What else can I recycle?

You can take your unwanted and broken electrical items to Regis Road Reuse and Recycling Centre. You can also donate items that are still working to a charity shop or give them away.

Find out more about reusing, repairing, and sharing

Small electrical items 

Single use or rechargeable vapes cannot go in your rubbish or recycling bin. Vapes can be recycled seperately at Regis Road Reuse and Recycling Centre or through a take-back scheme.

You can recycle small electrical items, such as mobile phones, toasters or kettles, using one of the electrical recycling banks located across north London. Check this map to find your nearest recycling point.

If you live in a house or converted house, we may be able to collect your small electrical items, on the same day as your regular recycling.

Order recycling bags for small electrical items or call Veolia.

Large electrical items

AnyJunk, in partnership with the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), provide a free home collection service  for large and heavy electrical items.

Book a free AnyJunk collection of up to four large electrical items. 

You can recycle household plastics using your recycling bin, box or bag. 

What plastics can I put in my recycling bin, bag or box?

In your recycling bin or bags, you can put:

• bottle tops
• kitchen bottles – for example oil
• milk and drink bottles
• laundry or cleaning bottles
• plastic carrier bags - must be empty and untied
• magazine wrappings 
• margarine tubs
• food trays (all colours)
• toiletry bottles – for example shampoo
• yoghurt pots

The best thing to do with carrier bags is reuse them as much as possible, and try to use reusable bags instead. Most major supermarkets will now recycle carrier bags, bread bags and other soft plastics in store. 

Expanded polystyrene and hard plastic can now be recycled at Regis road.

Please do not put these items in your recycling:

• black rubbish bags
• fruit wrappings
• crisp and sweet packets
• nappies and sanitary items
• blister packaging (packaging that is usually sealed and needs to be cut off)
• expanded polystyrene (the kind of sturdy packaging for electrical goods) 
• hard plastic items (like garden furniture, buckets and bins) 
• polystyrene takeaway containers
• compostable plastic (food containers and bags)
• food pouches 
• plastic face coverings and gloves (PPE)

Find out ways to use less plastic in North London

Reusing, repairing  or donating clothes, shoes and textiles 

Good quality clothing or shoes could be sold online, given away or donated to charity.

In Somers Town you can donate to Lifeafterhummus Community Benefit Society for reuse in the the local community. 

Find more tips on clothes with 'My Wardrobe, My Way'

Recycling clothes, shoes and textiles

You can recycle old clothes, shoes and textiles at the Regis Road Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Most things made of fabric can be recycled, including:

• towels
• sheets
• blankets
• soft furnishings – for example a cushion cover

You shouldn't put clothes, shoes or textiles in your usual recycling bin, box or bag at home.

If you live in a house or converted house, we may be able to collect your clothes, shoes or textiles on the same day as your regular recycling.

Order special recycling bags for clothes, shoes and textiles  or call Veolia on 020 3567 8105.

Duvets, pillows and cushions cannot be recycled and should not be put in your clothes shoes and textiles recycling bag.

How are clothes, textiles and shoes reused and recycled?

Wearable clothes and shoes can be distributed through charity shops. Clothes and textiles that cannot be used again can be sold for other uses.

Don’t put any light bulbs or fluorescent tubes in your recycling box or bag. Fluorescent tubes contain hazardous substances which can be harmful to the environment. 

Old style light bulbs should be wrapped and put in your rubbish. They can’t be recycled. 

Energy efficient light bulbs and fluorescent tubes can be recycled at a light bulb recycling point:

Find your nearest light bulb recycling point

Clean aluminium foil can be recycled along with your other recyclables in your recycling bin, bag or box. Please make sure all containers are clean before being recycled.

What foil can be recycled?

You can recycle:

• kitchen foil
• milk bottle tops
• baking and freezing trays
• take-away and ready meal containers
• aluminium can be recycled over and over again, saving 95 per cent of the energy required to make new aluminium.

You can't recycle:

• Silver-look 'foil' packaging such as crisp packets and chocolate wrappings cannot be recycled. They are made of plastic which is coated with a sort of metallic ink.

Do the scrunch test to be sure. If foil can be crushed or scrunched up and does not spring back into shape, it is probably aluminium and can be recycled. If it bounces back then it is plastic not aluminium and cannot currently be recycled.

You can recycle the below types of wood at Regis Road Reuse and Recycling Centre.

What wood can be recycled at Regis Road?

You can recycle:

• packaging waste such as scrap pallets and packing cases
• furniture made from solid wood or 'flat pack' furniture made from board products or DIY materials
• wood from building and demolition activities
• chipboard
• fireboard, including Medium Density Fireboard (MDF)
• plywood
• Oriented Strand Board (OSB)
• fencing - only if not treated with anything

You can't recycle:

• fencing if treated with creosote or any other chemicals
• telegraph poles and railway sleepers
• green waste including logs
• other building materials such as bricks, concrete,tile etc.

 

 

Most household battery types can be dropped off at shops and supermarkets, or at Regis Road Reuse and Recycling Centre. To find your nearest recycling location visit Recycle Now.

If you live in a house or converted house, we may be able to collect your household batteries on the same day as your regular recycling.

Order a recycling bag for batteries  or call Veolia on 020 3567 8105.

These bags are for recycling the following battery types:

• Button
• AA
• AAA
• C
• D
• 9V
• Non-rechargeable batteries
• Re-chargeable (if they are no longer charging)

Car batteries

If you are buying a new car battery they may take your old one for recycling. You can also recycle your car batteries at some garages, scrap metal facilities and Regis Road Reuse and Recycling Centre. Car batteries are hazardous waste and should not be thrown away in your normal household recycling or rubbish.

Natural wine corks can be taken to one of Recorked UK's collection partners. 

Find your nearest wine cork collection point