What you can put in your bins

Check what to do with items that you want to get rid of.

If you cannot find an item in this list, check:

• SLWP bin smart tool
• Kingston Environment Centre
• Recycle Now

Animal bedding

Put animal bedding in your black rubbish bin.

Asbestos

Contact the City of London hazardous waste service to arrange a collection. You must do this as soon as possible to avoid the breakdown and dispersal of the asbestos.

Batteries (household like AA or AAA batteries)

You can take household batteries to:

• any shop that sells a large amount of batteries, like supermarkets
• Household Reuse and Recycling Centre
• Kingston, Hook, New Malden or Tolworth library

Bedding, blankets and sheets

Donate to a charity shop if they’re in good condition, or take damaged ones to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. You can also book a free charity collection from your address.

Books

Donate books in good condition to a charity shop. You can book a free charity collection from your address.

Take damaged books to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Bottle tops (metal, foil and plastic)

Put in your green recycling bin or box separate from the bottle.

Bricks and building rubble (including DIY)

Take small amounts of brick and building rubble to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Large amounts will need to be removed from your home by a commercial waste collection or skip hire company.

Work done by builders and other professionals

Building rubble is counted as commercial waste if the work has been done by a professional. 

We cannot accept any commercial waste at the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Bubble wrap

Bubble wrap is not recyclable. Reuse it if you can or put it in your black rubbish bin.

Take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Bulky waste

Take bulky items like furniture or white goods to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre or book a bulky waste collection.

Car batteries

Take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Card and cardboard

Recycle in your blue lid paper and cardboard bin. 

If the cardboard has food residue on it or is very wet or oily, it cannot be recycled. Put it in your black rubbish bin.

Carpet 

Small amounts of carpet can be taken to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Cartons for food and drink (Tetra Pak)

Cartons for liquids like juice and soup can be recycled in your green recycling box or bin. Make sure you rinse them first. 

CDs

Some charity shops take CDs as donations.

You can also put them in your black rubbish bin or take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Chemicals 

Hazardous waste can be collected by the City of London hazardous waste service. 

China plates, crockery and ornaments

Donate good quality items to charity shops. 

A couple of broken items can go in your black rubbish bin. Take large amounts of broken crockery to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Clinical waste (like needles)

Arrange a special collection for clinical waste

Do not put clinical waste in your rubbish or recycling.

Clothes and shoes

Donate items in good condition to friends, family members, or charity shops. You can book a free charity collection from your doorstep.

Coat hangers

Reuse them where possible and put them in your black rubbish bin if you no longer need them. Take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Coffee

Put coffee grounds in your food waste bin. For coffee pods used in coffee machines (like Nespresso), you can now recycle these at the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. Visit the Podback website for more information.

DIY waste

Some waste from the renovation of your home can be taken to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. You must have done the work yourself, otherwise, it is counted as commercial waste.

Duvets

Donate to a charity shop if they’re in good condition. Take duvets in poor condition to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

DVDs

Some charity shops take DVDs as donations. 

You can also put them in your black rubbish bin or take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Electrical appliances

If the items still work, take them to a charity shop or the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. You can also book a free charity collection from your address for small electricals. 

If the items are large you can book a bulky waste collection.

Engine oil

Take engine oil to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Envelopes

Recycle paper envelopes in your blue lid paper and cardboard bin. You do not need to remove any plastic windows.

If the envelope contains bubble wrap, reuse it if you can or put it in your black rubbish bin.

Flowers (cut)

Put in your food waste bin or your garden waste bin if you have one.

Flower pots

Plastic flower pots are not recyclable in Kingston. Put them in your black rubbish bin or take large ones to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Food waste

Recycle food waste from your home every week in your food waste bin. No food waste should go into your black rubbish bin. 

Furniture 

Book a bulky waste collection to get furniture in any condition collected from your home.

Good condition

Take furniture in good condition to a charity shop that accepts furniture. Some charity shops will collect furniture from your home.

Broken or stained

If the furniture cannot be reused, take it to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Garden waste

Garden waste cannot be put in your black rubbish bin or your food waste bin. 

You can:

• subscribe to the garden waste collection service
• compost at home
• take it to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre

Glass bottles and jars

Put glass jars and bottles in your green recycling box or bin. 

Do not put broken glass in your recycling. Wrap it in paper or carrier bags and put it in your black rubbish bin.

Kitchen roll

Put it in your black rubbish bin. Do not put it in your food waste bin. 

Light bulbs

Fluorescent or gas-filled light bulbs

Take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre or find a local retailer that accepts fluorescent or gas-filled light bulbs.

Filament bulbs

Wrap in newspaper and put it in your black rubbish bin. 

LED lightbulbs

Take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre or find a local retailer that accepts LED lightbullbs.

Mattresses

You can:

• use the Kingston Community Furniture mattress recycling service
• book a bulky waste collection
• take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre

Metals

In your green recycling bin or box you can put:

• food and drink cans and tins
• aerosol containers
• metal jar lids
• foil

You cannot recycle other metals from home. Take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Paint

Water-based

Leave to dry out with the lid off then take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre for disposal. 

Oil-based

We cannot recycle or dispose of this. Contact the City of London hazardous waste service to arrange a collection. 

Paper

Put paper, card and cardboard in your blue lid paper and cardboard bin or clear sack. Remove any plastic packaging around magazines or junk mail. 

Put tissue paper and wet or oily paper in your black rubbish bin.

Pillows

Donate to a charity shop if they are in good condition. If not, take to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Plastic bags

You can:

• reuse plastic bags at home
• check where you can recycle plastic bags
• put them in your black rubbish bin

Plastic film and wrapping

We cannot accept plastic film in your household recycling. This includes:

• cling film
• salad bags
• magazine wrapping
• film lids (like from meat packaging)
• crisp packets
• bubblewrap

You can check where you can recycle plastic film and wrapping or put in your black rubbish bin.

Plastic bottles, tubs and trays

Plastic containers for most food, drink, cleaning and cosmetics products can be recycled in your green recycling bin or box.

This includes:

• meat trays (except polystyrene ones)
• fruit and vegetable trays
• yoghurt pots
• trays for cheese or cold meats
• drinks bottles
• shampoo bottles
• cleaning product bottles

Remove any film or sheets of padding at the bottom and rinse off any remaining bits of food.

Black plastic

Black plastic can go into your recycling box or bin. Ignore any messages, numbers or coding on the packaging (like LDPRE or PET) about whether it can be recycled or not.

Plastic toys, tools and equipment

Take hard plastics to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre, including:

• toys
• kitchen utensils
• coat hangers
• Tupperware
• garden furniture
• washing up bowls

Do not try to recycle in your green recycling bin or box at your home. 

Polystyrene

Put small amounts in your black rubbish bin.

Take large amounts (like packaging for large electrical items and white goods) to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Shredded paper

Recycle this in your blue lid paper and cardboard bin. Take large amounts to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

Shoes

Donate shoes in good condition to a charity shop. You can book a free charity collection from your address.

Take damaged shoes to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Takeaway containers

Recycle plastic and aluminium containers in your green recycling bin or box.

Tins and cans

Rinse and put in your green recycling bin or box. Put large tins like biscuit tins in your black rubbish bin.

Tissue and kitchen towel 

Put it in your black rubbish bin. Do not put it in your green recycling bin or box or food waste bin.

Towels

Donate them to a charity shop if they’re in good condition, or take damaged ones to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. You can also book a free charity collection from your address.

Wood

Wood cannot go in your bins. Take it to the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.