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A to Z recycling guide

Use this A to Z Guide to find out if an item will be collected by our recycling kerbside service, can be taken to one of Essex County Council's Recycling Centres (Civic Amenity Sites), or can be taken to an alternative organisation.

A

ItemContainer
Aerosol cansWhite Sack
Aluminium foil topsWhite Sack
Aluminium traysWhite Sack
Apples (including apples fallen due to windfall)Food waste caddy
AsbestosHow to dispose of Asbestos

B

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Bags (plastic)Black Sack or Reuse
Batteries (household)Civic Amenity Site
Bed SheetsCivic Amenity Site or Textiles bag
BeltsTextiles bag
BicycleCivic Amenity site - scrap metal bank
Birthday Cards (no glitter)Blue Sack
Biscuit TinBlack Sack
Bones (cooked chicken, fish etc.)Food waste caddy
Books (hard and paperback)Charity Shop, Book Bank (Recycling site at The Depot, The Drive, Warley) or Civic Amenity Site
Bottle (glass)Red Box
Bottle (plastic) (wash, squash & replace lids)White Sack
Branches (small)Brown bin/Green Bio Sack
Bread packagingBlack Sack
Bubble wrapBlack Sack
Building materials- corrugated ironCivic Amenity site

C

ItemContainer
CandlesBlack Sack
Cans (food, lids inside)White Sack
Cans (drink, lids inside)White Sack
CardboardBlue Sack
Carrier bags (plastic)Black Sack or Reuse
Cat foodBlack sack
Cat food packagingBlack sack
Cat litterBlack sack
CDCivic Amenity Site or Charity Shop
Cereal boxBlue sack
Cereal inner packaging packetsBlack sack
Chicken carcassFood waste caddy
Chocolate boxes (cardboard)Blue sack
Chocolate sweet tray (plastic)Black sack
Christmas Cards (no glitter)Blue sack
Christmas decorations (baubles, tinsel etc.)Black sack
Christmas trees (real)Brown bin/green sack or Civic Amenity Site
Cling filmBlack sack
Clinical WasteHow to dispose of clinical waste
ClothesTextiles bag
Coat hanger (plastic)Black sack
Coat hanger (metal)Black sack
Coffee BeansFood waste caddy
Compost bagsBlack sack
ComputerFreecycle, Computer AidReuse EssexCivic Amenity Site
Cooking OilCivic Amenity site
Cotton WoolBlack sack
Crisp packetBlack sack
CrockeryBlack sack

D

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Dog foodBlack sack
Drinking glassBlack sack (please wrap in newspaper)
Drinks cartonsBlack sack

E

ItemContainer
Electrical item (large)Civic Amenity Site or Special Collection
Electrical item (small)Civic Amenity Site or Recycling Site (The Depot, The Drive, Warley)
EnvelopesBlue sack
Egg box (cardboard)Blue sack
Egg box (plastic)White sack
Egg shellsFood waste caddy

F

ItemContainer
Face masks (PPE)Black sack
Facial wipesBlack sack
Facial wipes packagingBlack sack
Fat- cookingBlack sack (within plastic bottle)
Fish bonesFood waste caddy
Foil (no foil pouches)White sack
Foil trays (no food traces)White sack
Food trays (black plastic) (no food traces)Black sack
Food trays (clear & coloured plastic) (no food traces)White sack
Food wrapping e.g. cellophane, cling filmBlack sack
Fluorescent tubesCivic Amenity Site
Fridge/freezerCivic Amenity Site or Special Collection

G

ItemContainer
Glass (broken)Black sack (you must wrap glass in newspaper)
Glass bottles & jarsRed box
Glass windowCivic Amenity Site
Grass cuttingsBrown bin or green bio sack or Civic Amenity Site

H

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HandbagsTextiles bag
HatsTextiles bag
Hedge trimmingsBrown bin or green bio sack

I

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Ice cube bagsBlack sack
Ice cream tubs (plastic)White sack
Ice cream tubs (waxed cardboard)Black sack
Incontinence padsDouble wrap in a plastic bag and place in black sack
Inflatables - smallBlack sack
Inflatables - largeCivic Amenity Site or Bulky Waste Collection
Inkjet cartridgesSearch online for any charities which accept ink cartridges for recycling or Civic Amenity Site

J

ItemContainer
J clothsBlack sack
Jar lids (metal)White sack
Jar lids (glass)Red box
Juice cartonsBlack sacks

K

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Kitchen rollBlack sack
Kitchen roll cardboard tubeBlue sack
Kitchen roll packagingBlack sack

L

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LeavesBrown bin or green bio sack or Civic Amenity Site
Light bulbs (energy saving)Civic Amenity Site
Light bulbs (standard type)Civic Amenity Site or Black sack (you must wrap in newspaper)

M

ItemContainer
Make-up wipesBlack sack
Make-up wipes packagingBlack sack
MagazinesBlue sack
Margarine tubWhite sack
MattressCivic Amenity Site or special collection
Meat tray (polystyrene)Black sack
Milk bottle tops (plastic) (replace lid on plastic bottles)White sack
Milk cartonsBlack sack
Mobile phoneSearch online for any charities which accept mobile phones for recycling or Civic Amenity Site

N

ItemContainer
Nails (metal)Black sack
Nail varnish bottle (clean)Red box
NappiesBlack sack
NewspaperBlue sack

O

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Oil (cooking)Civic Amenity Site
Orange sacksBlack sack
Oven trayBlack sack or Civic Amenity Site

P

ItemContainer
Paint tinsCivic Amenity Site
Papier macheBlack sack
Paper plates (clean)Blue sack
Paper serviettesBlack sack
PenBlack sack
PencilBlack sack
PhotographsBlack sack
Pizza boxes (no food traces)Blue sack
PlantsBrown bin or green bio sack or Civic Amenity Site
Plastic bags (including clothing & parcel bags)Black sack or Reuse
Plastic bottles (wash, squash & replace lids)White sack
Plastic plant potsBlack sack
Plastic/rubber glovesBlack sack
PolystyreneBlack sack
Potato peelingsFood waste caddy
PPE face masksBlack sack
Pringle tubesBlack sack
Print tonerCivic Amenity Site
PumpkinsFood waste caddy

S

ItemContainer
SaucepansCivic Amenity Site
ScourersBlack sack
SellotapeBlack sack
Shampoo bottlesWhite sack
ShoesTextiles bag
Shopping bags (plastic)Black sack or Reuse
Shredded paperBlack sack
SpectaclesVision Aid Overseas or Civic Amenity Site
Straw - drinking (plastic & paper)Black sack
String/ropeBlack sack
Styrofoam food trayBlack sack
Sweet tinBlack sack
Sweet tray (plastic)Black sack

T

ItemContainer
Tablet pack (cardboard)Blue sack
Tablet pack (plastic insert)Black sack
Tea bagsFood waste caddy
Telephone directoryBlue sack
TetrapakBlack sack
Textiles and clothingTextiles bag or Civic Amenity Site
Tin foilWhite sack
TissueBlack sack
Tissue boxBlue sack
Tissue paperBlack sack
Toilet roll tubeBlue sack
Toilet roll packagingBlack sack
Toothpaste tubeBlack sack
TowelsTextiles bag
Turkey carcassFood waste caddy

V

ItemContainer
Vegetable peelingsFood waste caddy
Video cassette tapeBlack sack

W

ItemContainer
Wallpaper (used or unused)Black sack
WeedsBrown bin or green bio sack
Wine corkBlack sack
Window envelopesBlue sack
Wine glassBlack sack (you must wrap in newspaper)
Wipes (anti bac, cleaning, wet wipes, make-up etc)Black sack
Wipes packagingBlack sack
Wrapping paperBlack sack

X

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X-Ray scansBlack sack

Y

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Yellow pagesBlue sack
Yoghurt potsWhite sack