A-Z of recycling and disposals
Content
Here is a comprehensive list of materials and which container they should be placed into for collection. If you think an item should be added to this list then please get in touch.
The guidance below is intended to enable residents to use the East Devon District Council kerb-side recycling scheme and the Devon County Council household recycling centres to maximise the amount you can recycle and dispose of non-recyclable items safely and responsibly.
Quality counts in recycling so please separate your items according to the information below.
Some hard-to-recycle items that we are unable to collect at kerb-side can be recycled using producer return schemes eg coffee pods or front of store take back schemes eg plastic bags and flexible packaging. Producers and retailers advertise their schemes widely but please note they may not be available at all locations.
Items marked with a * should be placed into a plastic bag before being placed into the container. Electrical items should be no bigger than then the recycling box, bagged if possible and should have a plug or a battery.
Item |
Disposal method |
|
A |
|
|
Aerosol cans (empty) |
Recycling sack |
|
Air freshener (electric)* |
Recycling box |
|
Aluminium foil/trays |
Recycling sack |
|
Animal waste/bedding |
Grey bin |
|
Asbestos |
Hazardous material. Please refer to Devon County Council for advice. |
|
Ash (leave to cool then bag) |
Grey bin (bagged when cool) |
|
|
|
|
B |
|
|
Baby nappies |
Grey bin |
|
Baby wipes |
Grey bin |
|
Baking tray (metal) |
Recycling centre |
|
Bath sponges |
Grey bin |
|
Batteries* |
Recycling box |
|
Belts* |
Recycling box |
|
Birthday cards (non-glitter type) |
Recycling box |
|
Blister packs |
Grey bin |
|
Bones |
Food caddy |
|
Books (paperback and hardback) |
Charity shop |
Grey bin |
Bread bags |
Grey bin |
|
Brochures/catalogues |
Recycling box |
|
Brown paper |
Recycling box |
|
Broken glass (wrapped) |
Grey bin |
|
Bubble wrap |
Grey bin |
|
Building rubble |
Recycling Centre |
|
|
|
|
C |
|
|
Candles |
Grey bin |
Charity shop |
Cans (food and drink) |
Recycling sack |
|
Car batteries |
Recycling centre |
|
Cardboard/cardboard packaging |
Recycling box |
|
Cards (greetings cards, non-glitter) |
Recycling box |
|
Carpets |
Recycling centre |
|
Carrier/plastic bags |
Grey bin or some supermarkets |
|
Cartons/Tetra Paks |
Recycling sack |
|
Cat litter – (bagged) |
Grey bin |
|
CD’s/DVD’s/Videos/tapes (+ cases) |
Recycling centre |
|
Cellophane |
Grey bin |
|
Cereal bags (inner bag) |
Grey bin |
|
Cereal boxes |
Recycling box |
|
Christmas cards (non-glitter) |
Recycling box |
|
Christmas tree lights* |
Recycling box |
|
Cling film/thin plastic |
Grey bin |
|
Clocks (battery)* |
Recycling box |
|
Clocks (no battery) |
Grey bin |
|
Clothes and Shoes* |
Reusable quality in Recycling box |
Damaged or poor quality in Grey bin |
Clothes pegs |
Grey bin |
|
Coat hangers |
Grey bin |
Check with Recycling Centre |
Coffee cup (disposable) |
Grey bin |
|
Coffee grounds |
Food caddy |
|
Coffee pods |
Grey bin |
|
Compostable cups |
Home composting |
Grey Bin |
Cooking fat |
Allow to cool – grey bin |
|
Contact lens packs |
Grey bin |
|
Cooking oil |
Recycling centre |
|
Cork |
Grey bin |
|
Cotton wool |
Grey bin |
|
Cotton buds |
Grey bin |
|
Crockery/Ceramics |
Recycling centre |
|
Crisp packets and sweet wrappers |
Grey bin |
|
Crisp tubes |
Grey bin |
|
Curtains |
Recycling centre |
|
Cushions |
Recycling centre |
|
Cutlery |
Recycling Centre |
|
|
|
|
D |
|
|
Dental floss |
Grey bin |
|
Disposable razors |
Grey bin |
|
Drink cartons |
Recycling sack |
|
Drinking glasses |
Recycling centre |
|
Duvets/pillows |
Recycling centre |
|
Duvet covers/pillowcases |
Recycling box |
|
|
|
|
E |
|
|
Egg boxes (card) |
Recycling box |
|
Egg boxes (plastic) |
Recycling sack |
|
Electrical items (small)* |
Recycling box |
|
Electrical items (large) |
Recycling centre / bulky waste service |
|
Electric blanket* |
Recycling box |
|
Electric cable (household, short length)* |
Recycling box |
|
Engine oil |
Recycling centre |
|
Envelopes (non-padded and paper) |
Recycling box |
|
Envelopes (padded) |
Grey bin |
|
Elastic bands |
Grey bin |
|
|
|
|
F |
|
|
Flat glass |
Recycling centre |
|
Flower pots |
Recycling centre |
|
Foil (clean) |
Recycling sack |
|
Food trays (hard plastic) |
Recycling sack |
|
Food trays (soft plastic |
Recycling sack |
|
Food waste |
Food caddy |
|
Fruit/vegetables |
Food caddy |
|
Furniture |
Recycling centre / bulky waste service |
|
|
|
|
G |
|
|
Garden plants/weeds/grass cuttings |
Recycling centre |
|
Gas bottles and gas canisters |
Recycling centre |
|
Glass bottles and jars |
Recycling box |
|
Glassware/Pyrex |
Recycling centre |
|
Gloves* |
Recycling box |
|
Greaseproof paper |
Grey bin |
|
|
|
|
H |
|
|
Hair |
Grey bin |
|
Handbags* |
Recycling box |
|
Hats* |
Recycling box |
|
Hoover dust |
Grey bin |
|
Household/garden chemicals/detergents |
Recycling centre |
|
|
|
|
I |
|
|
Ice-cream tub |
Recycling sack |
|
Incontinence pads |
Grey bin |
|
Inflatable plastic items |
Recycling centre |
|
Ink cartridges |
Recycling centre |
|
Inhaler / Aerosol |
Recycling box |
|
|
|
|
J |
|
|
Jars (glass) |
Recycling box |
|
Jar lids |
Recycling sack |
|
J Cloth |
Grey bin |
|
Jiffy bags (padded envelope) |
Grey bin |
|
Junk mail (remove plastic bags) |
Recycling box |
|
|
|
|
K |
|
|
Kitchen food waste |
Food caddy |
|
Kitchen roll tubes |
Recycling box |
|
Kitchen towel (paper) |
Grey bin |
|
Keyboard (computer)* |
Recycling box |
|
|
|
|
L |
|
|
Laminated paper |
Grey bin |
|
Lamps (remove shade) |
Recycling box |
|
Laptop computer |
Recycling centre |
|
Laundry pegs |
Grey bin |
|
Leather clothing |
Recycling box |
|
Light bulbs (energy saving) |
Recycling centre and some Town councils |
|
Light bulbs (fluorescent tubes) |
Recycling centre |
|
Linen (Duvet covers and pillowcases) |
Recycling box | |
|
|
|
M |
|
|
Magazines |
Recycling box |
|
Margarine tubs |
Recycling sack |
|
Mattress protector |
Grey bin |
|
Meat trays (plastic) |
Recycling sack |
|
Metal (pots, pans and trays) |
Recycling centre |
|
Milk bottles (plastic) |
Recycling sack |
|
Mobile phones* |
Recycling box |
|
Motorbike battery |
Recycling centre |
|
|
|
|
N |
|
|
Nappies |
Grey bin |
|
Newspapers |
Recycling box |
|
|
|
|
O |
|
|
Office paper |
Recycling box |
|
|
|
|
P |
|
|
Packaging peanuts |
Grey bin |
|
Paint tins |
Recycling centre |
|
Paper |
Recycling box |
|
Paper towels |
Grey bin |
|
Papier mache |
Grey bin |
|
Pens |
Grey bin |
|
Pet food pouches |
Grey bin |
|
Pet food tins and trays (clean) |
Recycling sack |
|
Photographs |
Grey bin |
|
Pillow cases* |
Recycling box |
|
Pillows |
Recycling centre |
|
Pizza boxes (cardboard, no food residue) |
Recycling box |
|
Plasters |
Grey bin |
|
Plastic bottles/containers |
Recycling sack |
|
Plastic bags |
Grey bin (recyclable in some supermarkets) |
|
Plastic food trays/punnets |
Recycling sack |
|
Plastic film |
Grey bin |
|
Plastic netting |
Grey bin |
|
Plastic plant pots |
Recycling centre |
|
Plastic toys |
Recycling centre |
|
Postcards |
Recycling box |
|
Pots and Pans (metal) |
Recycling centre |
|
Polystyrene |
Grey bin |
|
Power bank (battery) |
Recycling box |
|
Pyrex |
Recycling centre |
|
|
|
|
R |
|
|
Razor blades |
Grey bin |
|
Remote control* |
Recycling box |
|
Roll-on deodorant bottle |
Recycling sack |
|
Rubber gloves |
Grey bin |
|
|
|
|
S |
|
|
Sanitary wear |
Grey bin |
|
Scarves* |
Recycling box |
|
Scrap metal |
Recycling centre |
|
Sheets (textiles)* |
Recycling box |
|
Shoes* |
Recycling box |
|
Shredded paper (bagged)* |
Recycling box |
|
Soft toys (stuffed) |
Recycling Centre |
|
Spectacles |
Grey bin |
|
Styrofoam |
Grey bin |
|
Sweet/chocolate/biscuit containers (tin and plastic) |
Recycling sack |
|
Sweet wrappers |
Grey bin |
|
|
|
|
T |
|
|
Tablet packing (preformed plastic) |
Grey bin |
|
Takeaway container (plastic) |
Recycling sack |
|
Takeaway container (foil) |
Recycling sack |
|
Takeaway pizza boxes |
Recycling box - no food |
|
Tea bags/leaves |
Food caddy |
|
Teddy bears |
Recycling centre |
|
Televisions |
Recycling centre |
|
Tetra Pak |
Recycling sack |
|
Thermometer (mercury) |
Recycling centre. Place in unwanted plastic container labelled ‘Mercury’ and hand to staff. |
|
Thermos flask |
Grey bin |
|
Tiles (ceramic or roof) |
Recycling centre |
|
Tin (food) |
Recycling sack |
|
Tissues / Kitchen towels (paper) |
Grey bin |
|
Tissue boxes (cardboard) |
Recycling box |
|
Toilet roll tubes |
Recycling box |
|
Toothbrush (electric) – remove brush part* |
Recycling box |
|
Toothbrush (non-electric) |
Grey bin |
|
Toothpaste tubes |
Grey bin |
|
Toothpaste pump |
Recycling sack |
|
Tupperware containers |
Recycling centre |
|
|
|
|
V |
|
|
Vape machine/parts |
Recycling centres or return to retailer for recycling |
|
Vegware cups (and utensils) |
Home composting |
|
Vitamin bottles (plastic) |
Recycling sack |
|
|
|
|
W |
|
|
Wallpaper (used or unused) |
Grey bin |
|
Washing powder boxes (card) |
Recycling box |
|
Washing powder/capsule box (plastic) |
Recycling sack |
|
Washing up liquid bottles |
Recycling sack |
|
Washing up sponges |
Grey bin |
|
Watches (with battery) |
Recycling box |
|
Watches (no battery) |
Grey bin |
|
Water filters |
Grey bin |
|
Wet wipes |
Grey bin |
|
Wood/timber |
Recycling centre |
|
Wrapping paper (non-metallic) |
Recycling box |
|
Wrapping paper (metallic/glitter) |
Grey bin |
|
|
|
|
Y |
|
|
Yellow pages |
Recycling box |
|
Yoghurt/margarine tubs |
Recycling sack |