If you have a drawer of cables, a bag of clothes or a shelf of unwanted household items, the right recycling route depends on what the item is and where you live. Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County use different facilities and instructions, so check the relevant council guidance before travelling.
Recycling small electrical items in Nottingham City
Nottingham City Council has small-electrical recycling points at community and leisure locations. Items should fit inside a standard carrier bag. Examples include phones, chargers, cables, electronic toys, hairdryers, razors, toasters, speakers and computer accessories.
Current council-listed points include:
- Bilborough Library and Community Centre, Bracebridge Drive, NG8 4PN
- Clifton Leisure Centre, Southchurch Drive, NG11 8AB
- The Dales Centre, 206 Sneinton Dale, NG2 4HJ
- Djanogly Community Leisure Centre, Gregory Boulevard, NG7 6ND
- Harvey Hadden Sports Village, Wigman Road, NG8 4PB
- Loxley House, Station Street, NG2 3NG
- Southglade Leisure Centre, Southglade Road, NG5 5GU
- Strelley Road Library, Strelley Road, NG8 3BJ
- Woodthorpe Plant Shop, Sherwood, NG5 4HA
Remove batteries before taking electricals to a collection point. If a phone, computer or other device contains personal information, factory-reset it and remove SIM and memory cards first. Never put electrical items or vapes in a household waste bin because they can cause fires.
Nottingham’s household recycling centre
The Redfield Road Household Waste and Recycling Centre is at Lenton Industrial Estate, Nottingham, NG7 2UJ. It is intended for Nottingham City residents, not residents of Nottinghamshire County, and accepts a wider range of household materials than the smaller local recycling points.
Check the council’s current accepted-item list and eligibility rules before visiting. Rules can change, and the centre is not a route for trade waste or waste created by a business.
Recycling in Nottinghamshire County
If you live outside Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County Council operates recycling centres including Beeston, Calverton, Giltbrook, Hucknall, Mansfield, Newark and West Bridgford. The county publishes separate details for each centre, including addresses, access information, opening times and accepted materials.
The county’s item guidance says household electrical and electronic equipment can be accepted at recycling centres, but its centre-details page currently warns that small domestic appliances may not be accepted. Check the latest item-specific guidance before loading your car. Some district councils also provide recycling banks for small appliances such as hairdryers, kettles, toasters and power tools.
What about batteries?
Nottingham City Council says household batteries can be placed in a clear bag on top of either bin. Batteries can also be taken to shops that sell batteries or to an appropriate recycling point. Nottinghamshire County Council advises residents to use a recycling point, supermarket collection point or another local route and not to put batteries in either household bin unless their local council specifically provides that instruction.
Because instructions differ, use the guidance for the council area where you live. Never put loose batteries, vapes or electrical items into a general waste or recycling bin without checking the local rules.
Clothes, shoes and ordinary packaging
Nottingham City’s local recycling sites accept materials such as paper and card, tins and cans, plastics, glass bottles and jars, textiles, clothes and shoes. Items should be empty, clean and dry where the council requires that condition.
Clean, wearable clothes and usable shoes may be better suited to a charity shop or reuse route than a recycling bank. Contact the organisation first if you have several bags, electrical goods or items that need special handling. Do not leave donations outside a closed shop.
A simple way to sort a small backlog
Make four piles:
- Reuse or donate: clean, complete items that someone else could use.
- Council recycling: materials accepted through your local recycling service.
- Specialist recycling: electricals, batteries, vapes or items containing personal data.
- Keep or pass on later: items you still need to store, sell or return.
For a regular flow of basket-sized unwanted items such as clothes, books, toys, homeware and small electronics, The OutBasket can be another option to check alongside local donation and recycling routes. It is not a house-clearance, bulky-waste or furniture-removal service.
Always check current council instructions, opening times and accepted-item lists before setting off. Local guidance and collection points can change.