A Guide to Recycling Materials
Aerosol cans can be placed into the green-lidded Packaging Recycling
banks. Please ensure that the aerosols are empty and put plastic lids
into your regular bin. Please do not crush aerosol cans
Clean, used aluminium foil can be placed into the
green-lidded Packaging Recycling banks and into can banks for
recycling. Please do not place the foil into a plastic bag but
crunch up smaller pieces of foil with other foil to make larger
bundles (this make the sorting process easier). Use the “crunch”
test to determine if foil is aluminium - if the foil stays crunched
up, it is aluminium. If not, it is likely to be plastic foil (e.g.
foil crisp packets), which cannot be recycled.
Books in good condition can be reused via book banks, which are located at
some of the Recycling Points, or can be donated to charity shops.
Hard backed books that are not in good condition can be placed into paper banks
or kerbside bags for recycling, if the front and back covers are removed and
disposed of in your regular bin. Sort backed books can also be recycled and
their covers can be recycled in the Packaging Banks.
Cans and food tins can be placed into the green-lidded Packaging
Recycling banks. There are also some separate Can Recycling banks
located at the larger supermarket sites.
Both steel and aluminium cans are accepted. In addition, aerosol cans
can be placed into the Packaging Recycling or can banks. Please ensure
that aerosol cans are completely empty, and that plastic lids are
removed and disposed of in your regular bin. Steel biscuit and
chocolate tins are also accepted. Please clean food tins.
| Yes Please | | No Thanks |
|---|
| Aluminium drink cans | Any other metal items |
| Steel drink cans | Plastic bags |
| Empty aerosols | Aerosol lids |
| Clean aluminium foil | |
| Clean food tins | |
| Steel biscuit tins | |
Car batteries are collected for recycling at the
three Community Recycling Centres at Fillyside Road, Seafield; Old
Dalkeith Road, Craigmillar or Craigs Road, Braehead
There are currently very few recycling facilities for household
batteries in the UK. See http://www.leep.org.uk/tgtw or
contact LEEP Recycling for details of how to reduce the number of
household batteries you use.
Cardboard can be placed into the green-lidded
Packaging Recycling banks or taken to the Community Recycling Centres
at Fillyside Road, Seafield; Old Dalkeith Road, Craigmillar or Craigs
Road, Braehead
Card can also be taken to the LEEP warehouse, behind 36 Newhaven Road
from Mon-Fri between 10 am and 3 pm. Please crush down boxes.
Cardboard drinks cartons (e.g. Tetra Paks) can be placed into
the green-lidded Packaging Recycling banks. Please rinse the cartons
out and squash them down.
Electrical and electronic equipment (any item with
a plug or a battery) can be taken to the Community Recycling Centres
at Fillyside Road, Seafield; Old Dalkeith Road, Craigmillar or Craigs
Road, Braehead for recycling.
Engine oil can be taken to the three Community
Recycling Centres at Fillyside Road, Seafield; Old Dalkeith Road,
Craigmillar or Craigs Road, Braehead for recycling.
| Yes Please | | No Thanks |
|---|
| motor engine oil | cooking oil |
These can be placed into the green-lidded Packaging Recycling
banks. They are recycled with the cardboard and made into paper
products such as bags and packaging. Please do not put envelopes into
paper banks as the glue used to stick them together interferes with
the paper recycling process.
In working
condition, these items may be of use to charities such as the
Edinburgh Furniture Initiative. For further information, contact EFI
on 0131 553 3444.
Broken fridges and fridge freezers can be taken to the three Community
Recycling Centres at Fillyside Road, Seafield; Old Dalkeith Road,
Craigmillar or Craigs Road, Braehead.
Fridges and freezers can also be recycled via a bulky uplift service
from The City of Edinburgh Council. Telephone 0131 529 3030 for a
collection.
Garden clippings and grass cuttings can be taken to the three Community
Recycling Centres where it is collected for composting.
The City of
Edinburgh Council are also expanding their brown bin collection
service for garden waste. Telephone 0131 529 3030 for information.
Garden waste and certain kitchen waste can also be composted. Contact
LEEP or see http://www.leep.org.uk/composting
for information on how to make your own compost heap, or where
to buy a reduced price compost bin.
| Yes Please | | No Thanks |
|---|
| Colour sorted glass bottles | Metal lids |
| Clean glass jars | Corks |
| | Lightbulbs |
| | Glass dishes |
| | Window panes |
| | Mirrors |
The green-lidded Packaging Recycling banks can accept a range of
packaging materials, including
| Yes Please | | No Thanks |
|---|
| Newspapers | Envelopes |
| Magazines | Drinks cartons |
| Office paper | Cardboard |
| Junk mail (no envelopes) | |
| Telephone directories | |
| Books (no covers) | |
| Greetings cards | |
| Yellow Pages | |
Envelopes cannot be recycled with paper as the
glue used to stick them together causes problems during the recycling
process. Yellow Pages directories can now be recycled in paper
banks and kerbside collections in Edinburgh (NB this is only in the
Edinburgh area). The mill used to process the paper now has the
technology to deal with the yellow dye, which used to cause problems.
Please place plastic bottles into the green-lidded Packaging Recycling
banks. Only plastic bottles are collected for recycling due to the
lack of markets for different types of plastic at present. Any other
plastic placed into the Packaging Recycling banks will not be recycled
and is classed as contamination.
Please
remove all lids and dispose of them in your normal bin. Please also
`Wash and Squash' the bottles so that more will fit into the
recycling bank.
| Yes Please | | No Thanks |
|---|
| Coloured plastic bottles | Yoghurt cartons |
| Clear plastic bottles | Plastic film |
| Plastic milk bottles | Plastic food trays |
| | Plastic bottle tops |
| | Bottles that have contained
hazardous substances such
as pesticides and bleach |
Rubble
can be taken to the three Community Recycling Centres at Fillyside
Road, Seafield; Old Dalkeith Road, Craigmillar or Craigs Road,
Braehead for recycling.
| Yes Please | | No Thanks |
|---|
| Stone and Rubble | Plant material |
| Gravel, sand and soil | Wood |
| Cement, concrete and tarmac | |
Scrap metal is collected for recycling at the
three Community Recycling Centres at Fillyside Road, Seafield; Old
Dalkeith Road, Craigmillar or Craigs Road, Braehead for recycling
There are also many scrap merchant dealers in the Edinburgh area who
take metal for recycling. See your Yellow Pages directory for a list.
Solid wood can be taken to the three Community
Recycling Centres at Fillyside Road, Seafield; Old Dalkeith Road,
Craigmillar or Craigs Road, Braehead for recycling.
Most of it is chipped and then used to make chipboard.
| Yes Please | | No Thanks |
|---|
| Solid wood scraps | Eggshell doors |
| Solid wood furniture | Woodchip |
| | MDF |
| | Plastic panels |
Textile banks are run by charities who sort items and sell them on for
reuse. Items that are not in good condition can also be placed into
textile banks and are sold for recycling into various items such as
industrial cloths or carpet felt. Please ensure all items are clean
and dry.
| Yes Please | | No Thanks |
|---|
| Clothes | Carpets |
| Blankets | |
| Curtains | |
| Shoes | |
| Handbags | |
It used to be necessary to collect Yellow Pages directories separately
due to the yellow dye in the paper. Yellow Page directories can now be
recycled in paper banks and kerbside collections in Edinburgh (NB this
is for the Edinburgh area only). The mill used to process the paper
now has the technology to deal with the yellow dye.
Questions?
If you have any enquiries regarding the types of materials that can be
reused or recycled, please telephone LEEP Recycling on 0131 538
5381 or email
LEEPRecycling@leep.org.uk.
