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A-Z of Recycling

Most household goods can be recycled and made into new things. Find out what can be recycled and where with our A-Z of recycling.

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Magazines 

Magazines can be recycled. Put them in your mixed recycling. 

Any plastic wrapping around magazines, such as plastic film wrapping or compostable starch-based wrapping, cannot be recycled in Westminster. Please put these types of wrapping in your household rubbish. 

Make-up 

Origins recycles all empty cosmetic containers from any brand, not just their own. There are Origins counter across London including the House of Fraser and Selfridges in Westminster  

Beauty Banks collect, repackage and distribute parcels with essential personal care and beauty items to their charity partners. 

Mattresses 

Please do not put your unwanted mattress out with your rubbish. We will not collect it and you could be fined. You can either arrange for your mattress to be collected using a bulky waste collection or you can take it to the household waste recycling centre at Smugglers Way .  

Medicine

Unfinished bottles of medicines or tablets should be returned to your local chemist. For larger amounts see information on the City of London Hazardous Household Waste Collection Service  

Metal

Metal tins and cans can be recycled. Just put them in your mixed recycling.  

Scrap metal can be taken to the household waste recycling centre at Smugglers Way

If you have a small electrical item made of metal such as a microwave you can take it to one of the small electrical bins in Westminster.   

Milk bottles

Plastic milk bottles can be recycled and should be put in your mixed recycling. 

Glass milk bottles cannot be recycled - they are made from a different kind of glass to other bottles and jars. Please return them to your milkman or to the shop you bought them from. 

Milk containers (cartons or Tetrapaks) 

Rinse out, squash and add them to your mixed recycling. 

See cartons

Mirrors 

If they are intact and reusable, try selling them to a local second furniture store or through eBay, FridayADFreegle or freecycle. Or donate them to a charity. 

Large mirrors can be collected as part of the bulky waste collection service.  

Don't put them out with your rubbish. We will not collect them and you could be fined.  

Missed recycling collection

Did we miss your recycling? Was you box or bag put out on time? Did it have the correct materials in it?   

If the answer is yes to all of these questions please report it online.   

You could also take your paper, glass, cans and other materials to your local Micro-Recycling Centres

Mobile phones

Companies such as Simply DropSell My Phone or Music Magpie will buy your old mobiles and chargers. You’ll find details on their websites. 

Many charity shops, including Scope, Mind, Marie Curie, Oxfam, British Heart Foundation and Age UK accept mobile phones as donations. 

Alternatively, bring your phones and chargers to our on-street small electrical appliances recycling bins. 

Find out more about what you can do with your old mobile at Recycle now 

Please remove all SIM cards before recycling your phone. 

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Nappies

Though convenient, disposable nappies can't be recycled. Please put any used disposable nappy in the rubbish. You can help protect the environment by using real cloth nappies. Westminster offers a rebate of  up to £48 for all residents who decide to use real nappies for the first time. Find out more about real nappies.  

Needles

See clinical waste

Newspapers

These can be recycled - please put them in your mixed recycling.  

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Office furniture

Westminster City Council offer a commercial collection service.   

Oil

Engine oil and cooking oil can be taken to the household waste recycling centre at Smugglers Way. Cooking oil should never be poured down the sink. As a last resort, cooking oil can be put into a well-sealed container and placed in your normal rubbish. 

Published: 11 June 2021

Last updated: 18 May 2023