A-Z recycling guide
Recycling can be confusing, and it can be difficult to know whether you are following all the right rules. We want to help Tower Hamlets residents understand what they can and can’t recycle.
Every household or business in England can recycle a common set of materials. The materials are:
- paper,
- card,
- plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
- glass and metal packaging and
- cartons.
These guidelines help bring about consistency and reduce confusion in recycling.
How and where items can be recycled
A-C
Aerosols: Residents can recycle empty aerosol canisters through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins. Businesses can recycle empty aerosol through the clear, red-striped and purple recycling bins.
Aluminium foil: Residents can place clean foil in their clear sacks/purple bins for recycling. You can also drop off your clean foil at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. Alternatively some charity shops may accept it for recycling.
Batteries: The average household could save up to £50 per year on the purchase cost of batteries by switching disposable for rechargeable batteries or buying mains operated rather than battery operated equipment (or even using solar panels!).
Look out for battery recycling collection points when you are shopping. Retailers selling more than 32 kg of batteries each year must collect household batteries for recycling from the public.
Household batteries can be recycled in special recycling containers at:
Car batteries can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Lithium batteries can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
E-bike and E-scooter batteries can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Bicycles: Adult bicycles can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. Think about passing on good quality bikes to family, friends and neighbours or post on local social network groups. 
Books: Give someone a chance to enjoy your unwanted books and offer them to a friend or drop them off at a local charity shop. There are five Spitalfields Crypt Trust charity shops in the borough that would be grateful for donations of books, DVDs, CDs and good, clean clothing.
Alternatively you can bring books to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. These books are given to the charity Scope to sell in their charity shops.
Bottles (glass and plastic): Glass bottles and jars: Residents can recycle all colours of glass bottles and jars (even blue glass) through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse. Businesses can recycle glass bottles and jars through the clear, red striped recycling bins.
Plastic bottles: Residents can recycle any type of plastic bottles, even cleaning product and shampoo bottles, through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse. Businesses can recycle plastic bottles through the clear, red striped and purple recycling bins. 
Cans: Residents can easily recycle food and drink cans through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins. 95 per cent less energy is used to make cans from recycled aluminium than from the raw materials. Businesses can easily recycle cans through the clear, red striped and purple recycling bins.
Cardboard: Residents can recycle cardboard through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins. This includes brown boxes as well as greeting cards and cereal boxes. Businesses can recycle cardboard through the clear, red striped and purple recycling bins. Make sure all cardboard is broken down and flattened before placing it in your recycling container.
Cards and wrapping paper: Apart from shiny wrapping paper, all other wrapping paper can be recycled. Residents can recycle cards and wrapping paper using the clear sack or purple bins. Businesses can recycle cards and wrapping paper through the clear, red striped and purple recycling bins.
Cartons: Residents can recycle food and drink cartons through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse. Businesses can recycle food and drink cartons through theclear, red striped and purple recycling bins.
CDs: Discs can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Clothes: Take unwanted clothes to a local charity shop. There are several Spitalfields Crypt Trust charity shops in the borough that would be grateful for donations of good, clean clothing.
Alternatively, you recycle them through a network of special charity textile recycling banks throughout the borough. Find your nearest. Textile recycling banks can be used to recycle clothes and textiles in any condition and you can also drop off good quality shoes if you no longer need them (please tie the laces together or put them in a plastic bag to keep them in pairs). The clothing will be hand-sorted, clothing in good condition will be sold in charity shops and damaged items are shredded and made into cloths or used for furniture stuffing.
Swap events will be held during the year to give you the chance to swap unwanted clothes and accessories (and books, bric-a-brac, toys, paired shoes, unwanted gifts).
You could save a considerable amount of money and reduce clothing waste too by:
- Hiring outfits for special events
- Giving your existing clothes a whole new life! Get creative and customize outfits (with lace, sewing), or refashion with accessories such as belts
- Buying second-hand clothing
- Taking advantage of 'hand me down' baby clothes
- Swapping clothes with friends or family or at 'swishing' events
Consider passing on good quality clothes to friends, family or neighbours. Or post on local online groups.
Christmas trees: To recycle a real Christmas tree, residents in blocks of flats should contact their housing manager to find out about local arrangements. Those living in houses can leave their trees on the boundary of their property on their garden waste/food waste recycling day.
Only real Christmas trees can be recycled. Pots, soil and decorations should be removed as these items cannot be composted.
Christmas trees can also be taken to the Reuse and Recycling centre at Yabsley Street, E14 9RG.
Computers and monitors: Computers and IT equipment can be taken to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
The charity Computer Aid takes donations of unwanted computers and equipment. Items are refurbished and distributed for reuse in education, health, agriculture and not-for-profit organisations in developing countries.
Cooking oil: Some companies will collect waste cooking oil free of charge from businesses and recycle it into fuel. Read more about this on our waste cooking oil page. Residents can drop off waste cooking oil at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
D-F
Discs (video and audio): Discs can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Electrical items:
Any item that takes batteries, has a plug, needs charging or has a crossed out wheelie bin can be recycled.
Small portable items such as kettles, small toasters and mixers, cameras, hairdryers, irons, electric toothbrushes, toys, cables, and chargers can be recycled at Idea Stores, Bethnal Green and Cubitt Town Libraries and the Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Medium and large items including fridges, freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers, TV’s, vacuum cleaners, home printers, microwaves, computers, large food processors, can be taken to the Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. Larger electricals items can also be collected by the bulky waste collection service.
If your electrical item is still in good working order, consider passing it on. Maybe family or friends could use it, or you could use websites like Freecycle or Gumtree to give it away or sell it. Local Spitalfield’s Crypt Trust charity shops accept donations of good quality, working portable electrical items.
Many retailers offer take back and recycling
Mobile phones: can be recycled at Idea Stores, Bethnal Green and Cubitt Town Libraries and the Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. Many mobile phone shops offer a take back and recycling scheme.
Engine oil: Engine oil can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Fluorescent tubes: Fluorescent tubes can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Food waste: Food waste is a great resource and shouldn’t go to waste. On average, UK households throw away 1.96kg of edible food every day at a cost of £1.36. That’s £496.40 over the course of a year. Food waste reduction tips.
You can turn your vegetable peelings and fruit cores into your own home made compost. We will provide a low cost composter or wormery for just £5 each. Our junior wormery is suitable for flats without a garden.
You can turn your vegetable peelings and fruit cores into your own home made compost. We can provide a low-cost composter or wormery. Our junior wormery is suitable for flats without a garden.
Some households in Tower Hamlets are taking part in a food waste collection scheme. Collected food waste is turned into compost and soil improver using a special enclosed composter.
Furniture and other large items: If your unwanted furniture is in good condition please contact Emmaus and British Heart Foundation as they can collect furniture to sell on through their stores. Good quality furniture can also be passed on using local groups such as Freecycle, Freegle, Facebook.
Alternatively take your items to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre or request a special collection of bulky waste. For more information see our large items page.
G-I
Garden waste: If you live in a house and have a garden we will provide a reusable green bag for your grass, twigs and leaves and empty it every week. Read more about this on our garden waste collection page. Collected garden waste is turned into compost and soil improver using a special enclosed composter.
You could compost at home to make your own free compost for your garden. Residents can buy compost bins at a subsidised price.
You can also drop off your garden waste at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Gas bottles: Gas bottles can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Glass bottles and jars: Residents can easily recycle all colours of glass bottles and jars (even blue glass) through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse. Businesses can recycle glass bottles and jars through the clear, red striped sacks and purple recycling bins.
Household batteries: see batteries
Inkjet cartridges: see printer cartridges
J-O
Low energy light bulbs: Go to the Recolight map (external site) and enter your postcode to find sites to recycle low energy light bulb in your area, including Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. Some large supermarkets may also provide containers for the public to recycle light bulbs.
Using energy-saving light bulbs is one of the easiest ways to reduce your energy bills. For example, LED bulbs require just 10% of the electricity used by an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light. By replacing one 50Watt halogen spotlight in your kitchen with a 5Watt LED equivalent, you could save over £15 a year with just one bulb!
Traditional lightbulbs also can not be recycled.
Mattresses: some retailers offer a take back scheme for mattresses, when you buy a new mattress.
Mattresses can be taken to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Residents can also arrange a collection of large items including mattresses.
Do not leave mattresses out with your domestic waste as you may be fined for doing so.
Mobile phones: Some companies and charities collect mobile phones for recycling and will send you a freepost envelope to send the phones in. Take a look at the internet to find companies and charities in your area that are collecting mobile phones.
Alternatively you can recycle them at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Nappies: A baby typically gets through around 5,000 nappy changes! Ninety per cent of disposable nappies in the UK go to landfill where they can last for over 100 years. There is now an amazing choice in washable nappies. Boiling nappy cloths and pins are a thing of the past and real nappies now come in a wide range of easy to wash soft and natural fabrics with popper and Velcro fastenings and breathable waterproof wraps in funky designs. With real nappies, you can ensure you are putting natural fabrics next to your baby’s skin as well as saving hundreds of pounds.
P-Z
Paint: Paint can be taken to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre where it is collected and used by community re-paint.
Paper: Residents can easily recycle paper through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins, just remove any plastic wrapping from magazines. Businesses can recycle paper through the clear, red-striped sacks and purple recycling sacks.
Find out about reducing junk mail.
Plastic bottles and containers: Residents can recycle any type of plastic containers such as plastic drink bottles, 
cleaning product bottles, toiletry bottles, plastic pots, margarine containers, ice cream tubs, gift packaging boxes, fruit punnets and yoghurt pots through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse.
Businesses can recycle any type of plastic containers such as plastic drink bottles, cleaning product bottles, toiletry bottles, plastic flower pots, margarine containers, ice cream tubs, gift packaging boxes, fruit punnets and yoghurt pots through the clear, red striped sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse.
Plastic bags: Some supermarkets collect plastic bags for recycling. Reduce plastic bag waste by taking reusable bags shopping.
Printer cartridges: Printer cartridges can be taken to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
You can refill many types of printer cartridges or recycle them at specialist shops such as Cartridge World
Some charities collect empty printer cartridges to raise money by refilling and reselling them. Take a look at the internet to find charities in your area that are collecting printer cartridges.
Each One Counts is the inkjet cartridge recycling scheme that helps charities raise funds.
Scrap metal: Scrap metal can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre. 
Shoes: You can trade your unwanted shoes with your friends or drop them off at a local charity shop. There several Spitalfields Crypt Trust charity shops in the borough that would be grateful for donations of good, clean shoes.
Alternatively, you can recycle them through a network of special textile and shoe recycling bins throughout the borough (please tie the laces together or put them in a plastic bag to keep them in pairs). Find your nearest.
Tapes (audio and video): tapes can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Trays: Residents can recycle plastic food trays through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins, just take off any plastic film and give them a quick rinse to remove food.
Businesses can recycle plastic food trays through the clear, red striped sacks and purple recycling bins, just take off any plastic film and give them a quick rinse to remove food.
Televisions: Televisions and other electrical items can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Some retailers will accept your old electricals for recycling in store when you buy new ones, for more information visit Recycle Now.
Textiles: Clothes can be taken to a local charity shop. There are five Spitalfields Crypt Trust charity shops in the borough that would be grateful for donations of good, clean clothing.
Alternatively, you can recycle them through a network of special charity textile recycling banks throughout the borough. Find your nearest. Textile recycling banks can be used to recycle textiles in any condition and you can also drop off good quality shoes if you no longer need them (please tie the laces together or put them in a plastic bag to keep them in pairs). The clothing will be hand-sorted, clothing in good condition will be sold in charity shops and damaged items are shredded and made into cloths or used for furniture stuffing.
Toner cartridges: Toner cartridges can be taken to Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
You can refill many types of cartridges or recycle them at specialist shops such as Cartridge World.
Some charities collect empty cartridges to raise money by refilling and reselling them. Search the internet to find charities in your area that are collecting toner cartridges.
Wood and timber: Wood and timber including MDF, plywood, chipboard etc can be recycled at Northumberland Wharf Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Wrapping paper: Residents can recycle paper wrapping paper in the clear sacks and purple bins. Businesses can recycle paper wrapping paper in the clear, red striped sacks and purple bins. All wrapping paper, apart from shiny paper can be recycled.
Yellow pages: Residents can recycle yellow pages and other telephone directories through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins, just remove any plastic wrapping. Businesses can recycle yellow pages through the clear, red striped sacks and purple recycling bins.
Yogurt pots: Residents can recycle any type of plastic containers including yogurt pots, plastic drink bottles, cleaning product bottles, toiletry bottles, plastic pots, margarine containers, ice cream tubs and fruit punnets through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse.
Businesses can recycle any type of plastic containers including yogurt pots, plastic drink bottles, cleaning product bottles, toiletry bottles, plastic flower pots, margarine containers, ice cream tubs and fruit punnets through the clear, red striped sacks and purple recycling bins, just give them a quick rinse.