For more information you can go to the CEC - City of Edinburgh's website
Information is also available from Changeworks and Sort-it
Aerosols:
Deodorants, shaving foam, low cholesterol cooking spray, cleaning products and hair sprays are common examples of products that come packaged in an aerosol container. Aerosol cans can be recycled at some Can recycling points. Please do not crush the can. The plastic lids should be disposed of in your regular waste bin. CEC will accept them in fortnightly household can and glass Blue Box collections.
Aggregate, Bricks, Concrete, Rubble, etc:
Used concrete can be crushed and screened to make recycled aggregate that can be used in a variety of construction projects. These items can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Aluminium Cans:
Recycling Aluminium saves 95% of the energy used to make the material from scratch. Making one Can from new materials takes as much energy as making 20 Cans from recycled aluminium. Most local authorities advise that aluminium cans be crushed and compacted to save space in the recycling container.CEC will accept them in fortnightly household can and glass Blue Box collections.
Aluminium Foil:
Aluminium foil can be wiped clean and reused. Alternatively, you can recycle used aluminium foil such as ready meal trays, etc at some aluminium can recycling points. Please do not put the foil into a plastic bag before placing it into the recycling point.CEC will accept it in fortnightly household can and glass Blue Box collections.
Books:
Books can be donated to your local charity shop. You can also check with your local library to find out if they accept books in good condition. Books that are not in good condition for donation to charity shops or to a library can be put into paper recycling points as long as the front and back covers are removed.These items can also be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Car Batteries:
Car batteries contain 60-80% recyclable lead and plastic. When they are collected for recycling the lead and plastic are reclaimed and reused. Car Batteries are collected for recycling at most recycling centres and at tyre and battery dealers. These items can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Cardboard:
Small amounts of soft cardboard such as egg boxes can be torn and added to a home composter. It helps prevent water logging and provides a source of essential carbon. Cardboard can also be recycled into stationery, animal bedding, more boxes and packaging material. It may be collected separately or along with paper at recycling centres and points. CEC collects cardboard in Red Box household collections.
Christmas Trees:
You may be able to Recycle your Christmas tree along with your garden waste during the month of January. Please check to see if there are any specific instructions from your Local Authority on how the Christmas tree should be presented for collection. CEC colects Christmas trees in the first week of January.
Engine Oil:
Used engine oil can be cleaned, recycled and used again. Engine oil poured into the ground or into drains, or put into refuse bins (even in a sealed container) can contaminate and pollute the soil, groundwater, streams, and rivers (and it is illegal). Recycling your used engine oil reduces this pollution threat. Oil banks will not accept used engine oil that has been contaminated with other fluids such as antifreeze, solvents, gasoline, or water. Engine oil can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Envelopes:
You can reuse envelopes and other postal packaging by sending them again. Sort It lists shops that sell envelope reuse labels in the eusable items section. Envelopes can also be used for scrap paper. You can buy recycled envelopes and other paper products as a way of reusing them. Some Local Authorities accept envelopes in their paper recycling points. Please remove the plastic windows from the envelopes before disposing them of in your paper recycling point. CEC do not currently recycle envelopes.
Fluorescent Tubes:
These items contain highly toxic mercury powder that can harm the environment. You should not dispose of fluorescent tubes and lighting in bins and skips as they will often shatter and release the mercury powder. Mercury is also a valuable natural resource and therefore recovering it and other materials from the tubes for reuse is an environmentally friendly option. Straight fluorescent lamps and energy saving bulbs can be recycled at Recycling Centres that accept fluorescent tubes. CEC will accept straight and compact (energy saving) fluorescent tubes at Community Recycling Centres.
Food and Drink Cartons (e.g Tetrapak):
Cardboard drinks cartons (e.g. Tetrapak) help enhance product shelf life and can be recycled in some areas along with paper and cardboard. Please rinse and squash the cartons before putting them into the recycling point. CEC collects them as cardboard in household Red Box collections.
Fridges & Freezers:
Various charities and reuse projects accept Fridges and Freezers that are still in working condition. Some retailers will uplift them when you buy a new appliance. You can also dispose of these items at various recycling centres.These items can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Furniture:
Furniture items such as chairs, tables, cupboards, chests of drawers, shoe racks and other household goods can be donated to aid various charities and furniture reuse initiatives. Damaged furniture that cannot be reused can be disposed of at some recycling centres. These items can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Garden Waste:
Biodegradable waste from the garden including leaves, twigs, grass cuttings, small branches and hedge trimmings can be composted in the home composting unit or can be taken to the local recycling centre. CEC collects garden refuse every 2 weeks from March to November. You can also take it to Community Recycling Centres, the nearest of which is at Sighthill.
Glass Bottles & Jars:
All glass bottles and jars must be rinsed clean and lids must be removed. Glass should not be placed into bags before putting them into a recycling point. CEC will accept them in fortnightly household can and glass collections.
Household Batteries:
There is a limited number of battery collection points and recycling centres to collect discharged household batteries. Use rechargeable batteries where ever possible. You can also buy solar powered or even water powered products and help reduce waste from having to dispose of batteries. The Reduce section of Sort It lists a number of retailers selling these alternative energy products. Batteries can be recycled at main retailers and CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Large Electrical Appliances:
Some shops are unable to accept Large Electrical Appliances, as they require to be tested for safety. You can check with local furniture reuse schemes whether they accept electrical items such as washing machines and cookers. These items can also be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Mobile Phones:
Over 15 million mobile phones are replaced in the UK each year and most of them can be reused or recycled. Mobile phones are recycled in accordance with EU legislation and batteries are sent to a specialist reprocessing plant to have metals safely extracted. Various charities accept mobile phones, which also helps them to raise funds.These items can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres, or taken to many charity shops in the city.
Paper:
Paper, including brochures & catalogues, magazines, newspapers and office paper, can be collected or taken to recycling centres. CEC will accept it in fortnightly household can and glass Blue Box collections.
Plastic Bottles (All Types):
Plastic bottles that are collected for recycling are sorted, washed, granulated, melted down and recycled into various items, such as garden furniture, bin liners and compost bins. Please rinse and squash your plastic containers and remove their lids before putting them into a recycling point.These items can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres and Recycling Points at supermarkets. However there is currently no recycling route for other plastic containers.
Scrap metal:
Recycling is an integral part of the steel-making process because the use of steel scrap lowers the total cost of producing new steel. Old, unwanted metals such as gates, barbed wire or broken garden tools can be taken to some recycling centres. These items can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Small Electrical Appliances:
Some charity shops will accept Small Electrical Appliances, such as radios, that can be reused by others, but it is advisable to check with your local charity shop before donating these items. Similarly, you can check with local furniture reuse schemes whether they accept these small electrical items. There are groups that specialise in reuse and recycling of electrical goods such as computers and these companies can be found in the reuse section. Some items are also repaired before they are reused, and items in poor condition are stripped for valuable parts that can be reused. These items can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres, and at specialist recyclers.
Steel Cans:
Recycling is an integral part of the steel-making process. Recycling steel cans saves 74% of the energy used to produce cans from virgin material. The cans should be rinsed out before depositing them in the recycling point. Discarded steel cans' lids tend to be sharp and care should be taken when handling them. CEC will accept them in fortnightly household can and glass Blue Box collections.
Tapes, Audio/Video CDs/DVDs, VHS :
If your area does not currently have facilities to recycle media items, you can donate reusable CDs, DVDs, tapes, records and videos to your local libraries or charity shops to be reused by others. You may be able to sell or exchange these items at specialist and second hand shops. You can find these outlets in the Reuse section of Sort It. Commercially recorded DVDs and videotapes can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres, but home recorded videocassettes cannot.
Tyres:
Every day in the UK over 100,000 worn tyres are taken off cars, vans and trucks, accounting for a total of around 40 million tyres (440,000 tonnes) per year. Retreading is considered to be one of the most preferable and effective methods of reusing worn tyres since the process effectively doubles the life of a tyre, reducing the number of new tyres needed and thereby minimising waste. Alternatively, tyres can be safely disposed of at some recycling centres.Tyres can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres and Tyre Dealers.
Wood:
Wood that is collected for recycling is chipped and recycled into wood fibre products, such as boarding. It can be recycled at CEC Community Recycling Centres.
Yellow Pages:
Because of the way they were printed, Yellow Pages have traditionally been difficult to recycle, as they could be mixed with other paper products. However, there are a number of recycling points that accept these directories for recycling. CEC will accept them in fortnightly household can and glass Blue Box collections.