A to Z of what to do with your rubbish and recycling

Find out what materials you can recycle or dispose of in Waltham Forest and how to do it.

Last updated: 9 September 2026

Next review: 9 September 2027

Due to high demand, the NLWA AnyJunk booking system shows availability only when slots exist within 4 weeks. 

If all slots are already taken, no dates will appear on the booking form. Residents may need to check back regularly to see if a slot becomes available.  

Use the index below to find out what we pick up as part of your household bin collection service, and how you can get rid of the things we don’t collect from the kerbside.

  • green recycling: should be placed your green wheelie bin, green communal recycling bin or green recycling sack (depending on the type of property you live in).
  • food waste: should be placed in the outdoor food waste caddy or communal food waste bin (food items only).
  • garden waste: should be placed in your brown wheelie bin.
  • black bin: is not recyclable and should be placed in your black wheelie bin, communal refuse bin or general refuse sacks.

Other items may be suitable for a large item collection or disposing of at a local waste and recycling centre.

This is for residential waste only. Businesses and landlords must use trade waste contractors.

A

  • Aerosol: green recycling
  • Aftershave bottles: green recycling bin
  • Aluminium cans and foil: green recycling
  • Aluminium foil: clean food trays and clean foil wrapping in the green recycling bin
  • Animal bedding: must be placed in the black refuse bin.
  • Appliances: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Asbestos: cement bonded asbestos can be accepted at Hornsey Street HWRC in Islington. Asbestos must be pre-booked before being dropped off at the site.

B

C

D

  • Dairy products: Solid dairy products can go in the food waste bin but nothing liquid, like milk.
  • Dead animals: report a dead animal
  • Delivery bags: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Detergent pouches: Please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Diesel: arrange a hazardous waste collection
  • Disposable nappies: black bin
  • Disposable coffee cups: The inner lining of coffee cups is made from a mixture of paper and plastic and cannot be recycled at home. There are some coffee cup recycling schemes available in some coffee shops, or alternatively dispose in the in the black bin
  • Disposable plastic cups: When made from only one type of material can be recycled. Please empty, rinse them and remember to remove the plastic straw since these are not recyclable.
  • DIY waste domestic only: please take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • ​Dog poo: black bin
  • Doors: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Drink cartons: green recycling
  • Duvets: can be taken to South Access Road Recycling Centre, donated, or put in the black bin
  • DVDs/CDs/videos: take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • DVD Cases: black bin

E

F

  • Face masks: black bin
  • Face cream jars: empty glass jars in the green recycling bin
  • Feathers (natural or synthetic): black bin
  • Fencing: wooden fencing panels, take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Fibreglass loft insulation: take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Fire extinguisher: take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Fish: should be placed in the outdoor food waste caddy or communal food waste bin (food items only).
  • Fish tank: if in good condition please to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre
  • Fish wrapping: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Flowers: brown garden waste bin
  • Fluorescent light tubes: take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Foil: green recycling
  • Foil trays: can be recycled as long as it does not have any food residue or grease on or in it.
  • Food waste: should be placed in the outdoor food waste caddy or communal food waste bin (food items only).
  • Food and drink cartons: green recycling
  • Frozen food bags: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Fridge / freezers: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Fruit fall (excess): food waste caddy/communal food waste unit or preserve/compost at home.
  • ​Fruit / vegetable net packaging: black bin
  • Frying pans: if in good condition take to a charity shop, if not, place in your black bin or take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Furniture: arrange a large item collection for this item

G

  • Garden chemicals: arrange a hazardous waste collection
  • Garden waste: brown garden waste bin
  • Gas bottles: take to a local waste and recycling centre
    (Contact the manufacturer first to see if they are able to take back the item for refilling or disposal. One gas bottle up to 15kg in size, either propane or butane will be accepted per resident at the site.)
  • Glass bottles and jars: green recycling
  • Glasses: Some opticians and charity shops will accept old glasses for repair and shipment to developing countries.
  • Gloves (rubber): black bin
  • Grass: brown garden waste bin

H

  • Hand sanitiser bottle: Empty and rinse well, labels can be left on, green recycle bin
  • Hardcore and rubble: take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Hay: brown garden waste
  • Hedge trimmings: brown garden waste
  • Household batteries: placed inside a regular plastic or carrier bag left on top of your green bin on your collection day. You can also take them to Waltham Forest libraries or to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Household chemicals: arrange a hazardous waste collection
  • Household plants: brown garden bin, plant only no soil

I

  • Irons: placed in a carrier bag on top of your green recycling bin
  • Incontinence pads: black bin, double bagged, to reduce spillage
  • Inhalers: should be taken to a pharmacy to be safely disposed of
  • Ink cartridges: take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Irons: placed in a carrier bag on top of your green recycling bin

J

  • Japanese Knotweed: or any soil that has been near Japanese knotweed must not be placed in any of our bins. Please read advice from the Environment Agency on how to dispose of Japanese knotweed safely and legally
  • Jars: washed and empty, green recycling bin

K

L

  • Lateral flow tests: put all of the items from the test, and the plastic packaging into the small waste bag provided with the kit, and then put it in your black bin
  • Laughing Gas Canisters: Never put nitrous oxide canisters in the recycling or rubbish bin. They can be taken to one of north London's reuse and recycling centres where we will recycle them.
  • Leaves: brown garden waste bin
  • Light bulbs: if they are energy saving take them to your local waste and recycling centre. If they are ordinary bulbs please dispose of them in the black bin
  • Lids (jam jar lids and plastic bottle lids) green recycle bin
  • Lithium batteries: take  to your local waste and recycling centre. 

M

N

  • Nail varnish bottles: black bin
  • Nappies (disposable): black bin. To switch to reusable, washable cloth nappies visit Real Nappies for London and claim your free voucher worth £70
  • Nappies (eco/biodegradable): black bin. These cannot be composted in your brown bin. To switch to reusable, washable cloth nappies visit Real Nappies for London and claim your free voucher worth £70
  • Needles: arrange a clinical waste collection
  • Newspaper: green recycling bin

O

  • Oil: take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Organic waste: Please make sure you do not add plastic bags, soil, turf, stones, rubble, plant pots, painted/treated wood, animal faeces, animal litter, food waste, logs over 30cm in diameter or 2m in length, or any invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed in the brown bin

P

  • Paint: take to a local waste and recycling centre so that it can be reused via the Forest Recycling Project. Leftover paint is also available for residents to take away for free from waste and recycling centres in the brought.
  • Paint stripper: arrange a hazardous waste collection
  • Paper: green recycling
  • Paper Towels: black bin
  • Paraffin: arrange a hazardous waste collection
  • Pasta wrapping: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Paving stones (domestic DIY only): take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Pesticides: arrange a hazardous waste collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Pet food pouches: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Petrol: arrange a hazardous waste collection
  • Phones: can be placed in a local grey electrical recycling bank or taken to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Photographs: black bin
  • Pillows: Duvets: can be taken to South Access Road Recycling Centre, donated, or put in the black bin
  • Pizza Boxes: if greasy or stained with foods then it must be placed in the black bin. Otherwise it is green recycling.
  • Plants (small): brown garden waste
  • Plant Pots: Black plastic plant pots cannot be recycled and should go in your black bin. Any other colour pots can go into your green recycling bin at home. Please remove dirt and soil before putting in recycling.
  • Plasterboard: local waste and recycling centre
  • Plastic bags (any colour other than black): reuse plastic bags as much as possible in the first instance and try to use reusable bags instead. Please put them in your green recycling bin or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator.
  • Plastic bags (black in colour): reuse plastic bags as much as possible in the first instance and try to use reusable bags instead. Please only put them in your black refuse refuse bin if you are disposing of them at home or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator.
  • Plastic bottles: green recycling
  • Plastic cups and straws: green recycling:
  • Plastic drinks packaging: green recycling
  • Plastic film lids: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Plastic food packaging: Plastic bags which hold things like bread, potatoes or salad cannot be recycled at home. Please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Plastic lids: please unscrew and place in the green recycling
  • Plastic Tubs (e.g. cosmetic tub): green recycling bin
  • Plastic wrapping or film: please put it in the black refuse bin, or take it to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Polystyrene and foam: black bin
  • Pots and pans: if in good condition please take to a charity shop or a local waste and recycling centre, or put in your black bin
  • Prams or buggies: local waste and recycling centre
  • Printers: local waste and recycling centre
  • Printer cartridges: place in a standard sized carrier bag on top of your green recycling bin on the scheduled collection day. For communal blocks/flats please take to your local waste and recycling centre
  • Prunings: brown garden waste bin

R

S

T

  • Tape (including sellotape, sticky tape, duck tape, masking tape, etc.): black refuse bin
  • Tetra Pak: green recycling
  • Textiles and shoes: local textiles recycling bank or take to a local waste and recycling centre or if you have two wheeled bins place these items in a standard sized carrier bag on top of the two wheeled bins to be collected by the collection crew
  • Tins, cans and foil: green recycling bin
  • Timber: local waste and recycling centre
  • Tins (biscuits/sweets): green recycling bin
  • Tissues: black bin
  • Toilet roll wrapping: please put them in your general waste, or take them to a collection point at the larger stores of most major supermarkets. Collection point locator
  • Toothpaste tubes: can only be recycled if they are totally clean inside. Unless you cut them open to remove all the contents, they should go into the general waste. Alternatively, Boots (opens in a new window) has a number of drop-off points where toothpaste tubes can be recycled.
  • Trade waste: how to dispose of trade waste
  • Trimmings: brown garden waste bin
  • Trigger Sprays: green recycling, please separate in to 2 parts if possible
  • TVs: arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Twigs: brown garden waste
  • Tyres: try your local garage (they will sometimes dispose for a small fee)

U

V

  • Vacuum cleaner: if in good condition please take to a charity shop, arrange a large item collection or take to a local waste and recycling centre
  • Vapes: Vapes cannot go in your rubbish or recycling bin. Like anything with a battery, cable or plug, vapes can and should be recycled. This is the same for all single-use vapes, rechargeable vapes and those that are rechargeable with a single-use chamber. You can recycle vapes at any north London reuse and recycling centre or use a take back-scheme. Refer to this Vape Recycling Guide for further advice
  • Vegetable / fruit net packaging: black bin
  • Vegware: black bin or check with the individual company website for advice if the vegware can be composted at home
  • Videos/DVDs/CDs: local waste and recycling centre

W

Y

  • Yoghurt pots: Please just give them a quick rinse to make sure there is no food left inside. Remove film lids and any cardboard packaging but labels can be left on and place in the green recycling bin

More information

If we haven't listed an item you want to get rid of, try the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) A to Z.

You may also be able to take reusable items to a charity shop or list them with the Waltham Forest Freecycle group.