Get rid of unwanted items

The quickest and most environmentally friendly way to get rid of your unwanted items is to donate to charity or use an organisation that will take the items.

These organisations provide valued support to households and communities, so please give them a call, or try their website to find out more about their services.

Please be aware that this service is for residential properties only. Businesses, including landlords, must make alternative arrangements.

Donating to charity

Items such as sofas, chairs and beds must carry fire safety labels. All electrical items should be free from rust, be reasonably clean, have intact seals and ideally be in full working order.

You can read more about donating to these charities in our 'Pass It On' leaflet (PDF 1.5MB).

Most of the following organisations will collect re-usable items from your home for free:

Emmaus Leeds

Accept furniture, electricals, white goods, bric a brac, clothes, bedding and more. Telephone 0113 248 4288.

Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store

Accept sofas, beds, bedroom storage, tables, chairs and other living room furniture. In addition they take bedding, curtains, towels, pans and mirrors. They do not collect electrical appliances or white goods. Telephone 0113 273 9727.

St Vincent de Paul

Accept furniture, electricals, white goods, bric a brac, clothes, bedding. Telephone 0113 245 0800.

St Luke's Cares (Registered Charity 1097720)

Accepts furniture, white goods, electricals, bric a brac, clothes, bedding and more. Free collection of up to 9 items. We also carry out house clearances. Telephone 0113 400 1182 or 07800512074.

Safe Haven

Accept furniture, white goods, and household goods. Telephone 0113 345 1218.

Martin House

Accept most furniture and homeware (except beds). Also accept electrical and white goods in good condition. Telephone 01937 849 039.

Revive Leeds

Based at our Seacroft and Kirkstall recycling sites, Revive Leeds accepts furniture, electricals, bric a brac, clothes, bedding, books, dvds, videos and much more. No collections – donations to the shops only. Telephone 0113 345 9722 (Seacroft) or 0113 216 3310 (Kirkstall).

SLATE

Accept furniture, electricals, homeware, bedding, curtains, and more. Items must be in a resellable condition. Telephone 0113 277 0610.

Sydney Bridge

Accept most furniture and electrical items. Telephone 0113 345 9722.

St. Gemma's Hospice

Accept electricals (except large white goods) and furniture. Telephone 0113 255 7552 (warehouse) or 0113 262 4802 (shop).

Get rid of small items

All the above organisations will also accept your smaller unwanted items such as clothing, books, CDs and bric a brac. Alternatively, you can take them to your local charity shop or place them in the charity bags that you may receive. You can also take small items to the Revive Leeds re-use shops at Seacroft Revive and the Kirkstall recycling site.

Other organisations to use

Seagulls

A community paint re-use group that accepts old paint, varnish etc for reuse and sells very low cost paint. Telephone 0113 246 7510.

The Bikes College

The Bikes College at Copley Hill (LS12 1HY, telephone: 0113 345 5180) offers bike repairs, free collections for donated bikes, low cost refurbished bikes and training on bike maintenance etc.

Leeds Bike Mill

Community bike recycling and training co-op. Telephone 07729 895 510.

Freecycle

A network of members that can make use of almost anything.

Leeds Freegle

A group that matches items with people looking for them.

Recycling sites

If you are unable to donate your items because they are not in a suitable condition, then please take the items to one of our recycling sites situated across Leeds.

From 5 February 2018 charges apply for disposing of some types of rubbish at our household recycling sites including rubble, hardcore, soil, ceramics, plasterboard and tyres. Please see our guide to waste disposal charges for a full list of items, charges and how to pay.

Garden waste

If you are requiring a garden waste collection and do not have access to a brown bin, please visit our Garden waste page. This page contains guidance on booking a collection and the terms and conditions of collections.

Book a collection

If you are unable to get rid of your items in the above ways and you are prepared to wait for up to 3 weeks, we offer a limited service to remove items from homes. This will be chargeable at a subsidised rate of £20.00.

You can find out more information about this service on our Book a collection page.

If a collection is not made on your appointment date then please leave the item(s) outside for a further 48 hours. Please ensure that your item/s are left in the exact location given during your booking.

Please note the crew will not collect your items if you haven't followed the rules (listed below). If this is the case, you will need to re-book. However, if you have followed the rules and the collection has failed then please contact us after the further 48 hours have passed.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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How do I dispose of asbestos?How do I dispose of asbestos?<div class="ExternalClassEF47C1C1559F406FAB06071D6AB42E35">​Kirkstall Recycling Site accepts asbestos by appointment only. Please call 0113 3783030 for information and charges.​</div>
How do I dispose of hazardous waste?How do I dispose of hazardous waste?<div class="ExternalClass21152C5360114220A785F5159DB4E2BA">​This includes batteries, low-energy light bulbs, household chemicals and some paints. Please take these items to your nearest recycling site. If you are unable to do so, please call us on 0113 222 4406 to see if we can help.<br><br>Please do not put these items into your black bin.​</div>
Items we don't collectItems we don't collect<div class="ExternalClass2298AC5DB35E462E9FA3129028DEC8EA">​<ul class="list list-bullet"><li>Bathroom suites including sinks, baths and toilets</li><li>Boilers/storage heaters and radiators</li><li>Building material including rubble</li><li>Car parts including batteries and tyres</li><li>Fluorescent light tubes</li><li>Garage doors</li><li>Sheds</li><li>Gas bottles</li><li>Hazardous materials - chemicals, paint, asbestos etc.</li><li>General unbagged waste</li><li>Greenhouses</li><li>Kitchen units - sinks, worktops, cupboards</li><li>Mirrors</li><li>Pianos/organs</li><li>Tree trunks</li><li>Window frames</li><li>Patio doors/windows</li><li>UPVC doors/windows</li><li>Glass topped furniture unless the glass has been removed and made safe</li><li>Wooden pallets</li><li>Garden waste if you have access to a brown garden waste bin</li><li>General household waste that would normally be taken as part of your kerbside collections</li></ul><p>You can still dispose of all the above items at any <a href="/residents/bins-and-recycling/recycling-sites">recycling site</a> with the exception of asbestos and gas bottles. <strong>Gas bottles are not accepted.</strong></p><p>You can find out how to dispose of them properly on the <a href="/residents/bins-and-recycling/a-to-z-of-reusing-recycling-and-waste-disposal">A-Z of reusing, recycling and waste disposal page</a>. Asbestos is only accepted by <a href="/residents/bins-and-recycling/recycling-sites/kirkstall-road-household-waste-sorting-site">Kirkstall recycling site</a> by appointment only. Please call <strong>0113 214 3639</strong> for information and charges.​​​​​</p><br></div>
Items we will collectItems we will collect<div class="ExternalClass071370CF2FEE43A9AA865054AE8CEC99"><p><strong>Carpets and underlay: </strong>Carpets and underlay must be kept dry and, if possible, folded or rolled into manageable pieces for easier carrying. Please ensure the carpet is separated from the underlay. No loose pieces of carpet will be collected.  <br><br><strong>Doors:</strong> All internal and external doors (Excluding UPVC) will be collected. Any glass panels must be removed and made safe by taping.<br><br><strong>Furniture:</strong> Chairs, sofas, tables, dismantled wardrobes, sideboards, bed bases, mattresses etc. Any drawers should be left intact. Glass panels should be removed and made safe. Water butts and compost bins must be empty. Dismantled furniture will be counted by the number of its components, eg wardrobe door is one item, wardrobe back is one item and so on.<br><br>All items must be dismantled prior to collection. Each part of the dismantled object will be classed as one item. For example, a bed will consist of four items: bed frame, slats, mattress and headboard.​<br><br><strong>Electrical equipment:</strong> TVs, microwaves, lawn mowers, sun beds (UV tubes removed) etc. Loose doors, cables or wires should be taped or tied to the item.<br><br><strong>White goods:</strong> Fridges (including American fridges that do not exceed 6' x 4'), freezers, cookers, washing machines, tumble dryers dish washers. Any doors or locks on air tight fridges must be removed. <strong>All food must be removed.</strong> Loose doors, cables and wires must taped or tied to the item. The service will only collect items that can be safely handled by 2 people.  <br><br><strong>Garden waste:</strong> ​The service will not collect garden waste if you have access to brown (garden waste) bin collections. Up to four bags of double bagged waste that would usually go in a brown bin e.g. grass cuttings, hedge clippings, leaves, dead plants, weeds, windfall fruit, twigs and small branches. Small branches must be no more than 3cm in diameter.<br> <br><strong>Wood and Branches:</strong> Wood and branches must be bundled up into manageable amounts. Please make sure that nails and screws are removed. Fence panels larger than 2 metres by 1.3 metres cannot be collected. Each fence panel and each fence post will be classed as one item. Please identify where the wood has come from and check this against the list of items we do not collect. We do not collect wood from broken up pallets or garden sheds. We will not collect wood and branches small enough to be recycled in your brown bin where this service is provided.​​​​​​</p></div>
The rules for collectionThe rules for collection<div class="ExternalClass36D9990AC5104E65B689B7672945A739"><p> </p> <ul><li>A collection can be for up to 4 items or 4 bags of garden waste. Bags must be double bagged and be same type of waste that would normally go in a brown bin.</li> <br><li><strong>If you are on a garden waste (brown bin) collection route, you cannot book a collection to remove garden waste.</strong></li> <br><li>Do not add any items that we are not aware of as they will not be collected. Items for collection must be on our list of permitted items.</li> <br><li>Items that will absorb water need to be covered and kept dry with waterproof sheeting, so they don't get too heavy to collect - e.g. upholstered items, sofas, mattresses, bed bases, carpets.</li> <br><li>Items that are too large or too heavy to be moved safely by two people will not be collected and will still be charged for, the latter includes excessive weight due to the item being wet.</li> <br><li>Carpets must be rolled up and taped or bagged. Each roll or bag counts as one item. No loose carpet pieces will be accepted.</li> <br><li>All perishable items should be removed from fridges / freezers.</li> <br><li>Items must not be contaminated with any other items such as loose or wet waste. Items that are deemed to be excessively soiled, rotten or hazardous to the health of operatives will not be collected.</li> <br><li>Wardrobes should be dismantled with no nails sticking out. Loose wood including large twigs or branches should be secured in manageable sized bundles.</li> <br><li>Any glass should be removed. If this is not possible then it must be made safe (i.e. cardboard on either side of the glass or Perspex, taped securely).</li> <br><li>Mirrors or items containing mirrors will not be collected e.g. Wardrobe with mirror attached.</li> <br><li>All items must be dismantled prior to collection. Each part of the dismantled object will be classed as one item. For example, a bed will consist of four items: bed frame, slats, mattress and headboard.</li> <br><li>Items should not exceed 6' x 4' in size.</li> <br><li>Any bags must be the same size as black refuse sacks, double bagged and securely tied at the top.</li> <br><li>We do not collect general food waste or cardboard. You can put this in your black (for food waste) or green (for cardboard) bin.</li> <br><li>Items must be left <strong>outside</strong> within the boundary of your property (i.e. not out on the street) and where there is more than one item, they should be left together. We will not collect from inside a property or inside a communal area.</li> <br><li>Please ensure access to the item(s) is clear, i.e. no locked gates or dogs loose in garden. The service will not collect any item where a car is parked on a drive due to potential risks of damage to the vehicles.</li> <br><li>Collections may be made anytime between 7am and 5pm on the day of collection and failure to place items out by 7am may mean that the collection will not take place.</li> <br><p> </p></ul> ​​<span id="ms-rterangecursor-start" style="display:none;"></span><span id="ms-rterangecursor-end" style="display:none;"></span></div>
Will you collect from an empty property?Will you collect from an empty property?<div class="ExternalClass6D861B9576984FE5A006B73E6A776D91">​We will only collect from a property which is occupied. This is to ensure that the items are kept dry, and placed out for collection at the agreed time, and to prevent fly tipping. ​​</div>

 

 

Pass It On Leaflethttps://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Pass It On Leaflet.pdf1545843pdf