On World Recycling Day 2023 I produced a list of places where Chiswick residents and business ratepayers can recycle items that either can't be recycled in Hounslow council's recycling collections (such as pens and soft plastics) or are dangerous to put out in recycling boxes (such as batteries). I add to this list as and when I learn about new items that can be recycled locally. I've started it with some general guidance about council practices; after that I have provided an alphabetical list of items that can be recycled.
General guidance
Council recycling and waste - please help the crew
The crew collecting recycling and waste works to a strict time timetable which, from memory of a discussion in the council chamber, is about 27 seconds per house. (I will ask what for the correct time limit and amend this page as soon as I have the information.) The easier we make it for the crew, the more efficient they will be including not dropping items that become litter and not tossing the boxes back inefficiently so householders don't have to go on a bin hunt or find their bins mucky as someone else has used them differently. You can help by:
- not putting out every bin every time regardless of how full they are; putting them all out when they have very few items in them puts pressure on the time limit - the fewer bins they have to lift up and empty, the more time they have to deliver a careful service
- putting bins out before they become too full or too heavy as too full increases the risk of contents being dropped and creating litter; too heavy slows down the crew
- putting food waste out every week regardless of how full it is so the crew doesn't have to face rotting food; it also helps if you put food waste into a food waste/compostable bin liner or bag so the bin is kept as clean as possible.
Residents of flats above shops
There is currently no recycling for residents of flats above shops. Since the recycling bins at Sainsbury's were removed, and the Stirling Road recycling centre was closed, they have not had an easy route to recycling. If you live above a shop and want to recycle, it means walking some of it to the shops that recycle various items. If you would like to join a group lobbying the council to implement recycling for residents of flats above shops, please get in touch. Meanwhile, I will continue to press the council to provide recycling for residents of flats above shops. It is not impossible, all it needs is political will.
What you can recycle where
Batteries
- Co-op: 578-586 Chiswick High Road, W4 5RP (near Chiswick Business Park)
- Robert Dyas: 326 Chiswick High Road, W4 5TA
- Sainsbury's: 31 Essex Place, W4 5UT
Biros, felt tips, gel pens, highlighters, marker pens, plastic pens
Pens of all kinds, and any brand, are recyclable so, if you have boxes, or pots, or drawers full of pens that no longer write dig them out:
- Ryman: 382-384 Chiswick High Road, W4 5TF : on the corner of the market stalls on the way to Sainsbury's. The recycling station is kept in the stock room so please leave your pens with whoever is on the till; they will add them to the box.
- Strand on the Green Infant and Nursery School: for parents and children at the school.
Bottle corks (natural, not plastic/synthetic corks)
- Majestic: 530 Chiswick High Road, W4 5RG : https://www.majestic.co.uk/services/cork-recycling
BRITA water filters
- Robert Dyas: 326 Chiswick High Road, W4 5TA : https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/brita-recycling
Compostable cups, packaging, etc
The council's waste wizard app says not all items with a compostable logo on them will compost in a home compost bin. Most will require a commercial anaerobic digester to break down properly. You can try composting products that claim to be compostable in your home compost but it is most likely they will need to go in the rubbish bin. Please do not put them in recycling boxes or bins as they will contaminate your recycling and risk it not being processed.
Cosmetics
Many hair and body product bottles tubs can be recycled at home; please empty and wash them first. Hard-to-recycle beauty, health and wellbeing products such as compacts, lipsticks, make-up palettes, mascaras, pumps, samples, toothpaste tubes, travel minis can be recycled at a few locations in Chiswick including at:
- Boots: 332 Chiswick High Road, W4 5TA : more info here: https://www.boots.com/shopping/boots-recycling-scheme/Recycle-at-Boots-…
Soft plastics
A huge range of soft plastics can now be recycled but please first rinse/wash them and check they are soft plastic (scrunch them and, if they ping back, they are soft plastic): biscuit wrappers, bread bags, cling film, crisp packets, film lids of yoghurt pots, nets round fruit and veg, pasta bags, pouches (baby food, pet food), salad bags, sweet packets, wrappers (such as for cheese, croissants, greetings cards, loo paper, nappy bags, pet food, rubber gloves, tea boxes),
- Co-op: 578-586 Chiswick High Road, W4 5RP (near Chiswick Business Park) : look for the blue bin: more info here https://www.coop.co.uk/environment/soft-plastics/packaging-list
- Co-op: 6 Station Parade, W4 3HD (near Chiswick train station): look for the blue bin : more info here https://www.coop.co.uk/environment/soft-plastics/packaging-list
- M&S: 236 Chiswick High Road, W4 1PJ
- Sainsbury's: 31 Essex Place, W4 5UT
- Waitrose: 356-362 Chiswick High Road, W4 5TA
Vapes
Information coming soon.
What else?
To find out what to do with other hard-to-recycle or get rid of items, do check the localised WasteWizard website and the Terracycle website:
- Terracycle: https://www.terracycle.com/en-GB/
- Waste Wizard: https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/recycling-rubbish/can-recycle
If you know of other items that the council doesn't collect but can be recycled in Chiswick, please do let me know.
