Frequently Asked Questions

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Do you have a query which is not answered here?
Contact Changeworks
Tel: 0131 555 4010
Email: WasteEducation@changeworks.org.uk

Abbreviations TGTW = 'Too Good to Waste'
This is a guide to Recycling and Reuse in Edinburgh and East Lothian. It can be viewed online for a more detailed list of items which can be recycled.

  • Where does our rubbish go when it leaves our homes?
  • All of the rubbish that gets picked up from our homes by the rubbish trucks ends up in landfill sites. If you are part of a kerbside recycling scheme, you should separate your waste and leave it out for the recycling truck to collect on the day marked on your calendar. All the materials collected this way get taken to a sorting facility then recycled.

    The City of Edinburgh Council deals with the expansion of the kerbside collection scheme in Edinburgh. Phone Services for Communities on 0131 529 3030 for any queries on kerbside collections in Edinburgh.

  • Will my house receive a kerbside collection?
  • The City of Edinburgh Council deals with the expansion of the kerbside collection scheme in Edinburgh. Phone Services for Communities on 0131 529 3030 for any queries on kerbside collections in Edinburgh.

  • Where can I find my local recycling point in Edinburgh?
  • Click on the list of Edinburgh recycling points which you can search to find the closest recycling point to your house, or the closest point where a particular item can be taken for recycling.

  • Where can I recycle cardboard?
  • Card can be recycled in the green lidded Packaging Recycling points situated around Edinburgh, and at the three Community Recycling Centres (Seafield, Fillyside Road; Craigmillar, Old Dalkeith Road and Sighthill, Bankhead Avenue).

  • Where can I recycle plastic bottles?
  • Plastic bottles can be placed into the green lidded Packaging Recycling points situated across Edinburgh or into the red kerbside boxes. Find your closest plastic bottle recycling point here.

  • Where can I recycle plastic carrier bags?
  • Some supermarkets run in-store recycling schemes for plastic bags. Check your local supermarkets for details. However, reducing the number of plastic bags you use in the first place is the preferable option. You can do this can by refusing plastic carrier bags in shops and reusing the ones you have.

  • Where can I take my old/unused computer and other IT equipment?
  • There are several charities and companies who accept donations of unwanted IT equipment for refurbishment. The groups who will benefit from this include people with disabilities and New Deal workers. For details, please refer to 'TGTW' under 'Computers'

  • Where can I recycle printer and toner cartridges?
  • Many charities and companies will accept cartridges for refilling and recycling. You can find their contact details under Cartridges in 'Too Good to Waste'

  • Can steel food and drinks cans and aerosols be recycled?
  • Yes. In addition to aluminium cans, clean steel food and drinks cans are collected in green-lidded packaging points. Empty aerosols are also accepted. Please remove the plastic cap from the aerosol and do not attempt to pierce or squash the can for your own safety.

  • Can poor quality clothing and other textiles be recycled?
  • Yes. In addition to clothes in good condition that can be reused, poor quality clothes can be taken to Textile points to provide funding to charities such as Sick Kids and Barnardo's. The textiles are sent to warehouses where they are sorted into different material types and recycled in a variety of ways. For example, wool and cloth coats, jackets and trousers are used as padding in furniture and as sound insulation. The condition of clothing for recycling is important - items must be dry and clean when placed into Textile points.
    Find your nearest Textile point here.

  • Can Yellow Pages be put in regular paper banks for recycling?
  • Yes. Yellow Page directories can be put into Paper Recycling points and into blue bags for kerbside collections. Prior to this, Yellow Pages had to be collected separately due to the yellow dye. Changes to the dye and changes at the mill which processes the paper now mean that the directories can be recycled along with other types of paper.

  • Can envelopes be recycled?
  • Used envelopes can be recycled in the green-lidded Packaging points situated around Edinburgh. They are recycled with the cardboard and made into paper packaging products. Envelopes should not be put into Paper points due to the glue and plastic windows contained in them. This glue and plastic interferes with the paper recycling process and can affect the quality of the recycled paper.

    Envelopes can be also be reused. Many charities and organisations produce envelope reuse labels available in shops or by mail order. For contact details, please refer to 'TGTW' under mail order catalogues.

  • Can my old mobile phone be recycled?
  • Yes. In addition to printer cartridge collection many charity shops also collect mobile phones for recycling. Some supermarkets provide pre-paid plastic envelopes for unwanted mobile phones and their accessories. Many mobile phone stores also provide 'take-back' schemes for customers to deposit their handsets, chargers, batteries etc. for reuse or recycling. To find your nearest store with a 'take-back' scheme please contact your network operator, or refer to 'TGTW' for more information.

  • Where can I recycle my used household batteries?
  • Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible. Although more expensive to buy initially, rechargeable batteries work out cheaper in the long run. Since April 2010 European legislation means that most shops that sell household batteries should have containers for collecting batteries for recycling.

  • How can I get more information about Eco Schools?
  • Contact Helen Stockham, Education Officer, The City of Edinburgh Council, Services for Communities. Tel: 0131 469 5472 or Email: helen.stockham@edinburgh.gov.uk
    Or contact Eco Schools Scotland on:
    Tel: 01786 468 234 Web: www.ecoschoolsscotland.org