A-Z of waste and recyclable items

Our A-Z of waste and recyclable items can be used to find out which items you can put in your bins and which can be taken to your local recycling centre.

It also tells you which container at the recycling centre you need to use for items and if there are any restrictions on the amount of waste you can take.

A

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Aerosol cans	Brown	Scrap metal	Empty domestic aerosols such as deodorants, hairspray and air freshener style can be put in the brown bin.
Asbestos	None	Asbestos (Worsbrough only)	Asbestos is accepted in small amounts by appointment only. You need to make an asbestos booking online before visiting.
Ash	Grey	Hardcore and rubble	Small amounts of clean, cooled ash from your fireplace can be put in the bin. If the ash is from a bonfire, please remove any metal and large items first. You can also add coal ash to your compost.

B

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Bathroom suites	None	Hardcore and rubble	You can take a bathroom suite to the recycling centre. The toilet and sink are classed as rubble which is a restricted material. Rubble is limited to one boot load. For larger amounts you'll need to hire a skip. If you're carrying out large scale home renovations you should use a skip to dispose of rubbish.
Batteries (household)	None	Household batteries	We accept used batteries from most items including toys, household appliances, mobile phones and cordless tools. Many local retailers also accept used batteries and electrical products. Please make sure that you remove batteries from toys, games controllers, TV remotes etc before disposing of them.
Batteries (car)	None	Car batteries	We accept old car batteries, but are unable to accept any other vehicle parts.
Bedding and blankets	Grey	Mixed textiles and clothes	Blankets, bed sheets, pillow cases and quilt covers in good condition can be donated to charity shops for reuse.
Bicycles	None	Reuse or metal	Please donate bicycles for reuse at the recycling centre, or your nearest cycle hub will accept bikes for up-cycling. Find out more at Barnsley Bike Works.
Books	None	Media	Charity shops will accept books that are in good condition.
Bricks and building waste	None	Hardcore and rubble	This is classed as rubble and is restricted to one boot load. For larger amounts you'll need to hire a skip.

C

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Cans (food and drink)	Brown	Food tins and drink cans	Cans should be clean and empty before being put in the bin or recycling centre container.
Car parts	None	None	This is industrial waste so we can't accept it at our recycling centres. Find out which car parts can be recycled by contacting your local car dealers, garages or scrap yards.
Cardboard - including corrugated	Blue	Cardboard	Tear up large cardboard boxes into small pieces before putting in the bin.
Cards (greeting)	Blue	Paper	No metal, foil or glitter on cards.
Carpets and rugs	None	Non recyclable	-
Carrier bags	None	Non recyclable	Re-use carrier bags where possible or replace bags for life at supermarkets.
Cartons (food and drink)	Grey	Beverage cartons (Tetra Pak)	Please wash out cartons before you dispose of them.
Catalogues and brochures	Blue	Paper bank	No metal, foil or glitter.
CDs	None	Media	Charity shops may accept these donations.
Central heating boilers	None	None	Boilers are not household waste. If a new boiler is installed by a trades person it's their legal responsibility to dispose of your old boiler through a private disposal company.
Chemicals	Grey	Household and garden chemicals	Household chemicals and pesticides can be disposed of at the Worsbrough recycling centre by prior appointment. You need to make a hazardous waste booking online before visiting.
Chipboard	None	Wood and timber	Please remove as much contaminants as safely possible (ie metal). We're unable to accept wood treated with creosote or other hazardous chemicals.
Clinical waste	Grey	Non recyclable	Incontinence pads, catheter bags, stoma bags, syringes with needles removed, tubing and peg stomach feeding equipment that is bagged up can be placed in general rubbish.
Clothing	Grey	Mixed textiles and clothes	Items in good condition can be taken to a local charity shop or put in local clothing banks.
Coat hangers	Grey	Non recyclable	Charity shops may accept these as donations.
Coffee pods	Grey	Non recyclable	Most pod manufacturers have a recycling scheme. Please visit their website for more details.
Computer equipment	None	Small appliance, TVs and monitors	Computers in good condition can be reused - ask a site attendant. Make sure all personal information is removed from your device.
Crisp packets	Grey	Non recyclable	Some crisp packets can be recycled at supermarkets and other local locations. Check for the 'recycle at store' logo on the packet.
Crockery	None	Hardcore and rubble	Charity shops may accept items in good condition as donations.

D

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at recycling centre	Details
Dead animals	None	None	Consult your vet, local pet burial or cremation service for more information.
Doors (uPVC)	None	Non recyclable	Restriction of one item of uPVC only. For multiple uPVC items you'll need to hire a skip.
DVDs	Grey	Media	Charity shops accept these as donations as well as our banks at the recycling centre.

E

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Electrical - small items	None	Small appliances	Items in good condition can be placed in the reuse scheme by asking an attendant. Otherwise place these in the small appliance container.
Envelopes - brown	Blue	Paper
Envelopes - padded with plastic	Grey	Non recyclable
Envelopes - white	Paper	Paper

F

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Fence posts and panels	None	Wood and timber	If the fencing panels have been treated with creosote then you need to find a licensed waste disposal company who can deal with this kind of waste. Try looking in your local trade directory or online. If you're carrying out major garden landscaping you'll need a skip.
Fire extinguishers	None	Fire extinguishers and oxygen	Some can be returned to the manufacturer. The recycling centre can accept used cylinders up to 1kg.
Fireworks	Grey	None	Fireworks should be left under water overnight and bagged up before being placed in your grey bin.
Flowers	Green	Garden waste	-
Foil sheets - kitchen foil	Brown	Non recyclable	Clean aluminium foil can go in your brown bin. If it's soiled and can’t be removed by washing then place it in the grey bin.
Foil trays	Brown and grey	Scrap metal	Clean aluminium trays can go in your brown bin. If it's soiled and can’t be removed by washing then place it in the grey bin.
Food tins	Brown	Scrap metal	Please wash tins out before disposing in the correct container.
Food waste	Grey	Non recyclable	Consider home composting or place food inside compostable liner bags for smell-free and eco-friendly disposal.
Freezer or fridges	None	Fridges and freezers	Make sure food items have been removed from inside the fridge and freezer. Commercial fridges or freezers and ammonia fridges (typically from caravans) are not accepted at the recycling centres. You can also ask us to collect large unwanted items.
Furniture	None	Wood and timber, hard plastic, scrap metal and domestic seating	Wooden furniture with no upholstery can go into the wood container. Plastic furniture can go into the hard plastic container. Metal furniture can be put into the scrap metal container. Sofas, chairs and other upholstered seating goes into the domestic seating container. Furniture without soft padding can be placed into the most appropriate container (i.e. metal/wood/plastic etc). You can also ask us to collect large unwanted items.

G

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Garden waste	Green	Garden waste	Items suitable for composting, such as grass cutting, hedge trimmings, plants and leaves.
Gas canisters, bottles and cylinders	None	Gas canisters	Where possible, we encourage any used gas cylinders, bottles or canisters to be returned to the supplier/manufacturer for safe reuse or recycling. We can accept empty domestic LPG cylinders (liquefied petroleum gas). These are typically Calor and B.O.C cylinders (butane and propane) used domestically for heaters and barbecues. We can't accept those used for industrial or commercial use.
Glass window	None	Hardcore and rubble	Restriction of one window. Please do not place window glass in your brown bin as this can't be recycled alongside glass used for bottles and jars.
Glass bottles and jars - any colour	Brown	Glass	Bottles can be collected in your brown bin. You can also use local recycling banks.
Grass cuttings	Green	Garden waste	Home composting is an economical and environmentally friendly way to reuse your garden waste, turning it into compost that you reuse in your garden. Composting bins can be bought online or in most DIY and hardware stores.
Greenhouse	None	Hardcore and rubble, scrap metal, wood and timber	Panes of glass can go into the rubble container. Metal frames can be placed in the scrap metal container. Wooden shelves or posts can go in the wood and timber container.

H

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Hedge cuttings	Green	Garden waste	Hedge cuttings/clippings only. We're unable to accept large branches or tree trunks. Home composting is an economical and environmentally friendly way to reuse your garden waste, turning it into compost that you reuse in your garden. Composting bins can be purchased online or in most DIY and hardware stores.

I

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Ice cream tubs	Brown	Hard plastic	Please rinse before disposing of these.
Ink cartridges	None	Ink toner cartridges	There are several ink cartridge recycling schemes available in local stores or by posting them off. Or these can be brought to the recycling centres.
Insulation	Grey	Non recyclable	Small amounts accepted at the recycling centre. If you're undergoing major loft insulation replacement you'll need a skip to dispose of the waste. If you're having loft insulation replaced by a trades person it's their legal responsibility to dispose of the waste.
Ironing boards	None	Scrap metal	If your ironing board has a resting plate that looks like it may contains asbestos, this can be disposed of at Worsbrough recycling centre by prior appointment. You need to make an asbestos booking online before visiting.

J

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Jiffy bags and padded envelopes	Grey	Non recyclable	Some jiffy-style bags can be easily reused. If they're past their usefulness, most can be separated down to paper and plastic. The paper can be recycled in your blue bin.
Junk mail	Blue	Paper	Please make sure to dispose of any outer plastic wrapping and remove windows from envelopes. To reduce junk mail you can sign up to the Mail Preference Service.

K

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Kitchen foil	Grey	Non recyclable	Clean aluminium foil can go in your brown bin. If it's soiled then place it in the grey bin.
Kitchen units	None	Wood and timber	If you're carrying out your own major kitchen replacement work you'll need a skip to dispose of the waste.
Knives	None	Scrap metal	Larger or combat knives should be treated as weapons and handed in at a police station.

L

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Lawn mowers	None	Scrap metal and small appliances	Manual lawn mowers should be placed in the scrap metal skip. Electric lawn mowers should be placed in the small appliances skip. Fuel tanks need to be empty. Lawn mowers in good condition can be placed in the reuse container by asking onsite staff.
Leaves	Green	Garden waste	Home composting is an economical and environmentally friendly way to reuse your garden waste, turning it into compost that you reuse in your garden. Composting bins can be purchased online or in most DIY and hardware stores.
Lids (metal)	Brown	Scrap metal	-
Light bulbs	None	Florescent tubes	Domestic lights only including bulbs and strip lighting. Please do not place light bulbs in your bin as these need to be brought to the recycling centre so they can be broken down and recycled correctly.

M

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Magazines	Blue	Paper	Magazines in good condition may be better placed in the media bank or donated to charity.
Margarine tubs	Brown	Hard plastic	Please rinse before disposing of these.
Mattresses	None	Non recyclable	You can ask us to collect large unwanted items.
Medicine bottles	Brown	Glass banks, plastic bottles	You can put empty medicine bottles into your brown bin. Medication is not accepted and needs to be returned to your chemist or pharmacy for correct disposal.
Metal items (not food or drink packaging)	None	Scrap metal	-
Milk bottles (plastic)	Brown	Non recyclable	Please rinse before disposing of these.
Mobile phones	None	Small appliances	Please remove all personal information from your mobile phone prior to disposal. Broken phones can be placed into the small appliances skip. Please remove the battery before disposing and place this into the battery bank. Phones in good condition can be placed in the reuse container by asking a site attendant.

N

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Nappies	Grey	Non recyclable	If you'd like to swap from disposable nappies to 'real' nappies, our real nappy incentive scheme offers a grant to help you make the change and use more economically friendly solutions.
Needles and syringes	None	None	Contact your local doctor for advice on the best disposal methods.
Newspapers	Blue	Paper	Newspapers that have considerably aged or are damp will need to be placed into the grey bin or non recyclable skip at the recycling centre.

O

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Oil - cooking	None	Cooking oil tank	Limits apply – we're unable to accept commercial amounts of oil.
Oil - engine	None	Engine oil tank	Limits apply – we're unable to accept commercial amounts of oil.

P

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Paint	Grey	Paint containers	Water based emulsion only. Usable containers of paint may be accepted by local community organisations or charities. Less than 1/8 volume should be left to air dry as they can't be recycled and put into non recyclable skip. Empty tubs can be placed into the brown bin for recycling. Solvent-based paints such as gloss can be accepted at the recycling centre by prior appointment. You need to make a hazardous waste booking online before visiting.
Paper	Blue	Paper bank	Plain greeting cards, junk mail, envelopes, catalogues, brochures, phone directories, newspapers and magazines can be recycled. These must be dry and free from food contamination.
Pet litter tray waste	Grey	Non recyclable	Wood granule, pellets and paper pellets can be composted at your own home.
Petrol	None	None	Please contact your local garage for details on disposal.
Plant pots	None	Hard plastic, hardcore and rubble	Plant pots in good condition may be accepted by local gardening groups or allotments. You could advertise these online. Terracotta pots can be placed into the hardcore and rubble skip.
Plants	Green	Garden waste	Please remove excess soil before disposal.
Plasterboard (clean)	None	Plasterboard skip (Worsbrough only)	Small amounts from DIY activities are accepted - typically a car boot load. For larger amounts you will need to hire a skip. Plasterboard must be clean and free from any bonded material.
Plastic bottles	Brown	Plastic bottles	Please rinse before disposal.
Plastic film/bags	Grey	Non recyclable	Use canvas or material bags for durability and longevity, or 'bags for life' that can be replaced for free when they've reached the end of their usability.
Plastic food pots (eg yoghurt pots)	Brown	Non recyclable	We don't currently have a facility at the recycling centres to recycle these types of plastic. Please place these in your brown bin for correct recycling. Any additional plastic pots, tubs and trays can be placed into a clear bag and left beside your brown bin on your collection day. Please don't include any glass in these bags.
Plastic food trays (eg meat trays, fruit punnets)	Brown	Non recyclable	We don't currently have a facility at the recycling centres to recycle these types of plastic. Please place these in your brown bin for correct recycling. Any additional plastic pots, tubs and trays can be placed into a clear bag and left beside your brown bin on your collection day. Please don't include any glass in these bags.
Plastic food tubs (eg margarine tubs)	Brown	Non recyclable	We don't currently have a facility at the recycling centres to recycle these types of plastic. Please place these in your brown bin for correct recycling. Any additional plastic pots, tubs and trays can be placed into a clear bag and left beside your brown bin on your collection day. Please don't include any glass in these bags.
Plastic items (other than bottles and food pots, trays and tubs)	Grey	Non recyclable	Check with onsite staff to see if the item can be recycled.
Plastic toys	None	Hard plastic	Please remove batteries before disposal. Toys in good condition can be donated to the reuse container - please see a member of site staff.
Polystyrene packaging	Grey	Non recyclable	Please ensure this is removed from cardboard boxes prior to disposal.
Pyrex	Grey	Non recyclable	Pyrex in good condition can be taken for reuse to a charity shop. Please don't place this in the brown bin as it can’t be recycled with the same glass used for bottles and jars.

R

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Radiators	None	Scrap metal	If you're replacing multiple radiators you'll need to hire a skip. If you're having your radiators replaced by a trades person it's their legal responsibility to dispose of the radiators.
Rubble	None	Hardcore and rubble	Small amounts accepted from DIY activities, typically a car boot load. For renovations and construction, you will need to hire a skip.

S

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Sheds	None	Wood and timber	Small sheds can be placed into the wood skip, unless the wood has been treated with creosote and then a licensed waste disposal company will need to dispose of this. You can also ask us to collect large unwanted items. If you're having a shed replaced by a trades person it's their legal responsibility to dispose of the old shed.
Shoes	None	Textiles and shoes	Shoes in good condition can be donated to charity. You can also use local recycling banks.
Soil	None	Hardcore and rubble	Small amounts accepted from DIY activities, typically a car boot load. For renovations and construction, you will need to hire a skip.

T

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Telephone directory	Blue	Paper	-
Tablets/iPads	None	Small appliances	Devices in good condition can be placed in the reuse container by asking a site attendant. All personal information should be removed from your device prior to disposal.
Televisions	None	Televisions	Devices in good condition can be placed in the reuse container by asking a site attendant.
Textiles	None	Textiles and shoes	Items in condition can be donated to charity. You can also use local recycling banks.
Tiles	None	Hardcore and rubble	Small amounts accepted from DIY activities, typically a car boot load. For renovations and construction you'll need to hire a skip.
Tree cuttings - bark, small branches and twigs	Green	Garden waste	We are unable to accept large branches or tree trunks.
Tyres	None	None	Contact local tyre dealers to ask about disposal.

V

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Vapes	None	Small appliances	Empty vapes can be placed in the small appliances skip. If the battery is removable, please place this into the battery container before disposing of the vape.
Videos (VHS and video games)	None	Media	Charity shops may accept these as donations.

W

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Washing machines	None	Large appliances	If your washing machine is in working condition it could be sold online or in the newspaper. You can also ask us to collect large unwanted items.
Weeds	Green	Garden waste	Specialist commercial services may help you dispose of plants with pesticides. Cannabis plants will not be accepted and anyone trying to deposit these will be reported to the police.
Window frames (uPVC)	None	Non recyclable	Restriction of one item of uPVC only.
Window glass	None	Hardcore and rubble	Restriction of one window only. If you're having major construction work you'll need to hire a skip to dispose of waste.
Wood shavings (clean)	Grey	Wood and timber	-
Wooden items	Grey	Wood and timber	-
Wrapping paper - without metal, foil or glitter	Blue	Paper	If it’s in good condition it could be saved and reused for another occasion.
Wrapping paper - with metal, foil or glitter	Grey	Non recyclable	If it’s in good condition it could be saved and reused for another occasion.

Y

Item	Which bin it goes in	Container to use at the recycling centre	Details
Yogurt pots	Brown	Non recyclable	We don't currently have a facility at the recycling centres to recycle these types of plastic. Please place these in your brown bin for correct recycling. Any additional plastic pots, tubs and trays can be placed into a clear bag and left beside your brown bin on your collection day. Please don't include any glass in these bags.