are unable to do this you can request a bulky waste collection online. Please wrap the glass sheets to protect our collection crew. This will then be disposed of to landfill.

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. Glass items such as light bulbs, drinking glasses and Pyrex containers should not be put into green bins or bottle banks. If these items are good enough to re-use, please take them to your local charity shop. If they are not, wrap them in paper and throw them away in your black rubbish bin.

Many opticians collect unwanted spectacles for re-use in the developing world. Please ask your local optician about this.

Please see Garden Waste.

Please see Cards.

If your unwanted hair appliance is in good working order, please donate it to a charity shop, local reuse organisation, or to the Revive Leeds reuse shop at the Kirkstall or Seacroft recycling centres. If you are replacing a broken hair appliance, the retailer supplying your new appliance should offer you a take back service. Alternatively, you can recycle your hair appliance by taking it to your nearest bring site that has a WEEE bank (see W for a list of sites) or to your nearest recycling centre, where you can put it in the small electrical waste container.

Hardcore* and many building materials can be used again. Bricks, large pieces of stone, doors and windows can be sold to architectural salvage yards. Brick* and rubble* can be taken to your nearest recycling centre and put in the skips marked Bricks and Rubble. These materials are used for cover and roads on landfill sites. *Restrictions apply for disposing of some types of rubbish at our household recycling sites including hardcore, bricks and rubble. To find out more please see our guide to DIY waste disposal.

Hazardous waste should be dealt with appropriately. Please see Asbestos for more information on this. Please see Chemicals for more information on these. You can also contact the Environment Agency on 0870 850 6506 for advice on disposing of hazardous waste.

Help the Aged recycle hearing aids. Please ensure units are in working order and send them to: Hearing Aid Appeal Help the Aged FREEPOST, LON13616 London, EC1B 1PS.

Please see Chemicals

Please see Chemicals.

Please return used hypodermic needles to your doctor's surgery or health centre for safe disposal. DO NOT put these in your rubbish or recycling bin. You can order on prescription a yellow sharps bin for needles through your GP practice.

You can refill and re-use inkjet cartridges by buying a refill kit or visiting your local cartridge retailer. There are many charities that want unwanted ink cartridges and provide Freepost envelopes so that you can send them your cartridges. These are often available in your local supermarket or other retailer or can be found by entering a search on the internet.

If your iron still works, please donate it to a charity shop or your local reuse organisation. You can recycle your iron by taking it to your nearest bring site that has a WEEE bank (see W for a list of WEEE banks) or 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.

Jam jars - please see Glass Jars and Bottles