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If you are unsure of how to dispose of an item of waste, this alphabetical list should help. Click on the relevant letter below. If your waste item does not appear in this list, please email us at customerservicecentre@fareham.gov.uk for advice and we will aim to add it to the list.
Absorbent paper: Paper designed to soak up liquid cannot be recycled. Put in general refuse bin. This includes tissues, kitchen roll, toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins etc.
Aerosols: Are collected for recycling; put in blue top recycling bin. They must be empty. 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.
Aluminium cans: Put in your blue top recycling bin.
Aluminium foil: Cannot be put in your recycling bin. Some charities run collections or you can put it in your refuse bin. Clean foil can be recycled at Palmerston Avenue car park.
Ammunition: Household waste recycling centres are not licensed to accept ammunition or explosives. Please contact your local police station for advice.
Asbestos: You can dispose of asbestos from your home at Port Solent household waste recycling centre but you must telephone first to ensure there is enough room in the container. It must be double wrapped in plastic or polythene sheeting and you must use a vehicle that fits under the height barrier - 1.75m or 5'9" otherwise you 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 
for advice, on 01256 404000.
Ashes: Ashes from open fires or barbeques can be put in the general refuse bin. Please make sure they are cold and put them in a tied plastic bag to prevent the ashes blowing out when the bin is emptied.
Barbeques: Disposable barbeques can be put in your general refuse bin. Please make sure the fire is completely out and put them in a tied plastic bag to prevent the ashes blowing out when the bin is emptied. The aluminium tray cannot be recycled in the blue top bin. The cardboard base can be recycled as long as it is not soiled.
Batteries: Almost all shops which sell household batteries now offer a collection point for used ones. You can also take them to a household waste recycling centre (HWRC) licensed to take hazardous household waste – see www.integra.org.uk . When you get to the HWRC, please ask site staff to direct you to the red wheeled bin where batteries are collected. All household batteries are accepted as long as they have not started to corrode and leak fluid. Car batteries must be taken to the HWRC.
Bedding: See 'household textiles'.
Biscuit tins: See 'tins'.
Biscuit wrappers / plastic packaging: this plastic is not recyclable, put in general refuse bin.
Blankets: See 'household textiles'.
Boat flares: See 'flares'.
Books: Take to a charity shop or book bank.
Bottles: Take glass bottles to glass bank; put plastic bottles in blue top recycling bin.
Bricks: Cannot be put in your refuse or recycling bin; take to household waste recycling centre.
Brita water filters: Cannot be put in household recycling bins but 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. Visit www.brita.co.uk/store-locator and put your postcode into the store locator to find your nearest participating retailer.
Building rubble: Small amounts from your own DIY projects can be taken in bags to the household waste recycling centres. If you are a commercial builder, you must arrange to dispose of your waste as this is classed as trade waste and cannot be taken to a household waste recycling centre. If you require skip hire, www.skipandbin.com is a price comparison site for skip hire.
Bulky waste: We will collect bulky waste from your home 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, phone 01329 826025.
Business waste: If you are business, you must make arrangements to have your waste collected by a licensed carrier. Our WasteSavers service offers waste and recycling collections to commercial customers.
Camping or caravanning gas bottles: Return to a camping shop, or take to a household waste recycling centre. Other types of gas bottles are not accepted at HWRCs 
(269 KB).
Cans: Please rinse and put in your blue top recycling bin. Large metal sweet or biscuit tins can go in the blue top recycling bin but no larger items. There is a 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.
Candle jars: these are likely to be made of heat resistant glass so cannot go in glass recycling banks. Put in general refuse, or re-use.
Car batteries: Take to a household waste recycling centre.
Cars and unwanted vehicles: Please visit www.yell.com 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 you can find at www.yell.com . Please ring ahead of your visit.
Carbon Monoxide monitors: Take to a household waste recycling centre and put in the small WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) container. Batteries should be removed and put in the battery container.
Cards: Put in your blue top recycling bin.
Cardboard: Put in your blue top recycling bin.
Cartons: Not currently collected at the kerbside, put in your refuse bin and they will be burned to generate electricity.
Catalogues: Put in your blue top recycling bin.
CDs, 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 when the garden waste service resumes after the Christmas period. There is no need to chop the tree up, just leave it beside your garden waste sack. The maximum trunk diameter is 11cm. Artificial trees can be reused.
Clothes, accessories, household textiles: Put in a textile bank or take to a charity shop. Good quality and worn clothes can be put in textile banks. Textile banks on Council land are run by The Salvation Army under contract to the Council.
CO monitors: See 'carbon monoxide monitors'.
Coats: See 'clothes'.
Coffee packaging and pods: contact the manufacturer for recycling information. They cannot be recycled through the blue lid bin so put in general refuse if you cannot find another outlet.
Collection of recyclables and refuse: Recyclables and refuse are collected on alternate weeks.
Commercial waste: If you are a business, you must make arrangements to have your waste collected by a licensed carrier. Our Wastesavers service offers waste and recycling collections to commercial customers.
Composite cartons, waxed juice or milk cartons: Cannot be recycled. Put in your household refuse bin.
Compostable wrappers: Put in home composter or put in the refuse bin. They are not recyclable and cannot be put in with garden waste because it is composted in the open air and they take too long to break down, and cause litter.
Computer equipment: See 'WEEE'.
Confidential waste: Confidential papers should not be put into your blue top recycling bin because it is not a confidential collection. If you shred your confidential documents, please see 'shredded paper' entry for advice.
Cooking oil: See 'oil'.
Crisp packets: Cannot be put in blue-top recycling bins. They can be recycled at certain drop-off points , but it is not worth making a special car journey.
Cups - disposable coffee cups: Cannot be put in blue-top recycling bins. They can be recycled at Costa Coffee branches, or put in household refuse bin.
Diesel: See 'petrol'.
Directories: Put in your blue top recycling bin including Yellow Pages.
DIY waste (eg bricks, rubble): Cannot be put in your refuse or recycling bin. Book an appointment at a household waste recycling centre . Residents are able to dispose of up to eight 50 litre rubble bags or four bulky items, free of charge every four weeks. Any waste which exceeds this allowance will be chargeable . If you require skip hire, www.skipandbin.com is a price comparison site for skip hire.
Drink cans: Please rinse and put in your blue top recycling bin.
Duvet covers: See 'household textiles'.
Duvets: Cannot be put in textile banks. Please dispose of in refuse bin if they are beyond reuse through a charity shop.
DVDs, CDs: Take to charity shop or put in book banks.
E-Cigarettes: Follow the advice for Vapes - under V on this page.
Electrical goods: Find your nearest donation or recycling point at the Recycle Your Electricals website . 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 may be able to be repaired at a Repair Cafe . If this is not possible, take broken items to a household waste recycling centre or we can collect bulky waste from your property for disposal.
Engine oil: See 'oil'.
Envelopes: Paper envelopes can be recycled in your blue top recycling bin. There is no need to remove the plastic 'windows', the paper mills can remove these. Plastic envelopes, jiffy bags and those containing bubble wrap cannot be recycled.
Explosives or ammunition: Household waste recycling centres are not licensed to accept ammunition or explosives. Please contact your local police station for advice.
Fire extinguishers: Take to a household waste recycling centre. If it contains Halon, a hazardous gas which is prohibited, visit www.yell.com for a company which deals with fire extinguishing equipment.
Fireworks: The recommended procedure for disposing of fireworks is:
Fish tank chemicals: If hazardous, take them to a household waste recycling centre.
Flares (boat or marine): First contact the place where you originally bought the flares as it may operate a 'take back' scheme. If not, contact your local maritime rescue co-ordination centre (MRCC) who will advise you how the flares can be disposed of safely. The number for the Solent centre is 02392 552 100. More information is available .
Flower pots & trays: Put in your refuse bin or re-use.
Foil: See 'aluminium foil'.
Food tins: Please rinse and put in your blue top recycling bin.
Food waste: Meat, fish, cooked food: VIsit Love Food Hate Waste for information on using leftovers and making the most of all the food you buy. If food cannot be used, put in your refuse bin. Food waste can be disposed of at home in a special food waste digester. Uncooked fruit & vegetable waste: put in your home composter or refuse bin.
Fridges and Freezers: Fridges and freezers can be taken to a household waste recycling centre, or collected for a charge. Please call 01329 236100 to book a collection. We are unable to collect fridges or freezers from commercial premises. There are a variety of commercial companies who offer this service, for example Pure Planet , and Inducomm , who can help dispose of used industrial refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.
Fruit peelings (uncooked): Put in your home composter or 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 01329 826025. We will collect bulky waste from your property for disposal. You might be able to get small items of furniture repaired at a Repair Cafe
Garden waste: Put in your home composter, take it to a household waste recycling centre or use our garden waste collection service.
Gas bottles and canisters: Take them to a household waste recycling centre . The domestic refuse collection and disposal infrastructure is not suitable for gas canisters. The HWRC network are able to accept the small helium canisters. Larger and commercial type cylinders are not accepted. Return domestic camping/caravanning LPG bottles to a camping shop.
Glass: Take jars and bottles to a glass bank. Metal lids can be left on, they are recovered during the glass recycling process.
Glass - drinking glasses, cookware, window glass etc: Cannot be put in recycling banks because they are a diffferent type of glass. Put in refuse bin or take to the household waste recycling centre.
Handbags: See 'clothes'.
Hats, scarves etc: See 'clothes'.
Hazardous waste from your household, such as cleaning, DIY chemicals (NOT petrol): You can see more advice on disposing of hazardous household waste.
Helium gas canisters: See 'Gas bottles'
Household textiles, e.g. duvet covers, blankets, curtains, towels, tablecloths etc: Put in a textile bank or take to a charity shop. Duvets, pillows and sleeping bags cannot be put in textile banks so dispose of them in a refuse bin if they are not suitable for reuse. Textile banks on Council land are run by The Salvation Army under contract to the Council.
Jars: Take to a glass bank.
Juice cartons: Cardboard ones cannot be recycled so put in your refuse bin. Put plastic bottles in your blue top recycling bin.
Junk mail: Put in your blue top recycling bin. Put all plastic wrapping in your refuse bin – see 'plastic bags' for details of a recycling company who will take plastic film wrappings. Contact the mailing preference service to reduce junk mail (and unwanted telephone calls and faxes).
Kettles: See WEEE - waste electrical and electronic equipment.
Kitchen Towel: See Absorbent paper
Kitchen waste: Meat, fish, cooked food: Put in your refuse bin. Put uncooked fruit & vegetable waste in your home composter or refuse bin.
Knives (e.g. kitchen knives): If they are beyond reuse at a charity shop, knives can be put in your refuse bin. Wrap in old newspaper or similar, and put in a plastic bag. Knives must never be put in your recycling bin, or a public litter bin.
Lids: Metal lids can be left on glass jars and bottles and put in the glass bank. They are removed during the glass recycling process and sent to metal recyclers. Plastic lids and corks on glass bottles are not recyclable. Metal jar lids cannot go in your blue top recycling bin because they get into the newspapers.
Plastic bottle lids can be recycled, leave them loosely attached to a squashed down bottle. If the bottle is not squashed, the lid may fly off when it is baled.
Light bulbs: Standard light bulbs can be put in your refuse bin but take flourescent tubes to a household waste recycling centre which accepts hazardous waste.
Low energy light bulbs: Take to a household waste recycling centre. Halogen bulbs should be disposed of in the non-recyclable waste bin. LED lightbulbs should be put in the small electrical appliances container.
Liquids: No liquid of any sort is acceptable in a refuse bin as it spills out along the road.
LPG bottles: Return domestic camping/caravanning LPG bottles to a camping shop or take them to a household waste recycling centre. Other types of gas bottles are not accepted at HWRCs (269 KB).
Magazines: Put in your blue top recycling bin.
Magazine wrappers: Plastic wrappers should be put in the refuse bin. Wrappers made from potato starch or marked as biodegradable cannot be recycled, and cannot be put in garden waste collections. Home compost if possible, otherwise place in refuse bin.
Margarine tubs: Cannot be recycled, so put in your refuse bin.
Marine flares: See 'flares.'
Meat, fish: Put in your 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 it into a glass jar with a lid.
Milk bottle tops: Can be recycled, leave them loosely attached to a squashed down bottle, or pushed inside the milk bottle. If the bottle is not squashed and the lid is tightly on, the lid may fly off when it is baled. Lids on their own are too small for the sorting plant to identify.
Mobile phones: Old phones have value and can be sold for recycling. Check on-line for a variety of schemes, including some run in aid of charities such as Oxfam.
Metal Cans and tins: Put in your blue top recycling bin. Other metal items can be recycled at a household waste recycling centre.
Metal lids: Metal lids on glass jars and bottles can be left on the glass and put in the glass banks. They can be recovered as part of the glass recycling process.
Napkins: See Absorbent paper
Nappies: Put disposable nappies (bagged) in your refuse bin. Reusable nappies are a popular choice for parents concerned about the amount of waste created by disposables. A discount scheme is available for Hampshire residents to help with the initial purchase costs.
Newspapers: Put in your blue top recycling bin.
Oil: Small amounts of used cooking oil from your household can go in your 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. If you are a trader or have commercial premises, you must make arrangements to dispose of used cooking oil through a waste disposal company. Engine oil is hazardous waste and must be taken to a household waste recycling centre which accepts hazardous waste. You can see more advice on disposing of hazardous household waste.
Office furniture and equipment: Various options are available; SocialBox offer disposal and recycling of business IT computer equipment and office furniture.
Paint tins: They must be empty before being put in your refuse bin. No liquid is acceptable in the refuse lorry because it will spill out along the road. Paint tins cannot be recycled as they are not suitable for the materials recovery facility sorting process so must not be put into your blue top recycling bin. They cannot be taken to the household waste recycling centre as any residues in the tin are likely to be hazardous waste. Any remaining liquid paint which is solvent-based can be taken to a household waste recycling centre which accepts hazardous waste.
Paper: Put in your blue top recycling bin.
Paper (shredded): See 'shredded paper'.
Paper (absorbent): See Absorbent paper.
Paraffin: See 'petrol'.
Peelings (uncooked): Put in your home composter.
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 food pouches: These cannot be recycled, put in refuse bin.
Pet waste: Small amounts can be put in your refuse bin. Bedding from vegetarian animals (guinea pigs, rabbits etc) can go in a home composter. Cat and dog faeces must go in your refuse bin, not a home composter.
Pillow cases: See 'household textiles'.
Pillows: Cannot be put in textile banks so dispose of them in your refuse bin if they are beyond reuse.
Plasterboard: Cannot be put in your refuse or recycling bin so take it to a household waste recycling centre.
Plastic bottles: Rinse and put in your blue top recycling bin. All plastic bottles can be recycled, including cleaning products, spray cleaners and hair products as well as drinks. The lids can be recycled, leave them loosely attached to a squashed down bottle. If the bottle is not squashed and the lid is tightly on, the lid may fly off when it is baled.
Plastic plant pots: Put in your refuse bin, or re-use.
Plastic pots and trays, for example yogurt pots, margarine tubs, food trays, ice cream tubs: Cannot be recycled so put them in your refuse bin. We can only collect plastic that is bottle-shaped for recycling. Even plastic packaging that manufacturers have marked as recyclable cannot be recycled in Hampshire because there is no market for them.
Plastic bags: Reuse for shopping or as bin liners or dispose of them in your refuse bin. Some charity shops collect them to reuse and some supermarkets have recycling banks in-store.
Plastic wrappers - see magazine wrappers.
Polystyrene: Dispose of this in your refuse bin. Even though it may have the recycling symbol, there is nowhere to reprocess polystyrene locally. The three arrows triangle symbol is meaningless, because although an item may technically be recyclable, when the energy used for transport and reprocessing are taken into account it is not worth recycling, economically or environmentally. You can see more information about plastics.
Potato starch wrappers - see magazine wrappers.
Printer cartridges: For companies offering a printer cartridge refilling or recycling service, please visit www.yell.com .
Rubble: Household Waste Recycling Centres will accept rubble. Residents are able to dispose of up to eight 50 litre rubble bags or four bulky items, free of charge every four weeks. Any waste which exceeds this allowance will be chargeable . If you require skip hire, www.skipandbin.com is a price comparison site for skip hire.
Sheets: See 'household textiles'.
Shoes: Put in a textile bank or take them to a charity shop.
Shredded paper: This cannot be recycled in blue top bins as it clogs up the machinery at the sorting plant. Put in your refuse bin in a tied plastic bag to prevent the paper blowing about when the bin is emptied. Shredded paper can be composted in a home composter, mix it well with wetter material such as grass clippings.
Sleeping bags: Cannot be put in textile banks so dispose of them in your refuse bin if they are beyond reuse.
Smoke alarms: Take to a household waste recycling centre and put in the small WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) container. Batteries should be removed and put in the battery container.
Soil: Household Waste Recycling Centres will accept soil, although there is a charge because soil is not household waste.
Starch wrappers: Put in home composter or put in the refuse bin. They are not recyclable and cannot be put in with garden waste because it is composted in the open air and they take too long to break down, and cause litter.
Sweet tins: See 'tins'.
Tablecloths, cloth napkins etc: See 'household textiles'.
Tassimo pods and the plastic flow packaging: contact the manufacturer or put in refuse bin.
Televisions: See 'WEEE'.
Tetrapaks: See 'cartons'.
Textiles: See 'household textiles' or 'clothes'.
Tiles (eg floor, wall, roof tiles): Cannot be put in your refuse or recycling bin so take them to a household waste recycling centre.
Tins: Rinse, remove lids and put in your blue top recycling bin. Large metal sweet or biscuit tins can go in your blue top recycling bin but no larger metal items. There is a size limit as large items will not fit under the magnet 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 'paint tins'.
Tissues: See Absorbent paper
Toasters: See 'WEEE'.
Toys: Take to a charity shop or give away or sell on-line. Weak toys should be checked before donating them. Broken toys may be able to be repaired at a Repair Cafe
Trade waste: If you are a business, you must make arrangements to have your waste collected by a licensed carrier. Our Wastesavers service offers waste and recycling collections for commercial customers.
Tyres: Household waste recycling centres no longer accept tyres. Please 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 many, please visit www.yell.com for details of tyre dealers, who may take them for disposal but will charge.
Umbrellas: Broken umbrellas can be disposed of in household refuse bins.
Vapes & E-cigarettes: Vape items cannot be recycled through Hampshire facilities so please do not place in your kerbside bin. Check the manufacturers recommendation for disposal and whether the retailer offers a take back scheme to recycle the item. If not:
Vegetable waste: Put uncooked in a home composter or your refuse bin. Put cooked in your refuse bin.
Vehicles: Please visit www.yell.com for details of car and commercial vehicle dismantlers.
Video tapes: Put in your refuse bin. Charity shops generally do not accept video tapes anymore.
Water filters: See 'Brita'.
WEEE - Waste electrical and electronic equipment: This includes all electrical equipment such as TVs and computers. If you are a householder, you can take items to a household waste recycling centres. There are a number of companies who may take computer equipment for recycling - Jamie's Computer Club , in Southampton take equipment for reuse; Maxitech Limited provide a recycling service for computer and electronic equipment for local businesses in the Fareham area; Green Magnet will collect from householders for a small charge.
Wood Chippings: Chippings from the garden can be put in your garden waste sack, but not in large quantities. If you have a large quantity we recommend mixing some in with the other garden waste and putting it out over several collections. A large quantity could clump together when wet and form a lump which would cause difficulty during the composting process. The acceptable sack weight of 20kg must not be exceeded.
Chippings from treated wood, for example from using a lathe, cannot be put in the garden waste sack. Small amounts can be bagged and put in the refuse bin, large amounts should be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Wrapping paper: Cannot be recycled as it is often plastic-based. Put in your refuse bin.
Xmas 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 when the garden waste service resumes after the Christmas period. There is no need to chop the tree up, just leave it beside your garden waste sack. The maximum trunk diameter is 11cm. Artificial trees can be reused.
Yellow pages: Can be recycled in your blue top recycling bin. You can avoid having a paper copy by using yell.com . To cancel delivery of future directories, call the Directory Team on 0800 671 444.
Yoghurt pots: Cannot be recycled so put in your refuse bin.
Yoghurt drink bottles: Rinse plastic bottles and put them in your blue top recycling bin.
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