ADVICE

Contact us or the Recycling Officer at Sheffield City Council/Onyx at 273-5506. They can provide you with advice and help.

BATTERIES

Car batteries contain toxic contents and should be taken to your local waste site. Household batteries are more difficult to recycle and no facility is currently available in the UK. Until collection points become more common try to avoid batteries by using mains electricity where possible, or using rechargeable batteries.

BOOKS, CDs and TAPES

Don't throw them in the bin, pass on to charity shops, schools or to friends.

BOTTLES and GLASS JARS

Reuse these yourself for storage or recycle them at local recycling banks. Before recycling try to rinse out bottles and glass jars and remove any tops and lids.

CANS

Aluminium and steel cans can be taken to recycling banks, or there may be local schemes to raise money

CLOTHING and SHOES

These can be recycled through local textile and shoe banks, or taken to local charity shops for re-sale. Use old pieces of clothing as cloths for cleaning.

COMPOST and ORGANIC WASTE

This includes left over food and garden waste, such as grass cuttings. Wet waste lowers the burn temperature of the incinerator which causes more dangrous pollution. Organic waste fills around 30% of the bin. Why not try composting this waste either at home or at household waste sites? Call RECYC for more information about this.

CYCLES

Re-cycle is a community project and registered charity that renovates old bicycles and sells them. Tel 261 9629 2-4 Chippingham Place Attercliffe Sheffield S9 3SA

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

Reuse is a key method of waste reduction. The City Council recycling officer should know of local schemes that will collect and put items to good use elsewhere, which can have benefits to your community. If you are buying new items, try to buy products that are reliable in order to avoid replacing them frequently.

ENVELOPES

Reuse them by placing stickers over previous addresses. Many charities provide reuse labels, so you can support a good cause as well as reduce your waste.

FRIDGES, COOKERS, WASHING-MACHINES and other WHITE GOODS

If you are buying a new one, why not ask the retailer if they will collect or trade in the old machine. You may also be able to sell or donate them to other organisations for reuse. Sheffield City Council and Onyx can collect other bulky household items. Call 273-4567 for details

FURNITURE and SOFT FURNISHING

Furniture is bulky waste, and again you can call Sheffield City Council to ask if they can collect it. What may be waste to you may be useful to someone else.

HAZARDOUS WASTE

These include pesticides, batteries, weed killers, household cleaners, rat poison, asbestos, energy saving light bulbs etc You should contact the City Council recycling officer to gain advice on the best way to dispose of these products.

INK JET, LASER-JET , TONER CARTRIDGES

You can take your used cartridges to RECYC where they will be donated to a charity for refilling and re-sale. Staples also collect cartridges.You can also buy packs to refil your own cartridges, which saves you loads of money as well as helping the environment. .

JUNK MAIL

Junk mail is a major source of waste that you as a householder are able to control. More and more companies are sending mail to householders without their consent. You are able to take your name off any list by contacting: The Mailing Preference Service, Freepost 22, London W1E 7EZ.. Telephone: 020 7766 4410. You can also send mail back through 'return to sender' with a letter asking to be taken off their lists.

MEDICINES and TABLETS

Medicines and tablets are classed as 'Hazardous Waste'. If you have left over medicines you should consult your local chemist on how best to dispose of them.

MOBILE PHONES

Unwanted mobile phones can be taken to your local Oxfam shop, (see Oxfam ) or Tesco Supermarket.They are worth about £5 each so it really is worth giving them to a worthy cause.

NAPPIES

Over 4% of our waste consists of disposable nappies which end up in landfill sites. Some kind of biodegradable nappies are available for sale, yet not many supermarkets stock them. You can contact the National Association of Nappy Services on 0121 693 4949 to find out about a recyclable nappies alternative to the current 'environmentally unfriendly' ones.

NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES and ALL OTHER WHITE PAPER

Over 30% of the contents of a household bin consist of paper and card. You could recycle these at local paper banks. If you do not want to receive free newspapers or flyers, why not put a notice on your door asking for them not to be delivered? If you use a computer or photocopier, try using both sides of the paper, or recycling scrap paper as notelets.

OIL (engine oil)

It is illegal, dangerous and wasteful to dispose of oil down the drain. Car oil can be recycled at household waste sites . The best way to dispose of Cooking Oil is to place it in your household waste bin, inside a container rather than loose. It is harmful to pour it down the drain.

PACKAGING

Producers have a responsibility to reduce the amount of packaging used on products.. Consumers have a vital role to play-it is your choice to demand goods with less packaging, or to even make different purchasing decisions. Consider buying loose products, for which packaging is not necessary.

PLASTICS

Refuse paper or plastic bags in shops if you don't need them!

REFILLS

When shopping try to buy products that can be refilled. Many detergents, for example, have the option of using refills.

REUSE

Before we think about recycling, it is possible to think about ways of extending a product's life by reusing it. If a product is reused in the same state, it means that the product has gone through no additional manufacturing. Many items in this AtoZ do consider the option of reusing products, such as envelopes, nappies, furniture and electrical items. Many of us reuse without knowing it, through repair, refill and refurbishing. Charity shops provide a good use of reuse, and will take items other than unwanted clothes.

SOIL and RUBBLE

If your soil and rubble is unwanted, you can take it to the household waste site for them to reuse it.

SPECTACLES (glasses)

There are many charities such as Vision Aid that can benefit from your old spectacles. Contact your optician to find out more details.

STAMPS

Many charities benefit from the donation of stamps. You can also take them to the Re-Use Centre in Stannington (see page 4).

TOOLS

There are numerous organisations such as Tools for Self Reliance that will refurbish tools for reuse elsewhere. You can also take them to the Re-Use Centre in Stannington

TOYS

Your local charity shops and hospitals will benefit from good quality toys. You can also take them to the Re-Use Centre in Stannington

TYRES

There is no disposal arrangement for householders' vehicle tyres. Garages are required by law to join a collection scheme, therefore they should keep your old ones when changing them. If you are buying them from a retailer, ask if they will collect your old ones.

YELLOW PAGES

Telephone the Directory Recycling Project on 0800 783 1592.