RECYCLING IN AND AROUND OVERTON

Recycling is good — but it's the fourth-best option, not the first. Before anything goes in a bin or a recycling point, it's worth pausing on three quick questions:

• Could someone else use it as it is? Try to find it a new owner before you recycle or bin it.

• Could it be repaired? Especially electricals — more can be fixed than you'd think.

• Do you need it at all, or could you buy less / buy better next time? Choosing reusable options in the first place avoids the question entirely.

• Step 1 – Reduce: Buy less, and buy better quality where you can. Choose reusable over disposable whenever there's a choice.

• Step 2 – Repair: Broken doesn't always mean bin it. Small electricals and household items may be fixable — check the Repair Café before giving up on something.

• Step 3 – Reuse & Repurpose: Pass it on via a charity shop, Facebook Marketplace, Free for Whitchurch and Overton Facebook group a collection point, or give it a new job around the house.

• Step 4 – Recycle: When it truly can't be used again, recycle it properly using the directory below. if you can't find what you need, try this national directory Recycle Now.

One trip, not a special one: don't make a dedicated journey just to recycle something — the carbon saved by recycling is often smaller than the emissions from the trip itself. Save up items and take them when you're already heading that way.

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This list is checked every 6 months - please let us know if you find a scheme or link has changed. Last updated August 2026

The quickest wins are the things your council collection already takes — no trip required.

• Goes in your green bin: paper & card, plastic bottles (lids on), tins & cans.

• Does not go in your green bin: plastic tubs and pots (e.g. yoghurt pots) — wash and reuse instead, or take to the collection bin at Overton Hill.

• Food waste: any food waste collected weekly in the food waste caddy. Can be bagged in any plastic bag, or a purpose bought food te  bag.

• Glass jars & bottles: in the glass container — no broken glass, other glass objects, or light bulbs in this stream.

• Batteries: Co-operative Store, Winchester Street

• Disposable vapes: Co-operative Store, Winchester Street

• Soft plastics: Co-operative Store, Winchester Street - better than many other supermarket collections as recycled in the UK by Co-op

• Foil & takeaway packaging: Overton Hill Car Park

• Small electricals: Overton Hill — but check first: some can be fixed at the Repair Café rather than recycled

• Mobile Phones - pass on, trade in or recycle anywhere you buy a new phone

• Light bulbs: Household Waste Recovery Centre (the tip) in Basingstoke or Andover - booking needed

• Glasses (spectacles): Overton library

• Unused medicines & inhalers: return to the pharmacy (need to confirm).

• Coffee pods: check compatibility with Podback's recycle checker (podback.org/recycle-checker), or drop off at the Podback collection point at Morrisons, Basingstoke

• Make-up & toiletries packaging, including toothpaste tubes: Boots or Superdrug

• Blister packs: Superdrug or Boots

• Contact Lens packaging: Specsavers (also recycle glasses)

• Water filters: Robert Dyas, Sainsburys

• Very hard-to-recycle plastics: St Mary's Church recycling point (LINK).

• Wearable clothes: charity shop, or the clothing banks at Overton Hill or the Fire Station.

• Clothes too worn to wear: hand in to a charity shop labelled as "rags", or take to H&M for a voucher via their Close the Loop scheme (hm.com/sustainability).

• Old sportswear: Preloved Sports, or check whether a local club has a second-hand shop (e.g. Overton Rugby Club).

• School uniform: pass on directly via the school, or a our Facebook group .

• Running trainers: Up & Running, Basingstoke

• Swimming kit & related gear: collected at Tadley pool

• Pillows, duvets & soft furnishings: Dunelm

• In-date, non-perishable food: local food bank (At the church or the Co-op), or offer it on Free for Whitchurch & Overton .

• Furniture & large items: Facebook Marketplace, Basingstoke Community Furniture Project, or Free for Whitchurch & Overton.

• Old kitchens, bathrooms & appliances: Facebook Marketplace, or Free for Whitchurch & Overton.

• Plastic tubs, trays and cartons: wash and reuse at home, or take to Overton Hill collection point.

• Christmas sweet tins & tubs (Quality Street, etc.): a seasonal collection point is shared each December.

• Tetra Pak cartons: Overton Hill collection point.

• Overton Hill: foil & takeaway packaging, small electricals, clothing bank, plastic trays, tubs and Tetrapak.

• Co-op (Overton): batteries, disposable vapes, soft plastics, food bank donations.

• Fire Station: clothing bank.​

• St Mary's Church: very hard-to-recycle plastics (LINK for details).

• Browser: try Ecosia, a search engine that plants trees using its ad revenue.

• Banking: consider whether your bank invests in fossil fuels - look at Co-operative bank or Triodos are a good place to start).

• Energy provider: consider switching to a renewable-backed supplier - choices include Octopus Energy, Ecotricity, Good Energy, and 100Green).

• Mobile phone: there are now green phone providers - Ecotalk