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C

D

Find your nearest household waste recycling centre.

C

Cans

Food tins and drink cans can be deposited in a can bank at recycling sites or you can put cans in the metal container at your local household waste recycling centre. Some local councils may also collect cans as part of their kerbside recycling collection scheme.

Cans should be rinsed out before you take them for recycling (use your washing up water if possible). There is no need to remove labels from food tins as they will be removed during the recycling process.

Crushing the cans before putting them into can banks will mean more can fit into the bin before it gets emptied, which saves fuel and energy.

Did you know?

Metal for recycling can be identified as two types: ferrous (mainly iron and steel), and non-ferrous (mainly aluminium). You can tell the difference by using a magnet. Ferrous metal is magnetic.

Recycling aluminium saves up to 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminium from bauxite. Recycling 1 tonne of steel cans saves 1.36 tonnes of iron ore and over 3.5 barrels of oil.

Most can banks in Kent accept all types of drink cans and food tins, which are usually separated at the recycling plant by magnetic extraction.

A few can banks may specify a certain material and ask for drink cans or aluminium cans only. You may find local community groups which collect aluminium cans and foil to gain funds for their projects. Aluminium attracts a higher price than steel.

Metal being separated Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation Ltd

01527 597757

Caravans

Older caravans may have scrap metal value so it is worth asking a local scrap metal merchant. Most modern caravans have more plastic content along with other mixed materials so can not be recycled, however, there are companies who specialise in caravan dismantling.

Some people like to re-use old caravans so it may be worth trying to sell it or advertise on a re-use website such as freecycle.

Abandoning a caravan is illegal and you may be liable to pay statutory fees if the council have to remove it.

Cardboard

Cardboard can be taken for recycling to any household waste recycling centre or to a local recycling site and put in the paper and card container. Please check the labels on recycling banks as some only accept either paper or card.

Your local council may collect cardboard via a kerbside recycling scheme.

Did you know?

Cardboard can also be composted. Torn into small pieces, cardboard can be usefully added to the heap to balance the carbon content of kitchen and garden waste, especially if the heap is too wet.

Cards

Many charity shops accept cards for recycling. Alternatively you may like to re-use them by turning them into gift tags for presents. The household waste recycling centres accept cards for recycling, as do local recycling sites.

Carpets

When you order a new carpet, ask if the supplier can take the old one away as many shops are able to send these for recycling, which is currently not an option at the household waste recycling centre. Carpets that are in a good clean condition may be accepted to be re-used by a local charity or furniture re-use group. Carpet can also be used in the garden to stop weeds and makes excellent insulation for compost heaps, speeding up the composting process.

Alternatively, carpets can be taken to household waste recycling centre and placed in the non-recyclable section, or collected as a bulky waste collection by your local council (a charge may be made for this service). Contact your local council for collection details.

Carrier bags

Say ‘no’ to carrier bags and re-use your own bags where possible. You can also re-use carrier bags to line waste bins in the home. Some charity shops appreciate carrier bag donations or you can save them for boot fairs. Many supermarkets now have carrier bag recycling containers.

Cars

To find out how to report an abandoned vehicle see the abandoned vehicles web page.

If you own a vehicle you want to dispose of, we can do this for you free of charge, see our vehicle surrender scheme web page

Catalogues

Most local councils collect catalogues as part of their kerbside collection scheme, contact your local council for further details. These can be put into the paper banks at the household waste recycling centres or recycling sites.

CDs and DVDs

Check with local charity shops as some take DVDs and CDs. Check your local council to see if there are any charity recycling banks near you that can accept these items. The household waste recycling centres can accept these for disposal only.

Chemicals (including mercury)

It is important that chemicals are disposed of carefully. Pesticides are accepted at a large proportion of household waste recycling centre see pesticides. Other domestic hazardous waste chemicals are currently accepted at the following household waste recycling centres for safe disposal:

This waste is collected from site by a specialist contractor. The contractor inspects, sorts and packs the waste with other like materials for onward transportation for safe disposal, usually by high temperature incineration.

Petrol is not accepted at any site, see petrol.

Christmas cards

See cards.

Christmas trees

Old trees can be taken to the household waste recycling centres and placed in the green garden waste containers for composting. Your local council may also be able to take your real Christmas tree for composting if they provide a kerbside green garden waste collection service.
Alternatively, why not buy a Christmas tree in a pot or with a root that can be planted in the garden for use the following year! Some companies now also hire real Christmas trees which are re-planted after Christmas!

Artificial trees are designed to be re-used again and again, but if you do decide it’s past its best, you can take it to the household waste recycling centres; trees with a large proportion of metal may go into the metal container, whilst plastic trees currently go into the waste disposal containers.

Civic amenity sites

See household waste recycling centre.

Clinical waste

If you have clinical waste for disposal, contact your local council for collection. Please do not put any clinical waste into your recycling collection container.

For more information, see our disposal of medical needles page.

Clothes

Charity shops welcome clean, dry, good quality items. You can also take clothes for recycling to your local household waste recycling centre or recycling site, where good quality clothing is sorted and delivered to developing countries for re-use. Worn or torn clothing is recycled into flocking and industrial rags.

Coat hangers

When buying clothing, if you don’t need the hangers, ask the retailer to retain them. You can also take hangers back to many retailers for re-use or recycling. Charity shops sometimes require clothes hangers. Metal hangers can also be placed in the metal containers at household waste recycling centre.

Comics

See magazines.

Commercial waste

See our business waste section. A commercial waste service may be available through your local council.

Composting

Composting reduces waste significantly. Ideal items for composting include grass cuttings, vegetable peelings, tea bags, fruit cores and egg shells. Green garden waste can also be taken to the household waste recycling centres where it is composted into a peat-free soil improver.

For more information look at our composting pages.

Computers

Some organisations take surplus or redundant computers for refurbishment and re-use. Domestic computers and IT equipment can be taken to your local household waste recycling centre. Monitors should be placed in the TV's and monitors container, while other computer or IT equipment such as keyboards, printers and laptops should be placed in the small electrical appliances container. We cannot accept responsibility for protecting personal data left on computers. The recycling process does break up the parts and the risk of data theft is minimal, however please wipe personal files prior to recycling or re-use.

Cookers

If you have a cooker that can be re-used you may be able to donate it to charity, such as the British Heart Foundation’s furniture and electrical shops. Domestic cookers can be taken to the household waste recycling centres for recycling. Alternatively, contact your local council who may provide a collection service (a charge may be made for this service).

Cooking oil

Residents can recycle their used cooking oil at household waste recycling centres across Kent (excluding Hawkinge).

Just one litre of used cooking oil can be converted into a renewable energy fuel and is enough to produce clean electricity to make 240 cups of tea!

The use of used cooking oil in electricity generation reduces carbon emissions, meaning that everyone can play a part in building Britain's renewable energy capacity.

Please ensure you use the correct container on site, ask a member of staff if you are unsure.

For further information, watch the cooking oil recycling scheme television coverage.

For advice on how and where to dispose of cooking oil from businesses such as restaurants and caterers, please visit the NetRegs website.

Crates

Return re-usable crates to original owner.

Cutlery/crockery

Cutlery and crockery in reasonable condition may be suitable for re-use via charities or re-sale. Broken metal cutlery can be recycled in the metal container at the household waste recycling centres.

D

Directories

These can usually be put into the paper banks at recycling sites unless the bank states otherwise. Alternatively, they can be placed in the mixed card and paper containers at any household waste recycling centre.

Disposable food and drinks ware

These are not able to be recycled easily especially once used, so try reducing the need for plastic cutlery and glasses, and paper plates, by hiring for parties instead.

Disposable nappies

See nappies.

Dog waste

Bins for dog waste are provided by your local council in public areas such as parks etc. If you do need to dispose of dog waste at home, please double wrap it and put in the refuse bin in small quantities. Larger amounts may cause offence.

Drink cans

See cans.

Dustbins

Wheeled bins and recycling boxes remain the property of the local council. Contact your local council if you have any enquiries about them or the collection of your waste and recycling.