A to Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal

Use the search below to see where you can reuse, recycle or dispose of your waste.

Want to recycle more? Find out what else you can recycle in your local area using Recycle Now's recycling locator.

You can also find handy hints on how to reduce, reuse and recycle more on the #LeedsByExample website.

Jewellery
Unwanted jewellery can be taken to charity and second hand shops.
Jigsaw puzzles
Donate complete jigsaw puzzles to your local charity shop.
Junk mail

You can stop junk mail by registering with the Mail Preference Service: Telephone 0207 291 3310. MPS Freepost 22 London, WE1 7EZ. Junk mail can be recycled using your green recycling bin. Please remove all plastic packaging before recycling.

Kettle

If your kettle still works, please donate it to a charity shop or your local reuse organisation. You can recycle your kettle 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.

Kitchen foil
Please see aluminium foil
Kitchen roll

Try to always use kitchen roll made from recycled paper. Used kitchen roll can be added to your compost bin/heap where it will rot down to produce compost for the garden.  The cardboard inner tube can be recycled by putting it in your green recycling bin. It will recycled into new cardboard products.

Knives

You can recycle your old, unwanted knives by taking them to your nearest recycling site and putting them in the scrap metal container.

Lamp and light fittings

If these are still in working order, please donate them to your local charity shop or reuse organisation. If they are not good enough to reuse please recycle your lamp/light fitting by taking it to your nearest recycling centre, where you can put it in the small electrical waste container.

Leaflets

Please recycle your unwanted leaflets and flyers in your green recycling bin, your nearest bring site or recycling centre . They will be recycled into new paper products.

Lightbulbs

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.

Magazines

Try to re-use magazines by donating them to your friends, relatives, colleagues or your local doctor's surgery. They can be recycled in your green bin or at your nearest bring site or recycling centre. Recycled magazines will be made into new paper products.

Medical waste
Medicines

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.

Metal

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

Microwaves

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.