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Where possible re-use and recycle packaging, furniture, clothes, and anything else you can think of, for example by using charity shops to buy clothes, and donating your own old ones.

Mendip District Council offers the following recycling services:

Kerbside collection: There is a weekly recycling collection service for nearly all homes across the Mendip District,for paper, glass, cans, textiles, shoes, foil and yellow pages. Different types of material should be separated, for example using old plastic bags. To get a new box call customer services at Mendip District Council, where you can also find out which day your recycling is collected. You should also be provided with a box for recycling food waste.

Mini-recycling banks: If you want to get rid of your plastic bottles and cardboard, there are a number of sites across the District, which also take a range of other materials. Find your nearest sites by calling Mendip District Council customer services or looking on the Recycle Somerset website. With plastic, you can only recycle bottles, which must have the numbers 1, 2 or 3 in the recycle symbol on the bottom.

Household waste recycling centres: These take a wide range of materials including cardboard, plastic bottles, metals, car batteries, fridges, old electrical goods and timber. Your nearest Household waste recycling centre is likely to be one of the following:

  • Frome - Manor Furlong, off Manor Road
  • Dulcote - Hill Quarry near Wells
  • Coleford - road to Newbury Coleford
  • Street - Farm Road, off A39
  • Cheddar - Wedmore Road, Cheddar
  • Castle Cary - Dimmer camp, off B3153

For more information on council waste and recycling services, see the website, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01749 648999

Recycle Somerset gives full information about which types of waste your nearest centre takes.The site, which has been produced by the Somerset Waste partnership, includes tips on a great many materials, and information on where and how the different materials and products are recycled.

The Freecycle network is an international movement focused on minimising the amount of stuff going into landfill. Just take a look at the local dump/recycling centre sometime and see how many things are just in need of a clean or minor repairs (that old sofa which needs re-covering for example). The freecycle groups act as local hubs for people to post either offers of items they no longer need or those they want. There are two local freecycling groups in Mendip:Shepton/Wells/Street freecycling group and Frome freecycling group.

The Carymoor Environmental Centre, at Castle Cary, is a former landfill site used to demonstrate environmental issues such as composting and landfill. It holds open evenings, and runs guided walks and an educational programme. Call 01963 350143.

Computer Aid accepts donations of old computers for re-use in schools and community organisations in the developing world.