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  1. Items starting with: A

    1. Abandoned vehicles

      Report abandoned vehicles to your local council. It is a criminal offence to abandon a vehicle.

      If you want to get rid of a vehicle you own we can do it for you.

    2. Aerosols

      Aerosols can be usually disposed of as part of your recycling collection – check with your local council.

      Or take empty aerosols to any:

      Don’t squash or pierce them.

    3. Aluminium

      This includes:

      • foil
      • food trays
      • milk bottle tops.

      You can usually dispose of aluminum as part of your recycling collection – check with your local council.

      Or take to any:

    4. Asbestos

      Waste asbestos is accepted at all of our household waste recycling centres in Kent with the exception of the Sheerness site.

      You may bring no more than 5 sacks (or equivalent) per month.

      How to dispose of asbestos safely

      The asbestos must be:

      • double wrapped in heavy duty plastic bags (or sheeting) and secured with tape
      • not sticking out from the packaging
      • no more than 10 feet (3 metres) x 5 feet (1.5 metres)
      • kept damp.

      You must wear protective gloves and a face mask and do not break or cut it.

      The asbestos container is kept locked for health and safety reasons. Please ask a member of staff on site to unlock the container for you. They will not be able to help you lift the asbestos.

      For large quantities, or if you need someone to collect the asbestos, contact the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association for a company near you.

  2. Items starting with: B

    1. Baby seats

      Check if your local council will collect baby/ booster seats.

      Or take to any of our household waste recycling centres.

    2. Bathroom suites

      Check if your local council will collect your bathroom suite, or take to any of our household waste recycling centres (1 bathroom suite per visit).

      Charges to dispose of this item

      You will be charged to dispose of ceramic bathroom suite parts at your local household waste recycling centre. This includes:

      • baths
      • bidets
      • ceramic bathrooms
      • cisterns
      • shower trays
      • sinks
      • toilet pans
      • wash basins.

      Find out more about the charges.

      Non-ceramic bathroom suites can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres for free disposal.

    3. Batteries (car, dry cell, portable)

      Don't put batteries in your wheelie bins or black sacks.

      Car batteries

      Take to any of our household waste recycling centres.

      Other batteries

      Includes rechargeable, mobile phone and laptop batteries.

      Take to :

      Or check if your local council collects.

      If you are a Kent school, library, children's centre or Kent County Council facility and have a battery recycling box, you can arrange a collection by calling Valpak on 08450 682572 or visiting the Recycle More website.

    4. Beds

      Beds can be collected either by:

      Or take to any of our household waste recycling centres.

    5. Bikes

      Bikes can be taken to:

    6. Bitumen

      You must take bitumen to a licensed waste management facility.

      We can’t take anything containing bitumen at our household waste recycling centres.

  3. Items starting with: C

    1. Cans

      Cans are usually disposed of as part of your recycling collection – check with your local council.

      Or take to any:

      Please rinse and crush cans before recycling.

    2. Cardboard and card

      Cardboard and card is usually disposed of as part of your recycling collection – check with your local council.

      Or take to any:

    3. Carpets

      Carpets can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centre.

      The carpet should be cut into manageable sizes and secured/tied if possible.

      Or check whether:

      • your local council collects
      • a local charity or furniture re-use group will take it
      • the supplier of your new carpet will take it away.

    4. Carrier bags

      You can recycle your carrier bags by visiting supermarkets and using their carrier bag recycling facility, or asking if your local charity shop could use them.

    5. Cars

      You can report abandoned vehicles to your local council. It is a criminal offence to abandon a vehicle.

      Get rid of your car for free

      We can get rid of your vehicle for free if you don't want it anymore. Complete our vehicle surrender form, or call 03000 41 73 73.

      You'll need the address and postcode of exactly where the vehicle is and a daytime phone number. We'll pass your form to a company which can arrange a date and time to collect the vehicle.

      When the company collects the car

      Please have the keys and log book ready so you can sign the vehicle over to the person collecting it.

      They'll confirm the vehicle has been removed and destroyed and will let the DVLA know.

      When you sign the vehicle surrender form you are confirming:

      • you are the sole owner of the vehicle
      • the vehicle is not registered on a hire purchase agreement
      • you are surrendering ownership of the vehicle to us for free disposal
      • you are indemnifying us and our contractor against any damage caused to your property while removing the vehicle
      • there is no property left in the vehicle, other than the standard fittings supplied with the vehicle
      • the vehicle is in a place where it can be removed by machine without difficulty by the contractor.

    6. Cartons

      Cartons can be disposed of as part of your recycling collection. However, with the combination of materials in Tetra Pak and other cartons this means means they cannot easily be recycled – check with your local council.

    7. CDs

      We recommend recycling your old CDs by taking them to a charity shop, or selling them online.

      Alternatively, you can dispose of them at any of our household waste recycling centres.

    8. Chemicals (including mercury)

      Chemicals (domestic hazardous waste) can be taken to the following household waste recycling centres only:

      We cannot accept any amount of glycerin at our household waste recycling centres. Please contact a private company to arrange disposal.

      See also - pesticides.

    9. Christmas trees

      Real christmas trees

      You can take a real christmas tree to any of our household waste recycling centres or find out if your local council can collect your unwanted tree.

      Artificial christmas trees

      Artificial christmas trees can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres.

    10. Clinical waste

      To dispose of clinical waste, contact your local council for collection.

      See also - disposal of medical needles.

    11. Clothes

      Good quality clothes can be donated to charity shops or dropped off at a clothes bank.

      Alternatively, take your clothes to any of our household waste recycling centres.

    12. Computers

      To dispose of an old computer, check if your local council can collect it or if a local community group can re-use it.

      Alternatively take to any of our household waste recycling centres. Please wipe personal files prior to recycling or reuse. We cannot accept responsibility for protecting personal data left on computers.

    13. Cookers

      Cookers can be collected either by:

      Or take to any of our household waste recycling centres.

    14. Cooking oils

      Never pour cooking oil down the sink as it could congeal and solidify, causing a blockage.

      You can bring your cooking oil to any of our household waste recycling centres, and place into the cooking oil containers.

      What we do with cooking oil

      The cooking oil that we receive is sent on to a treatment facility where it is reprocessed to make biofuels.

      Cooking oil is recovered through a natural process of filtration and sedimentation. The oil is then left for two to five weeks where the sediment is removed and the lighter, purer oil is filtered to create biofuel.

      The biofuel is then used in eco-friendly power stations to generate renewable energy used to power UK homes and businesses through the National Grid. No chemicals are added at any point throughout the recovery process.

      Alternatively, find out how to get rid of cooking oil from businesses.

  4. Items starting with: D

    1. Dishwashers

      Dishwashers can be collected either by:

      Take to any household waste recycling centre.

    2. Duvets and pillows

      We recommend taking duvets and pillows to a charity shop or a homeless charity.

      Alternatively, you can bring them to any of our household waste recycling centres.

    3. DVDs

      We recommend recycling your old CDs by taking them to a charity shop, or selling them online.

      Alternatively, you can dispose of them at any of our household waste recycling centres.

  5. Items starting with: E

    1. Electrical items

      We recommend recycling your old electrical items (if not broken) by taking them to a charity shop, or selling them online.

      Alternatively:

      Do not put electrical items in your bins.

    2. Engine oil

      Engine oil can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres (there's a special container for it). Due to capacity within the container, we recommended that no more than 5 litres is accepted at any one time.

      Find out about getting rid of trade waste oil.

  6. Items starting with: F

    1. Fire extinguishers

      Small domestic fire extinguishers can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres (gas bottle container).

      Business fire extinguishers need to be disposed of by a specialist company - search online or check local listings for details.

    2. Fireworks

      To dispose of fireworks safely, place them with your non-recyclable rubbish. Make sure you’ve soaked them first.

      Always follow the firework code.

    3. Foam and polystyrene chips

      Put out with your non-recyclable rubbish.

    4. Food

      Food waste is taken by your local council.

      Residents can buy a kitchen caddy from most homeware stores or online. Alternatively you can reuse a container, such as an ice cream tub.

      Visit your local council's website to find out what food you can and cannot recycle.

    5. Fridges/freezers

      Fridges/ freezers can be collected either by:

      Take to a household waste recycling centre

      Or you can take a fridge/ freezer to any of our household waste recycling centres for free disposal.

      Old fridges and freezers are hazardous waste due to the gases they contain. The gases have to be recovered safely before the fridges and freezers can be recycled.

      Please ensure that all food has been removed from fridges and freezers before delivery to HWRCs.

      Fridge and freezer drawers can be disposed of in the general waste container.

      For other kitchen items that may be chargeable visit our waste charges page.

    6. Furniture

      Furniture projects can repair and re-use unwanted items:

      Good quality furniture is accepted at Maidstone (Tovil) HWRC for reuse, in partnership with local charity Making a Difference to Maidstone (MADM).

      Waste collections

      Alternatively, your local council may also collect you furniture through their bulky waste collection.

      Household waste recycling centres

      Alternatively take your furniture to any of our household waste recycling centres (HWRC). However, you may need to apply for vehicle vouchers if you are using a larger vehicle to take the furniture to one of our HWRCs.

  7. Items starting with: G

    1. Garden waste

      Take your garden cuttings to any of our household waste recycling centres.

      We accept the following when brought in black bags:

      • grass
      • leaves
      • hedge trimmings
      • plants and branches up to 10cm wide.

      We don’t accept invasive weeds such as ragwort or Japanese knotweed.

      Charges

      Charges are incurred at £5 per bag, if you are disposing from your garden:

      • soil
      • gravel
      • hardcore
      • paving slabs
      • rocks
      • rubble
      • sand
      • soil
      • stones.

      Find out more about our charges.

      Garden waste bin

      Residents can purchase a garden waste bin from their local council.

      Plant pots

      Plastic or fibreglass plant pots can be disposed of in the general waste container.

      Whole plant pots or garden ornaments can be disposed of at our household waste recycling centres free of charge if they are made from the following materials:

      • concrete
      • clay
      • wood
      • metal.

      Any ceramic, clay or concrete rubble from plant pots may be chargeable. Visit our waste charges page.

    2. Gas bottles and cylinders

      Gas bottles should be returned to where you bought it or contact the manufacturer.

      Or take to any of our household waste recycling centres.

    3. Glass (bottles and jars)

      Glass jars can usually be disposed of as part of your recycling collection – check with your local council.

      Or take to any:

    4. Glass (sheet)

      Sheets of glass can be taken to any of household waste recycling centres (ask staff for help).

      Do not put sheet glass in bottle banks.

  8. Items starting with: H

    1. Hangers

      We recommend recycling your unwanted hangers (plastic or wooden) by:

      • donating them to a charity shop or a local care home
      • selling them online.

      Alternatively, you can dispose of them at any of our household waste recycling centres.

    2. Hardcore

      Hardcore can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres.

      Charges to dispose of this item

      You will be charged to dispose of hardcore at your local household waste recycling centre. This includes:

      • breeze blocks
      • bricks
      • cement concrete
      • drain pipes
      • flagstones
      • granite
      • gravel
      • hardcore
      • marble
      • paving slabs
      • rocks
      • rubble
      • sand
      • soil
      • stones
      • tiles (ceramic, clay, slate).

      Find out more about the charges.

      For larger quantities you may need to consider hiring a skip or a company to remove the material. Trade or business hardcore is business waste.

    3. Household appliances

      Check whether your local council will collect.

      Or take to any of our household waste recycling centres.

    4. Household waste

      Your district council collects your household waste bins, including garden waste and recycling, and bulky waste collections (furniture and white goods).

      Contact your district council about:

      • any issues with your bin collection
      • garden waste collections
      • any missing bins
      • bulky waste collections.

      Contact your local council

      Or take any of the following to your nearest household waste recycling centre:

      • cardboard and card
      • garden waste
      • glass
      • paper
      • plastic bottles.
  9. Items starting with: K

    1. Knives

      Knives can be taken to any of our household waste recycling centres (metal container).

      Do not put sharp knives in with your domestic rubbish or recycling collections as they could cause the collection crew harm.

  10. Items starting with: L

    1. Lamps, lighting, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes

      Take to any of our household waste recycling centres.

      Old-fashioned bulbs can’t be recycled - wrap in newspaper and put out with your rubbish.

    2. Lawnmowers

      Lawnmowers can be collected either by:

      Or take to any household waste recycling centre.

      Make sure petrol lawnmowers are empty as we can’t take petrol.

    3. Loft insulation

      Loft insulation can be made up of glass or natural fibres.

      Both materials can be placed into the general household waste bin. If the insulation is made up of glass material, it should be bagged up.

      Please note that loft lagging usually should be removed by the contractor replacing it.

  11. Items starting with: M

    1. Mattresses

      Mattresses can be collected either by:

      Alternatively, take to any of our household waste recycling centres. Some shops may also take back your old mattress.

    2. Medicines

      Take to your local chemist or pharmacy.

      See also needles.

    3. Metal

      Check whether your local council will collect metal (for example stainless steel).

      Or take to any household waste recycling centre for recycling.

      For large items or commercial waste, contact a local scrap metal merchant.

    4. Mirrors

      Check whether your local council will collect.

      Or take to any household waste recycling centre to  be disposed of in the general waste container.

      Some shops may take back your old mirror.

    5. Mobile phones

      Take to any household waste recycling centre (small electrical appliances container).

      Attach the charger if available.

  12. Items starting with: N

    1. Nappies

      Put out with your non-recyclable rubbish.

    2. Needles

      If you administer medicines yourself you are responsible for getting rid of needles, syringes and other medical waste.

      Never put needles or syringes with your household rubbish or recycling.

      Nursing homes and medical establishments

      You should arrange for this type of collection through your normal waste collection contractor.

      Needles used for non medical purpose

      Needle exchange facilities are offered at each of the drug and alcohol hubs in Kent. Find out how to dispose of needles in your local area:

      View a list of pharmacies across Kent that accept needles and syringes (PDF, 121.5 KB)

      Found needles or syringes

      If you come across a needle or syringe:

      • never touch it, try to hide or conceal it
      • never try to dispose of it by kicking it down a drain or putting it in the bin or down the toilet.

      Contact your local council to request a member of their staff to visit the location as soon as possible.

  13. Items starting with: O

    1. Oil tanks

      There are a few companies who may be able to offer a collection service. See the Waste Directory for details.
  14. Items starting with: P

    1. Paint

      Paint can only be taken to your local household waste recycling centre to be disposed of. It is preferable if it is dry and hardened, although the sites can accept wet paint in the size of paint tin you would normally use for household projects usually up to 5 litres.

      No commercial paint or large tins will be accepted.

      The tins can be put into the 'household waste' container as there are currently no re-use or recycling facilities for this waste.

      If you wish to dispose of any empty metal paint cans they may be put in the metal container for recycling.

      To assist the paint drying out, you can leave the lid off the container before bringing it to the centre. You can also add cat litter or sawdust to the paint to assist in the drying process.

    2. Paper

      Take to:

      We recommend shredding anything with personal details on before disposing of it.

      Books

      Books can be donated to a charity shop, your local supermarket's community section or sold online.

      Wrapping paper

      When recycling wrapping paper, make sure any ribbons or bows are removed. If you're not sure whether it can be recycled, remember the scrunch test. If it scrunches it can be recycled!

      Commercial or business paper and shredding is not accepted at any household waste recycling centre. It should be taken to a transfer station.

    3. Pesticides

      Take to the following household waste sites:

      Never put pesticides down the drain. For further information visit the Environment Agency website.

    4. Petrol

      Contact your local repair garage to find out how to dispose.

      If you are storing petrol, you must have a licence. Find out more about storing petrol.

    5. Plasterboard

      Take plasterboard to the following household waste recycling centres:

      It is not accepted at Faversham, Folkestone, Sheerness or Swanley.

      Charges to dispose of this item

      You will be charged to dispose of plasterboard at your local HWRC.

      Find out more about the charges.

      If you're getting rid of plasterboard as part of your business you'll need to contact a waste management company.

    6. Plastic bottles

      Most local councils collect from your house.

      Or take to your household waste recycling centre (household waste container).

      Any plastic bottles that are collected at the kerbside, are transported by KCC to material recycling facilities where they are sorted and re-processed ready to be re-manufactured into new products.

    7. Printer cartridges

      Take to any household waste recycling centre.

      Many charities collect toner cartridges and ink jet cartridges for recycling to raise money for charity.

    8. Printers

      Take to any household waste recycling centre.

      Printers are dismantled and their base materials are either made into new electronic items or end up in mainstream manufacturing.

  15. Items starting with: R

    1. Radiators

      Check if your local council will collect radiators removed from your home, or take to any of our household waste recycling centres for free disposal.

  16. Items starting with: S

    1. Sewage

      If you have a cesspit that needs emptying, contact your local council.

    2. Shoes

      Take to any household waste recycling centre or local recycling bank.

    3. Soil

      Take to any household waste recycling centre.

      Charges to dispose of this item

      You will be charged to dispose of soil at your local household waste recycling centre.

      Find out more about the charges.

    4. Syringes and sharps

      See needles.

  17. Items starting with: T

    1. Televisions

      Check whether your local council will collect.

      Or take to any household waste recycling centre.

      Some charities may take them.

    2. Toys

      Toys in good condition you can take to charity shops, your local hospice or hospital.

      Broken toys can be taken to any household waste recycling centre (household waste container).

      Mains or battery operated toys should be placed in the small electrical appliances container at household waste recycling centres.

    3. Tumble dryers

      Check if your local council will collect tumble dryers.

      Or take to any household waste recycling centre and place in the large WEEE area.

    4. Tyres

      Tyres are accepted at all household waste recycling centres in Kent. Any tyres attached to wheels do not need to be removed before disposing of the tyre.

      Charges to dispose of this item

      You will be charged to dispose of tyres at your local HWRC.

      Find out more about the charges.

  18. Items starting with: V

    1. VHS video tapes

      Take to any household waste recycling centre.

  19. Items starting with: W

    1. Wallpaper

      Take to any household waste recycling centre and place in the household waste bin.

      Do not place wallpaper in the paper bin, as it may have glue on the underside.

    2. Washing machines

      Check whether your local council will collect washing machines.

      Or take to any household waste recycling centre.

    3. Wood

      Take to any household waste recycling centre.

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