A to Z of recycling - C
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Find out how to reduce, reuse and recycle particular items in Preston by selecting the letter your item begins with.
Top tip: If you can't find your item try searching for the name of the material first. E.g. plastic tub, cardboard box etc.
Cans/tins (food/drinks)
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Recycle - put in your yellow lidded recycle bin
Cardboard boxes
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Reuse - give away through Freecycle or Freegle
Recycle - put in your red lidded recycle bin
Carpets
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Reuse - give away good condition carpet via Freecycle or Freegle
Reuse - ask local animal rescue shelters if they could recondition used carpet into mats
Dispose - book a bulky waste collection or take to your local household waste and recycling centre
Carrier/plastic bags
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Reduce - reuse bags you already have when you go shopping to avoid buying more single use plastics
Recycle - take to your local supermarket
Recycle - find a local drop off point at recycle now - plastic film and carrier bags (includes most major supermarkets)
Dispose - put in your grey bin
Cartons/Tetra Pak (flattened)
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Recycle - rinse out and take to your local household waste and recycling centre or the University of Central Lancashire Student Union building
Dispose - put in your grey bin
Catalogues and directories
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Recycle - put in your red lidded recycle bin
CD/DVDs
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Reuse - give away through Freecycle or Freegle
Reuse - take to your local charity shop
Recycle - find a local drop off point through Terracycle
Please note: broken CD/DVD cases and discs should be placed in your grey bin
Ceramics
![Ceramic cup and saucer]()
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Reuse - give away through Freecycle or Freegle or take to your local charity shop
Dispose - wrap up broken ceramics and put in your grey bin
Cereal boxes
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Recycle - put in your red lidded recycle bin
Please note: remove the inner plastic bag before recycling
Cheese packaging (empty)
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Recycle - find a local drop off point through Terracycle
Dispose - put in your grey bin
Chocolate and sweet packets
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Recycle - find a local drop off point through Terracycle
Dispose - put in your grey bin
Christmas cracker (paper - non glitter)
![Christmas cracker]()
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Recycle - put in your red lidded recycle bin. Remove any ribbons or toys first.
Christmas lights
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Reuse - give away through Freecycle or Freegle or take to your local charity shop
Recycle - take broken lights to electrical recycle points or your local household waste and recycling centre
Christmas trees (real)
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Recycle - cut up and put in your brown lidded (garden waste) recycling bin
Christmas trees (fake)
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Reuse - give away through Freecycle or Freegle
Reuse - take to your local charity shop
Clothes
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Reuse - take to your local charity shop or give away through Freecycle or Freegle
Recycle - take to your local household waste and recycling centre
Coat hanger
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Reuse - ask charity shops if they need any hangers or give them away through Freecycle or Freegle
Recycle - take to your local household waste and recycling centre*
Dispose - put in your grey bin
*Only hangers not made of mixed materials can be put in the skips - wooden in wood skip, plastic in hard plastic skip, metal in metal skip
Coffee cups
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Reduce - Buy a re-usable cup to help reduce your carbon footprint
Recycle - find your local coffee cup recycling point through National Cup Recycling Scheme
Dispose - put in your grey bin
Coffee grounds
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Recycle - put in your home compost
Dispose - put in your grey bin
Coffee pods
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Reduce - try reusable and refillable coffee pods
Recycle - take to the your local drop off point or use the Podback recycling service
Conditioner bottles
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Recycle - put in your yellow lidded recycle bin
Contact lenses
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Recycle - find a local drop off point through Terracycle
Dispose - put in your grey bin
Cooking oil
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Recycle - take to your local household waste and recycling centre
Dispose - pour into a container and put in your grey bin
Cosmetic bottles
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Recycle - put in your yellow lidded recycle bin
Recycle - take part in the Recycle at Boots Scheme by visiting Boots - recycling at Boots
Crisp packets
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Recycle - find a local drop off point through Terracycle
Dispose - put in your grey bin
Cut Flowers
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Recycle - put in your brown (garden waste) recycling bin or your home compost