Re-use and recycling schemes
You can recycle unwanted items by using any of the reuse and recycle schemes that run in Lambeth. You can recycle anything from household batteries to old furniture. These are a few of the schemes we recommend:
Battery recycling
Batteries can contain chemicals such as lead, mercury or cadmium. When you throw them in 
with your normal rubbish, they are likely to end up in landfill. Once buried, the batteries start to break down and can leak these chemicals into the ground. This can pollute the soil and water and potentially harm human health.
By recycling your batteries it avoids them going to landfill. It can also help recover some of the raw materials used for making batteries in order that be reused to make other products. This helps save to the planet’s resources by reducing the need to mine new materials.
What type of batteries can I recycle?
You can recycle any ‘portable’ battery. These range from AA and AAA batteries, mobile phone and camera batteries, through to button cell batteries that are found in hearing aids and watches.
If a battery is industrial, automotive or too big to be carried by hand, they cannot be recycled as household batteries. For information on where you can take these, visit the reuse and recycling centres page.
Here are some examples of household items that use portable batteries.
- cordless power tools
- CD players, mindisks and MP3 players
- electric toothbrushes
- hand-held vacuum cleaners
- hearing aids
- laptops and computers
- mobile phones
- portable cameras
- razors
- remote controls e.g televisions and DVD players
- torches
- toys
- watches
You can also recycle rechargeable batteries when they come to the end of their lifespan.
Where can I recycle my batteries?
You can recycle your household batteries at any of our libraries and at a range of high street shops. The following places all have household battery recycling points.
Brixton
- Currys, 51-57 Effra Road, SW2 1BZ
- Mothercare, 416 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY
- Poundland, 464-466 Brixton Road, SW9 8EA
- Sainsburys, 425 Brixton Road, SW9 8HE
- Sainsburys, 266-270 Brixton Hill, SW2 1HP
- Superdrug, 452-456 Brixton Road, SW9 8EA
- Tesco Express, 109, Tulse Hill, SW2 2QB
- WH Smith, 427 Brixton Road, SW9 8HE
Clapham
- Boots, 174-180 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UG
- Sainsburys, 133 Clapham High Street, SW4 7SL
- Sainsburys, 33 Clapham High Street, SW4 7TP
- Tesco, 65 Clapham High Street, SW4 7TG
North Lambeth
- Boots, 98-99 Lower Marsh SE1 7AB
- Sainsburys, 101 Waterloo Road, SE1 8XP
Norwood
- B&Q, 304-322 Norwood Road, SE27 9AF
- Sainsburys, 364-366 Norwood Road, SE27 9AG
- Superdrug, 509-513 Norwood Road, SE27 9DL
- Tesco, 551A Norwood Road, SE27 9DL
Streatham
- Sainsburys, 172-176 Streatham High Road, SW16 1BJ
- Sainsburys, 480 Streatham High Road, SW16 3PY
- Tesco Express, 42-50 Streatham High Road, SW16 1DA
- WH Smith, 180-182 Streatham High Road, SW16 1B
Libraries
- Brixton Library, Brixton Oval, SW2 1JQ
- Carnegie Library, 188 Herne Hill Road , SE24 0AG
- Clapham Library, 1 Northside, Clapham Common, SW4 0QW
- Durning Library, 167 Kennington Lane , SE11 4HF
- Minet Library, 52 Knatchbull Road, SE5 9QY
- South Lambeth Library, 180 South Lambeth Road, SW8 1QP
- Streatham Library, 63 Streatham High Road, SW16 1PL
- Waterloo Library, 114-118 Lower Marsh, SE1 7AE
- West Norwood Library, Norwood High Street, SE27 9JX
For more information on library services go to the libraries page.
Computer reuse and recycling
If you live in Lambeth and have unwanted IT equip
ment, you can contact Community Technology on 020 8671 5555 or visit www.communitytechnology.org.uk.
Community Technology is a registered charity which collects, refurbishes and revitalises retired IT equipment, and then passes freshly configured, low-cost PCs to low-income or community groups, charitable organisations, small businesses and any other takers.
Users of this service are advised to clear any personal information from the hard drive of the computer before recycling.
Please be aware there is a charge for this service.
Furniture recycling
If you have recently treated yourself to some new furniture don’t throw out your originals, please remember that they can be distributed to people who need them.
If your furniture is in good condition, please take it to Lambeth Reuse and Recycling Centre. Our partners at Emmaus South Lambeth will then redistribute it.
You can also call Furniture Aid South Thames on 020 7793 7787. If they have capacity they will collect your items direct from your door.
Alternatively, you can call the Lambeth Service Centre on 020 7926 9000 to arrange a bulky waste collection.
Mobile phone recycling
If you have a mobile handset you no longer need, you can recycle it in Lambeth. 
The council has teamed up with "don8-a-fone" and Great Ormond Street in providing free postage paid envelopes at council buildings where people can dispose of their mobile handsets safely. For each recyclable phone received, £5 will be donated to Great Ormond Street.
It is estimated there are over 20 million mobile phones in the UK which the owner no longer uses. Phones and their batteries contain elements such as mercury and nickel, which if not disposed of properly can damage the environment.
Under the don8-a-fone scheme, reusable phones are refurbished. Often these are sent abroad to the developing world to be used by people who otherwise could not afford them. Phones that cannot be reused are dismantled and the parts turned into things like household bins or traffic cones.
Collect your mobile recycling envelope from the following locations in Lambeth:
- Housing Offices
- Libraries
- Parking Shops
- Town Hall
- Blue Star House
- Hambrook House
- Olive Morris House
- Hopton House
See www.recycleyourmobile.co.uk for more information.
Users of this service are advised to clear any personal information from the memory of the mobile phone you wish to donate.