Moving out waste

If you leave unwanted items on the pavement when you move out, it could lead to enforcement action. If you rent your home, leaving things inside might cost you your deposit. So, make a plan for them.

The greenest way to dispose of things is to give them a chance at a second life, either by donating or selling. Here are some ideas to get started, and if you still have things to dispose of afterwards, we’ve got it covered at the end.

Items in good condition but no time to sell? Think about donating them.

Remember: never leave donations on the floor by bring banks or outside charity shops. It’s fly-tipping and the donations may also get stolen or damaged by weather and animals.

Food

Portsmouth Foodbank: find details of their food drop-offs or donation points on their website. Only donate non-perishable food in unopened tins, cans or packets to charities.

You can also give them to friends and family.

Furniture

Some of Portsmouth’s local charities accepting good condition furniture:

• visit the Moving on Project Portsmouth website to check what donations the charity currently needs and where/when to drop them off
• Sue Ryder – call 023 9229 4501 to book a free collection
• Rowans Hospice – call 023 9238 3611 or email rowanshospice.co.uk to book a free collection
• visit British Heart Foundation website to book a free collection

Any upholstered furniture will need to still have their Fire Safety 1988 label on.

Kitchen utensils, crockery, bedding, mattresses

Visit the Moving on Project Portsmouth website to check what donations the charity currently needs and where and when to drop them off.

Please make sure donations are clean and in good condition – they are going to individuals and families in need of a fresh start.

Textiles, books, CDs, DVDs and bric-a-brac

Check out the local charity shops on Palmerston Road, Osborne Road, Fratton Road and London Road. There are over 100 textile and book banks in the city. You can also give away online – search for Portsmouth (or Southsea) Freecycle.

Find your nearest recycling point.

Advertise on online marketplaces. Local buy and sell pages on social media are the perfect place to start. And with in-person pick-ups, you don’t have to worry about packing and posting.

Recycle from home

Make the best use of your home bins by separating recyclable items:

• green recycling bin or box – paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, tins, cans, aerosols
• small electricals – place in a carrier bag on top of the recycling bin (not inside) on collection day
• food waste caddy – food (cooked or raw) plus shredded paper and cut flowers

Recycle around Portsmouth

• glass – bottles and jars can go to glass banks (leave metal lids on)
• metals – scrap metal companies will often collect for free
• book a visit to the Household Waste Recycling Centre (most items are accepted for free) – there is also a reuse area to donate goods

Place your waste containers out for collection on the last collection day before you leave. Do not leave waste and containers on the pavement on non-collection days. Find your collection dates.

• black rubbish wheelie bin (non-recyclable weekly waste) – make sure you stick to your weekly rubbish allowance, additional bags will not be taken
• book a visit to the Household Waste Recycling Centre – you can take additional bags with non-recyclable waste
• bulk waste collection – council collections start from £30 (some residents qualify for a free collection), or search for a private waste collector

You must make sure your rubbish is thrown away properly. If you pay someone to take your rubbish, you need to check that they have a special license. You can look them up on DEFRA’s website by searching their business name or address.

Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact the recycling and rubbish team.