Lambeth Reuse and Recycling Centre

Lambeth Reuse and Recycling Centre on Vale Street is a reuse and recycling only centre. It no longer accepts non-recyclable items.

Why has it changed?

We want to encourage residents to recycle more and we can help you do this by taking as much of your recyclable waste as possible. By accepting just recyclables we can save council taxpayers over £60,000 per year. The change is also helping to prevent the illegal dumping of rubbish at the centre.

For more information on the measures being taken to prevent flytipping at the centre download the anti-flytipping action plan summary.

What are the changes?

The general rubbish containers have been taken away from the site and replaced with containers for new recyclable items. The new materials that you can recycle include hard plastics, used cooking oil and mixed wood. An area where you can buy or sell items is also planned so items such as furniture can be reused.

How can I dispose of non-recyclable rubbish?

• Use your kerbside or estate refuse bins. We make regular collections and take all of your general rubbish. See refuse collections for more information.
• Use our bulky waste service. Residents can dispose of bulky items like washing machines, fridges or mattresses. See special and bulky collections for more information.
• Use a household hazardous waste collection. You can arrange a free collection to dispose of items like wrapped asbestos or packaged chemicals. Contact City of London. on 020 7332 3433 or visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk  
• Use Smugglers Way or Cringle Dock Reuse and Recycling Centres. Local businesses and residents can take non-recyclable waste or recycling to these centres. See reuse and recycling centres for more information.

Are there any limitations on the new materials?

Where possible, we want to reuse most of the new materials accepted at the centre. This extends the life of the item and saves on the energy it can take to make a new one. To reuse the waste items you give us they need to be suitable and in a good condition. This means there are some limitations on a few of the materials that are accepted at the centre.

Any items that cannot be reused will be recycled if they are suitable. See a list of materials accepted at Lambeth Reuse and Recycling Centre.

There are some limitations in the following material groups.

Furniture

• Items need to be in very good condition and if upholstered must have flame retardant labelling.
  
• Items made completely of metal or wood will be recycled if not suitable for reuse. For example, a metal bed frame or an MDF chest of drawers.
  
• We are unable to recycle upholstered items that are not suitable for reuse.

Paint

We collect paint at the centre for the Community Repaint initiative. They can only accept items that are in a usable condition and are:

• suitable for household use;
• less than 10 years old; 
• in its original container and more than a third full.

Any paint or item that has a hazard symbol marked on the container or packaging will NOT be accepted.

You can recycle the following paint items.

• Emulsion (including vinyl matt and vinyl silk), gloss, eggshell, satin, undercoat, primer, floor paint, tile paint, masonry paint, exterior paint, varnish and wood stain.

You cannot recycle the following paint items.

• Car paint, aerosol and spray paints, cellulose-based paint, specialist and industrial paints, paint stripper, paint thinners (including white spirit), paint brush cleaners, any pesticide product, any paint containing lead, wood preservatives and treatments (e.g. creosote, exterior or wood preserver).

Hard plastics

Your unwanted hard plastic items are collected from the centre by a recycling company that can only process HDPE and PP type plastics.

Items you can recycle include the following.

• Children’s garden toys, bread crates, milk crates, storage boxes, tubs, pallets, buckets, plant pots, dustbins, laundry baskets, compost bins and water butts.

You cannot recycle the following hard plastic items.

• Baby seats, baths, food trays, garden furniture* lightweight flower pots, piping, plastic electrical toys, PVC from down pipes, UPVC window frames and doors, soffits or fascia boards (expanded PVC), acrylic items and fibreglass products, items that are not completely plastic (e.g with textile, padding, wood or metal still attached).

*We are sorry we can no longer accept unwanted garden furniture. The recycling company that takes the plastics no longer accepts these items because of a resin recently added to the plastic.

Wood

You can recycle the following wood items.

• Softwood, hardwood, plywood, marine plywood, panelboard, blockboard, chipboard, medium density fibreboard (MDF), orientated strand board (OSB), decking, fencing, flooring, roofing (without felt sheeting), furniture, packaging (e.g. boxes & pallets), window and door frames (without glass), work surfaces and kitchen units(e.g. Formica).

You cannot recycle the following wood items.

• Logs, branches, plasterboard, internal hardboard doors, railway sleepers, telegraph poles, wood (with concrete, metal* or felt sheeting attached), upholstered furniture, furniture (with glass or metal attached), timber treated with creosote or copper.

*We can accept wood with small amounts of metal e.g. screws, nails and hinges.

What else can I recycle at Lambeth Reuse and Recycling Centre?

You can recycle the following materials at Lambeth Reuse and Recycling Centre. 

 

For more information on Lambeth Reuse and Recycling Centre go to the reuse and recycling centres page.