Where do Tyres go?

Whole tyres were banned from EU and UK landfill in 2003 and shredded tyres in 2006, because they trap gas, float back up through the cap and make excellent mosquito habitat. The disposal fee a fitter charges when you buy new tyres pays for that regulated route, which is why leaving the old ones with them is the cheapest option available. Household waste centres take small numbers from householders, often capped at four or five a year and often charged. Dumping tyres is a common and heavily prosecuted form of fly-tipping. Annual limits and fees are set locally, so check yours before turning up.

How to prepare it

1. Leave old tyres with the fitter when new ones go on — you have usually already paid for it.
2. Check your household waste centre's annual limit before turning up with a bootful.

What not to do

• Never burn a tyre; the smoke is dense and carries heavy metals and dioxins.
• Never leave tyres to fill with rainwater in a garden — they are a prime mosquito breeding site.

Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

Other things that go to shop or manufacturer take-back

• Household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) Battery collection point — a supermarket or DIY store box, or the household waste centre. Never the kerbside bin.
• Lithium-ion batteries Battery or WEEE collection point only. A lithium cell in a bin lorry is a fire, not a littering problem.
• Vapes and disposable e-cigarettes A vape shop or supermarket take-back bin. It is electrical waste with a lithium cell inside, not litter.
• Mobile phones Wipe it, then trade it in, donate it or hand it to an electricals take-back point.
• Disposable coffee cups Not the kerbside bin. Take them to a shop cup collection point, or general waste — the lid and sleeve recycle separately.
• Button and coin cells Battery collection point. Tape them first — and keep them away from small children until they go.
• Coffee pods and capsules Brand take-back scheme if aluminium; general waste for most plastic pods. Compostable ones need a food waste collection.
• Rechargeable batteries (NiMH, NiCd) Battery collection point. NiCd cells contain cadmium and are hazardous waste in most jurisdictions.
• Laptops and computers Wipe the drive, then donate, trade in or take it to WEEE recycling. The battery makes binning it a fire risk.
• Printer cartridges Manufacturer freepost return or a shop collection box. Not the kerbside bin.
• Power banks and portable chargers Small electricals collection or a battery take-back point. It is a lithium cell in a plastic shell.
• Propane and patio gas cylinders Back to the supplier or exchange point. Refillable cylinders are almost never yours to scrap.
• Bubble wrap and postal air pillows Soft plastics collection at a supermarket, or reuse it. Not the kerbside bin.
• Toys and gadgets with batteries inside Take the batteries out and deal with them separately; the toy then goes in small electricals. Sealed ones go in whole.