Medicine bottles

Any unused medicines should be returned to your local chemist or pharmacy. Do not pass them on to other people. Empty glass bottles can be rinsed and placed in your blue recycling box for collection and plastic bottles can go in your green/black recycling box. Bottle lids can remain on. Glass and plastic bottles can also be taken to a recycling centre or a bottle recycling bank.

Medicines - old

Chemicals, eg. old medicines and other household chemicals can be disposed of at your local recycling centre. They must be in a securely labelled container to be placed in the hazardous waste store. There is a limit 5 of litres. Alternatively you can return them to your local chemist or pharmacy.

Metal

Empty aerosol cans, drinks cans, and food tins should be put in your recycling box. Many metals can be re-used by the scrap metal industry. Either contact a local scrap merchant or take to your local recycling centre.

Milk bottles

If you buy your milk in plastic bottles from supermarkets, you can recycle them by placing them in your green/black recycling box (wash and squash). Plastic milk bottles can also be recycled at one of many plastic bottle banks located around the district. Otherwise, try and buy your milk in returnable glass bottles and make sure that you return them to the 'milk man'. On average the glass milk bottles used by the milkmen are reused 24 times. This saves energy and resources each time they are returned to the milkman. Please do not take reusable glass milk bottles to a 'bottle bank', ensure they are returned to the milkman or dairy. 

Mobile phones

Small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) such as kettles, toasters and mobile phones. Loose cables (mobile phone and computer cables) can also be recycled in your green/black recycling bag or box. All items should be no larger than a standard-sized carrier bag. Alternatively, mobile phones and their associated accessories can be recycled at one of many take back schemes.

Motor oil

Up to 5 litres of motor oil can be accepted from householders at recycling centres, where measures to handle and store such wastes are in place. All wastes in this category must be handed over to the site operator at the recycling centre in a suitable, secure container, with the contents clearly marked or they will not be accepted.

Motor oil containers 

Empty motor oil containers are not accepted in your recycling and should be disposed of in your black wheelie bin. If there is any oil left inside the container, it should be taken to your nearest recycling centre.

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Nappies

Nappies should be placed in your black general waste bin. You only use disposable nappies for a few hours but they can take hundreds of years to break down in landfill sites. If you have to use disposable nappies, choose ones that are dioxin free and/or unbleached (this should be marked on the packaging). An alternative is to use cloth nappies which can be reused over and over again.

Needles

We offer a clinical waste collection service for sharps. Needles are hazardous to those that come into contact with them so cannot be collected with your general waste.

Newspaper

By using recycled paper and recycling waste paper you will help to protect our environment. You can recycle any white coloured paper, newspapers, white paper directories, magazines, junk mail, and holiday brochures in your green bag. Paper must be kept dry, so please keep the bag folded over if it's raining. Alternatively, paper can be taken to a recycling bank or your local recycling centre.

Night storage heaters

Night Storage Heaters containing asbestos may be disposed of free of charge at the recycling centre, but must be booked in advance. The whole heater must be double wrapped in plastic and sealed. Please contact Devon County Council Waste Management on 0345 155 1010 to book.