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Aug 15, 2023

The Best Household Items to Recycle

It’s 2021 and we’re in a climate crisis, so I think it’s safe to assume that most of us have the basics of recycling down by now (hopefully)! 

If you’ve been doing your bit for the planet and recycling your empty cans, jars and cardboard, we applaud you! You’re helping to reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfill sites.

But did you know there are a lot more items in your home that could be recycled, but often end up in the bin? You probably don’t even know they’re recyclable, or if you do you don’t know how to go about it.

Here are some of the best household items to recycle…

1. Books 

While ordinary cardboard and paper can go in the recycling bin, books require a little more effort.

If you have a pile of books that are in good condition, but just collecting dust in the attic, it’s far better to donate rather than recycle. That way, someone else can experience the joy of the book.

Here at WebuyBooks, we offer an easy way to recycle your old books from the comfort of your own home! Plus you can make some extra cash in the process – win, win right? 

All you have to do is ​​enter the barcode or ISBN number, get an instant valuation for your books, send us your items for free and then wait for the money to arrive in your bank! If for any reason we can’t accept your used books, we pledge to recycle them so you can still feel good about contributing to a positive cause.


Condition Guidelines

If your books are super tattered and you know that they won’t meet our condition guidelines, we’d recommend checking your local council’s website, they should recommend a place where you can recycle your old books.

2. Old Electronics 

If you’ve ever found yourself wanting to get rid of old TV’s, laptops, hair-dryers, Playstations, and other electronics you’ve probably found yourself wondering what on earth to do with them. You know they can’t go in the recycling bin but throwing them out completely just feels wrong. 

Electronics are often full of heavy metals and chemicals that are really harmful for the environment if they’re just thrown in the bin.
But the good news is that there is actually a way to recycle your old electronics! You’ll have to take your unwanted electronics to your local recycling centre to dispose of properly. This requires a little more effort, but at least you’ll know you’re doing your bit!

3. Batteries 

Batteries are something that every household has a lot of, so it’s important to know how to dispose of them properly. Rechargeable and single use batteries can both be recycled as well as batteries from things like your laptop, phone or power tools!

Some council’s will accept batteries as part of their household collection services, but if not you’ll have to take them to your local recycling centre or collection point. Collection points can be found in most supermarkets and many other retail stores. 

4. Clothing and Bedding 

Don’t just throw away your old clothes and bedding, there’s so many things you can do with them! 

If you’ve outgrown your old clothes or just don’t like the style of them anymore, that doesn’t mean they won’t be perfect for someone else. Try selling your unwanted clothes on a site like Depop, or donate them to your local charity shop for those less fortunate. 

You could even get creative and try upcycling some of your old clothes! TikTok has sparked an obsession with upcycling clothes and we’re so here for it! So there’s plenty of great ‘inspo’ and ‘how to’ videos for you to watch on there.

If your old clothes and bedding aren’t suitable to hand down, you can always tear them up to use as rags for cleaning. This will save you spending money on new cloths every couple of weeks! 

If you’ve ticked off all these boxes, some councils will pick up your old clothes and bedding as part of their weekly household collection, so check your local councils website for advice first. 

Many charities, like the Salvation Army, will actually sort your old clothes for you. They’ll determine what is suitable to be donated and what needs to go to a recycling centre and take care of it all. So even if you think your old clothes aren’t wearable you can put them in a local clothing bin.

If all else fails, you can take old clothes and bedding to your local tip where they will be recycled.

5. DVD’s, CD’s, Games & Tapes

As well as books, we also buy CDs, games and DVD’s! So if you have any lying around, send them to us and get some cash in return. We’ll give your old stuff a new home, or recycle them for you if they don’t meet our condition guidelines.

If for any reason you think we won’t accept your old media, you can recycle them at most local recycling centres. However we’d always advise checking your local council’s policy first.

Button: Sell my old DVD’s, CD’s & Games!

6. Coffee Pods 

Think about how many coffee pods are used every day in the UK… probably enough to build a coffee pod mountain on a landfill site!

We can see why coffee pods have become so popular, they’re little pods of heaven that are ready in a jiff with the simple push of a button – perfect to perk you up on a chilly working morning. But if you’re using single-use coffee pods, it’s important to recycle them properly.

Most coffee pod manufacturers now provide instructions on how you can recycle your pods! However, if there’s no specific steps for you to take, you can pop them in with your normal recycling with a little effort. 

Typically, coffee pods are made up of plastic, aluminum and paper. In order to recycle them, all these components will have to be separated. You can buy a tool to do this online, or manually separate them before sorting each part into the right bin.


Going green can sometimes be more effort, but it’s so important. By following the tips in this blog, a few easy changes and a monthly trip to the tip, you and your family can become recycling kings and queens!

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