Slough Borough Council

Recycling - further information

The council has a doorstep black box collection service for paper card glass and cans and also a green bin collection service for garden waste.

In the Autumn 2008 the black box service will be changing to a red bin collection service.

On this page you can find out how you can recycle a variety of other things around your home including: carrier bags, clothing, computers, furniture, mobile phones, printer cartridges, nappies, spectacles and stamps and coins.

Carrier bags

Plastic carrier bags can be recycled in the banks at the large Tesco store on Wellington Street, Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer.  Alternatively why not consider buying and reusing a bag-for-life or a cloth/ jute bag.

Clothing, books, shoes and bric a brac

There are many charity shops in the borough that will accept items such as:

• Clothing
• Shoes
• Books
• Toys
• CDs, DVDs and videos
• Bric a Brac
• Small items of furniture

All items must be clean, high quality and complete, saleable items.  Charity shops have to pay to dispose of their waste; please do not add to it.  Most charity shops will not accept large furniture or electrical goods (items with plugs) – see Cancer Research and British Heart Foundation below as exceptions.

Clothing and shoes can also be recycled at the community recycling centres around the borough.  There is also a bank for books, CDs and DVDs at Chalvey Waste and Recycling Centre.

• Cancer Research UK, 8 Park Street Slough, 01753 572526 – will accept small electrical appliances in good working order (up to the size of a TV)
• British Heart Foundation, 303 High Street, Slough - will accept good quality furniture and electrical items. Can  offer free collection on 08444 994169
• Age Concern, 302 Trelawney Avenue, Slough.  01753 544468 – no large furniture or electrical goods.  Can accept bags of rags if appropriately labelled.
• SCOPE, 119 High Street, Slough.  01753 553204 – no electrical goods or large furniture
• Barnado’s, 225 High Street, Slough 01753 577537
• Help the Aged, 92 High Street, Burnham. 01628 664186 – no electrical goods, large furniture or childcare accessories
• Oxfam, 283 High Street, Slough 01753 570623 – no electrical goods, large furniture

Computers

A number of charities and businesses accept computers for reuse, refurbishment or recycling.  Please contact the organisations below to discuss their requirements:
 
Action Aid

Computer Aid

Computers for African Schools

Donate a PC

Furniture reuse and recycling

Good quality furniture may be collected for reuse by a number of local charities

• Slough Furniture Project - 01753 692535
• St Andrews Furniture Mart - 01628 666906
• British Heart Foundation - 08444 994169

Mobile phones and printer cartridges

These are recycled by a variety of organisations:

• Woodland Trust - Pick up a freepost envelope in your local Barclays branch.  Alternatively, email BWTbags@answerthecall.co.uk or call 0800 9705 097 quoting Woodland Trust Appeal.
• Actionaid - accept mobile phones and printer cartridges.  Request a freepost bag by calling 0845 3 100 200 or visiting the Action Aid website
• British Red Cross - donates £1 for every inkjet recycled.  More details are available on the British Red Cross Website 
• Oxfam also recycle cartridges through LaserXchange.  Visit the Oxfam website for information
• CLIC Sargent (Care for Cancer and Leukeamia in Children) can provide freepost bags and boxes for cartridges. They will receive £1 towards their charitable work for every cartridge donated. Visit the CLIC Segent website for details.

Junk Mail

The Mailing preference service and Fax preference service gives residents the choice of opting out of receiving unsolicited sales and marketing material by post and fax.

For more information or to register log on the Mailing Preference Service website or call 0845 703 4599 and for faxes log on the Fax Preference Service Website or call 0845 070 0702.

Nappies

Disposable nappies are not yet recyclable in this country.  You might like to consider using “real” cloth nappies that can be washed and reused, whilst only disposing of a small cloth liner.

For information on Real Nappies contact Miranda Stamp at Thames Valley Real Nappy Network on 0118 9342249.

Women's Environment Network also host information on local suppliers, cheap second hand supply, and a discussion board at the Women's Environmental Network website

Spectacles

Spectacles can be recycled at local opticians for use by charities in the developing world such as Second Site, Vision Aid Overseas and Sitesavers

• Optical Express, 35 -36 Curzon Mall, Queensmere Centre
• Thomas H Collinson, 4 Harrow Market , Langley
• Thomas N Collinson, 60 High Street Slough
• Boots Opticians 178-184 High Street, Slough
• Spectacle Express, 1 Observatory Centre, High Street
• Farnham Opticians 284 Farnham Road, Slough
• C Weathersbee 271 Farnham Road, Slough  

Alternatively, spectacles can be sent directly to Vision Aid Overseas, 12 The Bell Centre, Newton Road, Manor Royal, Crawley, RH10 4FX.  Please pack the spectacles carefully in a sturdy box for postage (do not include cases).

Stamps and coins

All stamps, including albums and collections, and foreign coins and bank notes can be donated to your nearest Oxfam shop:

Oxfam
283 High Street
Slough
SL1 1BD
01753 570623

The Royal National Institute for the Blind also collects stamps and foreign coins for help with their fundraising activities.

Tools

A group called Tools for Self Reliance refurbish good quality tools, industrial power tools and certain sewing machines for use in developing countries.