Rubbish is not necessarily rubbish. Something you might throw away can be useful to someone else, or can be processed into something new.
If we take a little time to sort out our rubbish, we are doing our bit to cut down on waste. Here’s what you can do in the Baker Street area:
- Sort out your glass bottles
Take them to the bottle bank at the corner of Baker Street and Howard Street - Collect your unwanted shoes, put a pair in a bag
Take them to the shoe bank at the corner of Baker Street and Howard Street - Separate your cardboard packaging and put it in the red recycling bins for collection
Detailed list of recycling options
| Aluminium Foil | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Asbestos | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Household batteries | Put in a clear bag on top of your red bin on collection day |
| Beds and furniture | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP The council can arrange a collection, but they will charge you for it. |
| Bicycles | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Books | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. |
| Bric-a-brac | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. |
| Brita Water Filters | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Business Waste | Has to be paid for disposal |
| Cans | Can be recycled in a red bin Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Cardboard and Cards | Can be recycled in a red bin Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Carpet | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Cars | The council operates a vehicle surrender scheme. |
| Cassettes/CDs | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. |
| Chemicals | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Clinical Waste | Contact council for a confidential collection |
| Clothing and Shoes | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be put in the disposal containers at the junction of Howard Street and Baker Street. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Composting | Consider a composter |
| Computers | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Cookers | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP The council can arrange a collection, but they will charge you for it. |
| Cooking Oil | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Drink Cartons etc. | Can be put in other disposal containers such as Rivermead, Palmer Park and Tilehurst Triangle |
| DIY Waste | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| DVDs/Videos | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Electrical Items | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Envelopes, paper | Can be recycled in a red bin |
| Envelopes, other | Cannot be recycled |
| Fire Extinguishers | Send back to original supplier / manufacturer, or follow instructions on packaging |
| Fluorescent Tubes | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. (max 3 tubes / trip) |
| Food Waste | Compost |
| Furniture | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP The council can arrange a collection, but they will charge you for it. |
| Garden Waste | Put in green bin / compost |
| Gas Bottles | Send back to original supplier / manufacturer, or follow instructions on packaging |
| Glass | Can be put in the disposal containers at the junction of Howard Street and Baker Street. Can be put in other disposal containers such as Rivermead, Palmer Park and Tilehurst Triangle Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Hardcore & Rubble | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP Small quantities only. Otherwise hire a skip |
| Junk Mail | Can be recycled in a red bin |
| Light Bulbs | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Litter | Use street litter bins |
| Medicines | Return to pharmacist or doctor |
| Metal, bulk | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP The council can arrange a collection, but they will charge you for it. |
| Mobile Phones | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. |
| Newspapers | Can be recycled in a red bin |
| Oil (from vehicles) | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP up to 10 litres |
| Paper | Can be recycled in a red bin |
| Paint | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP Small quantities only |
| Pallets | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Phone Directories | Can be recycled in a red bin |
| Plant Pots | Give them to a gardener! |
| Plastic Bags | Cannot be recycled Reuse or return to store |
| Plastic Bottles | Can be recycled in a red bin (tops go in grey bin) |
| Plastics (other) | Cannot be recycled |
| Printer Ink Toners | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Send back to original supplier / manufacturer, or follow instructions on packaging Also Staples |
| Records (vinyl) | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. |
| Shoes | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Spectacles | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP or optician |
| Tetrapaks | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP Can be put in other disposal containers such as Rivermead, Palmer Park and Tilehurst Triangle |
| Tools | Contact charity shops – if there’s enough, they may collect it for free. Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Trees | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP Branches ≤ 100mm thick go in green bin |
| Tyres/inner tubes | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP Small numbers only |
| Water Filters-Brita | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| White Goods | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Windows | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
| Wood | Can be taken to Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, RG2 0RP |
See the Reading Borough Council website for further information on recycling in Reading.