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A to Z guide on waste - S

Some ideas to help you decide what to do with your unwanted items.

Scrap metal

Take scrap metal to the scrap metal skips at any of our household waste recycling centres.

If you have a large amount, look online or in our business waste and recycling guide attached to this page for details of your local registered scrap dealer.

Sheds

If your shed is in good condition offer to your local allotment group, advertise it on your local Freecycle or Freegle network or on social media.

If it's wooden and untreated chop it up and use it for firewood.

You cannot take your shed to a household waste recycling centre. If you wish to dispose of your garden shed you'll need to hire a skip.

Shoes

Repair shoes rather than buying new ones.

Save an old pair of shoes for jobs in the garden or for painting and decorating.

If they are in good condition you can sell them on internet auction websites, apps or social media or donate them to charity.

Take your old shoes to shoe banks which are available at some local recycling centres or household waste recycling centres.

Sleeping bags

If they're in good condition, donate them to homeless charities or animal welfare charities.

Cut up old sleeping bags for packing material or use them for dust sheets to cover furniture when decorating or doing DIY.

Soil

Check with your local allotment group to see if they can use your unwanted soil.

You can take soil to our household waste recycling centres.

If you have large quantities of soil, hire a skip or skip bag from a permitted company. For a list of local waste and skip hire companies see our business waste and recycling guide attached to this page.

Sports equipment

Donate your old sports equipment to charity, offer it to local schools, youth clubs or youth organisations, offer it on your local Freecycle or Freegle network.

Sell it on online auction sites, apps or social media.

Stamps

Ask your local charity shop if they accept them.

Steel

To find out how to reduce, reuse and recycle steel please see metal under A to Z guide on waste - M.