How to recycle items that cannot go in a green box

Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

A-Z Services:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

How to recycle items that cannot go in a green box

Books

Unwanted books, CDs and videos can be taken to some Vale recycling collection points – please check to find the nearest point that takes them. Books can also be taken to charity shops or to book banks at County waste recycling centres.

Cardboard

Cardboard can be collected as part of the Council’s fortnightly Brown bin scheme. Alternatively cardboard can be torn up and added to the contents of your home composter, or taken to one of the County waste recycling centres. Some Vale recycling collection points also take cardboard – please check to find the nearest point that takes this.

Computers and printers

These can be taken to one of the County waste recycling centres for disposal.

Fridges and freezers

Many retailers operate a "take back" service for customers buying new fridges and freezers. Alternatively, you can take your fridge/freezer to one of the County waste recycling centres and leave it for free.

However, we can collect from domestic properties if required. Please note that there is a charge of £22 per fridge or freezer requiring collection. See Special collections of bulky waste for details of how to arrange a collection.

Furniture and household items

The Oxfordshire Council for Voluntary Action’s Furniture Store collects re-useable furniture, electrical appliances and other household items, and then re-distributes them to people on benefits and low incomes. For more information see Free disposal of furniture and electrical goods. If your furniture is not fit for reuse we can collect it from you. See Special collections of bulky waste for information about how to order a collection.

Glass

Sheet (window) glass can be taken to one of the County waste recycling centres where it is collected for recycling.

Greetings cards

Greetings cards can be placed into brown bins along with other cardboard for shredding and composting. For more information see What can and cannot go in brown bins. Christmas cards can often be taken to local stores or charity shops for recycling.

Motor oil

The County waste recycling centres have recycling points for oil and many local garages will take back oil for recovery.

Paint

Old tins of paint should not be included with your normal household rubbish because they are classified as "hazardous". Try and use up any paint yourself, or give it away to friends or relatives to use. Alternatively Orinoco, an Oxford-based charity, will accept usable paint at their scrapstore in Headington which they will then pass on to community projects and members of the public to use. For details of opening hours and how to find the charity's scrapstore please see the Orinoco website.

Plastics

At present only plastic bottles can be placed in green boxes for collection due to logistical and financial restraints. Space on board the green box collection vehicles is limited, and if we were to extend the range of plastics collected to all mixed soft plastics it is estimated that a further two vehicles would need to be added to the fleet, costing approximately £250,000 a year. The situation will be reviewed at the end of the current contract, but in the meantime mixed plastics can be taken to one of the County waste recycling centres or to some Vale recycling collection points – please check to find your nearest point.

Yellow Pages

These should not be placed into green boxes. They can be taken to one of the County waste recycling centres or placed in cardboard banks at some of the Vale recycling collection points.

Tools

Unwanted hand tools can be taken to the Redbridge Waste Reception Centre where they are collected and distributed to charities.