Recycling the tricky stuff
A solution for those hard to recycle items!
Since November 2023, at Cafe Zero, Haddenham residents have collected…
As a trial we are collecting the following groups of items at the Repair Café in the Village Hall on the first Saturday morning of every month. Note that we are no longer collecting Personal Protective Products or Storage Media
- Medicine blister packs
- Oral care waste and packaging
- Office supplies/stationery
- Contact lenses and packaging
- Storage media – DISCONTINUED COLLECTION
- PPP – DISCONTINUED COLLECTION
Simply collect up your items each month and put them in the appropriate receptacle – they need to be separated into the categories above as that’s how we send them off.
Here’s some more information about what is and isn’t included in each category:
Medicine blister packs
| Accepted items | Not accepted items |
| Any brand of empty medicine blister packs Important information: We cannot accept medicine and medication residue. Boxes received that contain tablets will need to be diverted to Energy from Waste (and therefore may not be recycled). Blister packs must not have originally been destined for disposal as clinical or hazardous waste. Blister packs must not have come into contact with biological contaminants e.g. from within an operating or treatment environment. | Any medicine and medication residue including tablets, pills, lozenges and caplets as medicine should be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal Cardboard, paper and any other types of waste other than empty medicine blister packs Any other medicine containers such as bottles, inhalers or sprays |
AFTER OUR SCHEME FINISHES
Currently the only available drop off points we know about are:
- Boots in Oxford – Headington OX3 9AJ
- Oxford retail park OX4 6XJ – or Boots in High Wycombe.
- Superdrug pharmacies in High Wycombe or Bicester.
Because this waste is particularly difficult to recycle with especially as an individual, we will prioritise these at our collections at Café Zero and are trying to find solutions to fund continuing this into the future.
Oral care waste and packaging
| Accepted items | Not accepted items |
| Toothpaste tubes and caps Plastic toothbrushes Electric toothbrush heads which don’t contain an RFID microchip Interdental brushes and floss containers Dental aligners | Electric toothbrushes Smart brush heads with RFID microchip Plant-based or biodegradable plastics (e.g. PLA), wooden and bamboo toothbrushes |
AFTER OUR SCHEME FINISHES
Boots in Thame, High Wycombe and Aylesbury will take many items through their SCAN2RECYCLE programme – including oral care and single use eye drop phials. Find out more at https://boots.scan2recycle.com
The Bank House Dental Centre in Princes Risborough will recycle oral care products
Office supplies/stationery
| Accepted items | Not accepted items |
| Small plastic or metal discarded office supplies: Pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, staplers, hole punchers, clips and clamps Other small supplies: Disposable and reusable tape dispensers, glue sticks, rubber stamps, correction fluid bottles, and other correction supplies Filing and archiving supplies: Plastic file dividers, plastic folders, file pockets, business cards holders, binders | Electronic waste (e.g. electronic staplers, label making machines) Laminated paper-release liner from labels |
AFTER OUR SCHEME FINISHES
Stationery items can be recycled at John Hampden Primary School in Thame – and these can also be dropped off at the Glynswood Art Shop in Thame
Contact lenses and packaging
| Accepted items | Not accepted items |
| Contact lenses Plastic film Pods Empty solution bottles | Cardboard packaging |
AFTER OUR SCHEME FINISHES
Contact lenses can be recycled at:
- Ivan Cammack Opticians in Thame
- Boots Opticians shops in Aylesbury, Princes Risborough, High Wycombe
- Nu-Sight Opticians in Aylesbury
Soft Plastics
Soft plastics are now widely accepted at most supermarkets, including the Co-Op store on Tibbs Road in Haddenham.
Please note that at our collection point we cannot accept:
- Hazardous waste (for example sharp, flammable, reactive, corrosive, ignitable, toxic, infectious or pathogenic) which presents a danger to the environment, or to people.
- Batteries, pressurised canisters, broken glass and medical waste