Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

How to Dispose of all your Waste

 

If you are unsure of how to dispose of an item of waste, this alphabetical list should be able to assist you.  Simply click on the relevant letter below.  If your waste item does not appear in this list, please email customerservices@fareham.gov.uk for advice, and we will endeavour to add it to the list.

 

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

 

A

Aerosols: Can now be collected for recycling; put in blue top recycling bin. They must be empty; please remove loose plastic lids and do not pierce or squash them. Inhalers and carbon monoxide monitors, and aerosols with orange hazard symbols (e.g. insecticides, oven cleaners, paints and automotive sprays) are not accepted.
Alternate bin collections: Recyclables and refuse are collected on an alternate bin collection service .
Aluminium cans: Put in blue top recycling bin.
Aluminium foil: Cannot be recycled in the household recycling bins; it is a different alloy to aluminium cans. Some charities run a collection; otherwise put in household refuse bin. Clean foil can be recycled at Palmerston Avenue car park; or foil recycling bin at Tesco Bursledon.
Ammunition: Household Waste Recycling Centres are not licensed to accept ammunition or explosives. Please contact your local police station for advice.
Asbestos: Householders can dispose of asbestos from their home free of charge at Port Solent Household Waste Recycling Centre, but they must telephone first to ensure there is enough room in the container; and it must be double wrapped in plastic or polythene sheeting, and they must use a vehicle which fits under the height barrier - 1.75m or 5'9". Visitors to the HWRC who have not done so will be turned away. Not all HWRCs are licensed to accept asbestos. The telephone number for the Port Solent site is 023 9221 9819 Trade companies and builders should contact the Health & Safety Executive (this is an external hyperlink) for advice, on 01256 404000.

 B

Batteries: Almost all shops which sell batteries now offer a collection point for used household batteries. They can also be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre licensed to take hazardous household waste, visit www.integra.org.uk (this is an external hyperlink) for further details. On arrival at a site, please ask site staff to direct you to the red wheeled bin where the batteries are collected.  All types of household batteries are accepted, as long as they have not started to corrode and leak fluid.  Car batteries must be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Bedding: See Household Textiles.
Biscuit tins: See Tins
Blankets: See Household Textiles.
Boat Flares: See Flares
Books: Take to charity shop or book bank
Bottles:

• Glass Bottles: Take to Glass Bank.
• Plastic Bottles: Put in blue top recycling bin.

Brita Water Filters: Cannot be put in household recycling bins, but facilities are available. From June 2008, BRITA’s blue recycling bins have been installed at 157 Tesco stores across the UK and at selected Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. BRITA has also set-up in-store recycling schemes with some of the UK’s biggest retailers including: Argos, John Lewis, Robert Dyas and many independent stores. Customers simply need to visit www.brita.co.uk/recycle (this is an external hyperlink)and enter their postcode into the store locator to find their nearest participating retailers.
Building Rubble: Small amounts from households own DIY projects can be taken, in bags to the Household Waste Recycling Centres. Commercial builders must arrange disposal of their own waste as this is classed as trade waste and cannot be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Bulky Waste: Fareham Council will collect bulky waste from your property for disposal. Good quality furniture and electrical goods can be donated to the British Heart Foundation shop at 20, West Street, Fareham PO16 0LQ. To arrange free collection within 48 hours, telephone 01329 826025. 
Business waste: Businesses must make arrangements to have their waste collected by a licensed carrier. The Council's WasteSavers service offers waste and recycling collections for commercial customers. 

C

Camping or caravanning gas bottles: Return to camping shop, or take to Household Waste Recycling Centre. Other types of gas bottles are not accepted at HWRCs (225 Kb) .
Cans: Put in blue top recycling bin (please rinse). Large metal sweet or biscuit tins can go in the blue top recycling bin, but no larger items. There is a physical size limit because large items will not fit under the magnet which runs over the top of the conveyor belt at the sorting plant. Any tins or cans up to the size of a large tin are acceptable.
Car batteries: Take to the Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Cars and unwanted vehicles: Please visit www.yell.com (this is an external hyperlink) for details of car and commercial vehicle dismantlers.
Car tyres: Household Waste Recycling Centres do not accept car tyres. They can be taken to car breakers or tyre fitting companies which can be found at www.yell.com (this is an external hyperlink). Please ring ahead of your visit.
Cards: Put in blue top recycling bin.
Cardboard: Put in blue top recycling bin.
Catalogues: Put in blue top recycling bin.
CDs, videos, DVDs: Take to charity shop or put in book banks.
Chemicals: Household, for example cleaning, DIY chemicals: Further advice on disposing of hazardous household waste is available.
Christmas trees: Christmas trees can be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres. One tree can be put out for collection with your garden waste, on your first collection after the Christmas period only. The garden waste service resumes on 17th January 2011 . There is no need to chop the tree up, just leave it beside your garden waste sack. Maximum trunk diameter 11cm.
Artificial trees can of course be reused.
Clothes, accessories, household textiles: Put in Textile Bank or take to a charity shop. Charity shops can only sell good quality clothes, but clothes which are worn can be recycled in the textile banks.
Coats: See Clothes.
Collection of recyclables and refuse: Recyclables and refuse are collected on alternate weeks.
Commercial waste: Businesses must make arrangements to have their waste collected by a licensed carrier. The Council's WasteSavers service offers waste and recycling collections for commercial customers.
Complaint or comment? If you have a complaint or comment about rubbish or recycling, please telephone 01329 236100 or email: customerservices@fareham.gov.uk and we will try to help.
Composite cartons, waxed juice or milk cartons: Cannot be recycled; put in household refuse bin.
Computer equipment: See WEEE - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Confidential waste: Confidential papers should not be put into the blue top recycling bin because this is not a confidential collection. If you shred your confidential documents, please see the 'Shredded paper' entry for advice.
Cooking Oil: See entry under 'Oil'.

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D

Diesel: See Petrol
Directories: Put in blue top recycling bin including Yellow Pages - they can now be recycled through the blue top bin.
Drink cans: Put in blue top recycling bin (please rinse).
Duvet covers: See Household Textiles.
Duvets: Cannot be put in textile banks; dispose of in refuse bin if they are beyond reuse through a Charity Shop.
DVDs, CDs, videos: Take to charity shop or put in book banks.

E

Electrical goods: Good quality electrical goods and furniture can be donated to the British Heart Foundation shop at 20, West Street, Fareham PO16 0LQ. To arrange free collection for large items within 48 hours, telephone 01329 826025. Broken items should be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre, or Fareham Council will collect bulky waste from your property for disposal. Small items such as toasters can be put in the refuse bin.
Engine Oil: See entry under 'Oil'.
Explosives or Ammunition: Household Waste Recycling Centres are not licensed to accept ammunition or explosives. Please contact your local police station for advice.

 F

Fire Extinguishers: Take to Household Waste Recycling Centre. If it contains Halon, a hazardous gas which is now prohibited, please visit www.yell.com (this is an external hyperlink) for a company which deals with Fire Extinguishing Equipment.
Fireworks: Recommended procedure for disposing of fireworks:  

• Put fully spent fireworks in refuse bin;
• Soak misfired or partly spent fireworks in a container of water for 24 hours in an area where they cannot be tampered with and contact the supplier/manufacturer for advice on disposal.
• If you are unsure if the firework is fully spent, follow the disposal procedure for misfired or partly spent fireworks.

Fish tank chemicals: If hazardous, they should be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Flares (Boat or Marine flares): First contact the place where you originally bought the flares; they may operate a 'take back' scheme. If not, contact your local Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC), who will advise you on how the flares can be disposed of safely. The contact number for the Solent centre is 02392 552 100 More information is available (this is an external hyperlink).
Flies: Advice to minimise the likelihood of flies, maggots and smells in the refuse bin
Flower pots & trays: Put in refuse bin or re-use.
Foil: See Aluminium foil.
Food tins: Put in blue top recycling bin (please rinse).
Food waste: Meat, fish, cooked food: Put in household refuse bin. Food waste can be disposed of at home in a special food waste digester. Uncooked fruit & vegetable waste: Put in home composter, or in household refuse bin.
Freezers: Fareham Borough Council will collect freezers. Please telephone 01329 236100. The British Heart Foundation shop will take good ones, see 'Furniture' for details.
Fridges: Fareham Borough Council will collect fridges. Please telephone 01329 236100. The British Heart Foundation shop will take good ones, see 'Furniture' for details.
Fruit peelings (uncooked): Put in home composter, or in household refuse bin.
Furniture: Good quality furniture and electrical goods can be donated to the British Heart Foundation shop at 20, West Street, Fareham PO16 0LQ. To arrange free collection within 48 hours, telephone 0844 499 4150. Fareham Borough Council will collect bulky waste from your property for disposal.

G

Garden waste: Put in home composter, or take to Household Waste Recycling Centre, or use the Council's Garden Waste Collection Service.
Gas bottles: Domestic camping/caravanning lpg bottles - return to camping shop, or take to Household Waste Recycling Centre Other types of gas bottles are not accepted at HWRCs (225 Kb) .
Glass: Take to Glass Bank.

H

Handbags: See Clothes.
Hats, scarves etc: See Clothes.
Hazardous waste from the household, for example cleaning, DIY chemicals: Further advice on disposing of hazardous household waste is available.
Household textiles, eg duvet covers, blankets, curtains, towels, tablecloths etc: Put in Textile Bank or take to a charity shop. Charity shops can only sell good quality items, but worn ones can be recycled in the textile banks. Duvets, pillows and sleeping bags cannot be put in textile banks; dispose of in refuse bin if they are beyond reuse through a Charity Shop.
How much waste are we recycling?

J

Jars: Take to Glass Bank. Metal lids can go in blue top recycling bin.
Juice cartons: Cardboard ones cannot be recycled. Put in household refuse bin. Plastic bottles: put in blue top recycling bin.
Junk mail: Put in blue top recycling bin; put all plastic wrapping in household refuse bin. See Plastic Bags entry for details of a recycling company where you can post the plastic film wrappings. Contact the Mailing Preference Service (this is an external hyperlink) to reduce junk mail (and unwanted telephone calls & faxes).

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K

Kitchen waste: Meat, fish, cooked food: Put in household refuse bin. Uncooked fruit & vegetable waste: Put in home composter, or in household refuse bin.

L

Lids: Metal jar lids - put in blue top recycling bin. Bottle lids (for example beer bottles, metal screw caps) - put in refuse bin. They are too small for the recycling processing machinery, which screens them out. Plastic milk bottle lids are no longer being collected by Naomi House Children's Hospice shops, or by Fareham Shopping Centre.
Light Bulbs: Standard light bulbs can be put in the refuse bin. Flourescent tubes should be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre which accepts hazardous waste.
Low energy light bulbs: Take to a Household Waste Recycling Centre which accepts hazardous waste.
Liquids: No liquid of any sort is acceptable in the refuse bin because it spills out along the road.
Litter: Street sweepings and litter from bins are disposed of to landfill.
LPG bottles: Domestic camping/caravanning lpg bottles - return to camping shop, or take to Household Waste Recycling Centre Other types of gas bottles are not accepted at HWRCs (225 Kb).

M

Magazines: Put in blue top recycling bin.
Maggots: Advice to minimise the likelihood of maggots and smells in the refuse bin.
Margarine tubs: Cannot be recycled, put in household refuse bin.
Marine Flares: See Flares
Meat, fish: Put in household refuse bin. Food waste can be disposed of at home in a special food waste digester.

Medicines: Take back to your local dispensing chemist.
Mercury thermometers: Take to a Household Waste Recycling Centre which accepts hazardous waste. If the thermometer is broken, take great care when collecting the mercury. Wear rubber gloves, and collect the mercury into a glass jar with a lid.
Milk bottle tops: Plastic milk bottle tops can no longer be taken to the RSPCA Stubbington Ark Centre. There are two other local outlets we are aware of:

• G.H.S Recycling Ltd, 32 Ackworth Road, Shawcross Ind Park, Hilsea, Portsmouth, PO3 5JP. Telephone 0808 100 1456 for further information.
• Unit 7, Wren Farm Industrial Estate, Castle Lane, North Baddesley, Southampton, SO52 9LY (weekdays and on Saturday mornings from 9a.m.—12 noon). Their contact numbers are 07884 220173 or 07795 412662. The tops are recycled into plastic wheelie bins, sign posts and even plastic decking and the company pays Gift of Sight for each tonne of tops recycled. Milk bottle tops can no longer be delivered to the Eye Unit at Southampton General Hospital.

Mobile phones: Can be recycled by a variety of charity schemes, or take to Oxfam shop. Waste & Recycling Officers have envelopes available to post phones for recycling for charity; please contact us if you would like one. Alternatively, visit Recycling Your Mobile (this is an external hyperlink) for further information.
Metal: Cans and tins: put in blue top recycling bin. Other metal items can be recycled at the Household Waste Recycling Centres or put in the refuse bin.
Metal lids: Jar lids - put in blue top recycling bin. Bottle lids (for example beer bottles, metal screw caps) - put in refuse bin. They are too small for the recycling processing machinery, which screens them out.

N

Nappies: Put disposable nappies (bagged) in household refuse bin. The Fareham & Gosport Real Nappy Network offers advice on real nappies. For companies offering laundering services for reusable nappies, please visit www.yell.com (this is an external hyperlink). For more information on the benefits of reusable nappies, please visit the Women's Environmental Network (this is an external hyperlink).
Newspapers: Put in blue top recycling bin.

O

Oil: Cooking Oil: Small amounts of used cooking oil from a household can go in the household refuse bin. Please put the oil in a sealed container such as a glass jar or plastic bottle with a lid, or use rags to soak it up and put them in a plastic bag. Solidified cooking fat can also go in the refuse bin, sealed in a plastic bag. Traders and commercial premises must make arrangements to dispose of used cooking oil through a waste disposal company.
Oil: Engine Oil: This is classed as hazardous waste, and must be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre which accepts hazardous waste. Further advice on disposing of hazardous household waste is available.

P

Paint tins: When empty, put in refuse bin, but tins must be empty. No liquid is acceptable in the refuse lorry because it will spill out along the road. Paint tins cannot be recycled, even metal ones. Paint tins, even if completely empty, are not suitable to be put through the Materials Recovery Facility sorting process, and so should not be put into the household recycling bin. They cannot be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre; empty steel paint tins are not permitted in the metal container; (even if 'completely' empty). This is because any residues in the tin are likely to be hazardous waste as metal paint tins are normally used for solvent based paints. Any remaining liquid paint which is solvent-based can be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre which accepts hazardous waste.
Paper: Put in blue top recycling bin.
Paper (shredded): See 'Shredded paper'.
Paraffin: See Petrol
Peelings (uncooked): Put in home composter, or in household refuse bin.
Performance: How much waste are we recycling?
Petrol: Petrol, diesel and paraffin will not be accepted at any Household Waste Recycling Centres in Hampshire. They are flammable, hazardous wastes and no sites are licensed to accept them. Reuse where possible - just because something is not useful to you anymore, does not mean that it has no use, so try asking your friends and family. If not, a local garage or motoring society may be able to take it (a small charge may apply). They could also be taken to a car breakers, but ring first to check.
Pet waste: Put in household refuse bin. Bedding from vegetarian animals (Guinea pigs, rabbits etc) can go in a home composter. Cat and dog faeces must go in household refuse bin, not a home composter.
Pillow cases: See Household Textiles.
Pillows: Cannot be put in textile banks; dispose of in refuse bin if they are beyond reuse through a Charity Shop.
Plastic bottles: Put in blue top recycling bin (please rinse and remove lids).
Plastic plant pots: Put in refuse bin, or re-use. Abbey Garden Centre at Titchfield no longer accept them for recycling. The Household Waste Recycling Centre at Segensworth take them for recycling. If you know anywhere else that takes them, please email customerservices@fareham.gov.uk and we will add it to this list.
Plastic pots, for example yogurt pots, margarine, ice cream tubs: Cannot be recycled; put in household refuse bin.
Plastic bags: Reuse for shopping or bin liners; dispose of in household refuse bin. Some charity shops collect them to reuse, and some supermarkets have recycling banks in-store for them. Plastic and polythene bags and mailing wrappers can be sent for recycling to Polyprint in Norfolk (this is an external hyperlink). You have to pay postage, and ensure that no biodegradable bags are included because they cannot be recycled. Please check the company's web site for full details.
Polystyrene: Dispose of in household refuse bin. Even though it may have the recycling symbol, there is nowhere to reprocess polystyrene locally. Although it may technically be recyclable, when transport and reprocessing are taken into account it is not worth recycling, economically or environmentally. More information is available.
Problem? If you have a problem with rubbish or recycling, please email customerservices@fareham.gov.uk and we will try to help.
Printer cartridges: For companies offering a printer cartridge refilling or recycling service, please visit www.yell.com.(this is an external hyperlink). Waste & Recycling Officers have envelopes available to post cartridges for recycling for charity; please contact us if you would like one. For Epson cartridges, please visit the Epson website (this is an external hyperlink).

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R

Recycling rate: How much waste are we recycling?
Recycling and refuse collections: Recyclables and refuse are collected on alternate weeks.
Refuse: Put in household refuse bin. Any waste beside the bin will not be collected. Excess can be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres.

S

Sheets: See Household Textiles.
Shoes: Put in Textile Bank or take to a charity shop.
Shredded paper: Cannot be recycled in blue top bins because it clogs up the machinery at the sorting plant. Put in refuse bin, or it can be composted in a home composter; mix well with wetter material such as grass clippings. It can also be put in a paper bank, these are emptied and the paper taken straight to the mill so shredded material will not be lost.
Sleeping bags: Cannot be put in textile banks; dispose of in refuse bin if they are beyond reuse through a Charity Shop.
Smelly bins: Advice to minimise the likelihood of smells and maggots in the refuse bin.
Sweet tins: See tins.

T

Tablecloths, cloth napkins etc: See Household Textiles.
Televisions: See WEEE - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Tetrapaks: Cannot be recycled; put in household refuse bin.
Textiles: See Household Textiles or Clothes.
Tins: Put in blue top recycling bin (please rinse and remove lids).Large metal sweet or biscuit tins can go in the blue top recycling bin, but no larger metal items. There is a physical size limit because large items will not fit under the magnet which runs over the top of the conveyor belt at the sorting plant. Any tins or cans up to the size of a large tin are acceptable, except paint tins. Paint tins are not recyclable - see the "paint tins" entry in this  A-Z.
Trade waste: Businesses must make arrangements to have their waste collected by a licensed carrier. The Council's WasteSavers service offers waste and recycling collections for commercial customers.
Tyres: The Household Waste Recycling Centres no longer accept tyres. You are advised to contact your local garage or car breaker. Most tyre fitters will take your old tyres if you have bought new ones from them. If you have a lot, please visit www.yell.com (this is an external hyperlink) for details of tyre dealers, who may take them for disposal, but will charge.

V

Vegetable waste: Uncooked: Put in home composter, or in household refuse bin. Cooked: Put in household refuse bin.
Vehicles: Please visit www.yell.com (this is an external hyperlink) for details of car and commercial vehicle dismantlers.
Videos, CDs, DVDs: Take to charity shop or put in book banks.

W

Waste collection: Recyclables and refuse are collected on alternate weeks.
Water Filters: See Brita entry.
Waxed cartons, for example fruit juice, milk, fabric wash cartons: Cannot be recycled; put in household refuse bin.
WEEE - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment: This includes all electrical equipment such as TVs and computers. Householders can take items to theHousehold Waste Recycling Centres. There are a number of companies who may take computer equipment for recycling. Jamie's Computer Club (this is an external hyperlink), in Southampton take equipment for reuse. it-green.co.uk (this is an external hyperlink) are licensed to remove IT waste from premises within the UK . Maxitech Limited (this is an external hyperlink) provide a recycling service for computer and electronic equipment for local businesses in the Fareham area. Green Magnet (this is an external hyperlink) will collect from householders for a small charge.
Wrapping paper: Cannot be recycled, it is often not paper but plastic based. Put in household refuse bin.

X

Xmas trees: Take to the Household Waste Recycling Centres. Artificial ones can of course be reused.

Y

Yellow pages: Can now be recycled in blue top recycling bin, or put in paper banks. You can avoid having a paper copy at all by using yell.com (this is an external hyperlink). To cancel delivery of future directories to your address, call the Directory Team on 0800 671 444.
Yogurt pots: Cannot be recycled; put in household refuse bin.
Yogurt drink bottles: Plastic bottles, put in blue top recycling bin (rinsed)

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