You're probably accustomed to recycling newspapers, magazines, and other paper waste that it's become second nature. However, many people across the country are still throwing away or not correctly recycling their old books.

If you've had young children who have moved onto a new age bracket of books, or you find yourself holding more books than you need, there are ways you can get rid of them without damaging the environment. Donating or finding an institution that can reuse the books will be much easier and practical than recycling them.

Charity shops, schools, nurseries, and even local libraries will accept books from time to time. Or you can find success by selling them cheaply online or through donation pages, where people can collect from you. Of course, not all books are in a good enough condition to be reused and need to be recycled.

In this instance, you should check with your local council and the recycling rules in your area. Some may provide specialised drop-off points for items such as books, or they will allow you to throw them in with the rest of your paper waste. It's best to check first.

This is another big one for homeowners, with over 150,000 tonnes of electrical devices thrown away every year. With the release of new and more efficient gadgets, households toss away their perfectly fine older devices every year.

Sometimes our equipment gets damaged and broken, and there's no further practical use for them, but most of the time, they can be reused. If you do not want any money for a product, then, once again, you're able to donate these old items to charity shops or local communities that can benefit from the use of such an item.

Of course, you're also able to sell online on various pages, even if the product isn't working. Be sure to clarify this, as some people will want to buy the piece for parts. This can ensure that it gets a new lease of life and isn't left to fall apart on the side of the road.

Most electrical items cannot be recycled as easily, so it's easy to leave them. Instead of throwing your electrical devices in the bin, you need to recycle and dispose of them correctly. If you own any old microwaves, televisions, DVD players, or even just extension leads, then be sure to bring them to your local recycling centres.

There will typically be a section where other electrical devices have been left, and then they can be disposed of and recycled accordingly and safely. 

As your exercise or running shoes deteriorate over time, you want to toss them aside and buy new ones. There's nothing wrong with that, but you'd feel a lot better knowing that you can recycle the old pair.

We should all be doing our bit to recycle or donate our old shoes, as trainers take an extremely long time to break down. If there's still a future in those old shoes, and they're not completely worn down, then you can donate them.

Charity shops, online selling pages, schools, and other local communities will accept them. If there are collections for the homeless or people in need, then a pair of trainers will go a long way.

Professionals can remove any parts of the trainers that need replacing, such as the heel, and after a wash, they are good to go to a new home.

Although these may seem convenient to you every morning, single-used pods are becoming a real problem for the environment.

Instead of throwing them in the bin, you can take a few extra seconds to recycle the individual parts into the necessary bins.

The pods are generally made of entirely recyclable material, plastic for the tub, aluminium for the lid, paper for the filter, and coffee grounds.

The various materials that make up the pod can be recycled into their bins, and the coffee can be composted. This way, you're ensuring that fewer of these pods are ending up in landfill sites.

The same approach goes to food tins, as sometimes multiple materials make up one container. It's more time-consuming to separate them, but it only takes a few seconds and can be recycled. 

If you're a regular printer, and you find yourself going through many ink cartridges every week, month, or year, you should be recycling them as best you can.

The materials and compounds within a cartridge can be toxic, so they need proper and professional care to dispose of them. Depending on where you buy yours from, you can arrange with certain supply stores to drop them off, and they will send them to the recycling centre.

This makes the job much easier for you, and sometimes you're even able to get points or discounts off future purchases when you do this. 

Much like ink cartridges, some batteries contain compounds such as acid that can be toxic to people and the environment. There's been a rise in battery recycling points, and you're generally able to find one close to you.

Even supermarkets and other retail stores can provide customers with a point to drop off batteries, and then they deal with the recycling.

If you're able to sort the batteries before you drop them off, that can speed up the process even further.

Lead Acid Batteries will typically come from cars and other vehicles, Zinc-Based, which will be domestic, Lithium-Ion from laptops, and many more. If you're unable to do this, taking them to a point to be recycled is enough. 

Another thing that can be found on landfill sites annually is Christmas decorations. Most people would much rather throw their old ones away and buy new decorations the following year.

This can save on space in their attic and makes their lives easier. However, this isn't the only option. As it turns out, most of the decorations and festive items that you have in your house can be recycled.

Christmas trees, tinsel, fairy lights, and even leftover food can all be donated or recycled.

Some stores will offer services to take in your old decorations (sometimes in exchange for a reward or discount), and they can recycle or donate them to causes that need them most. Holiday food can also be given to charities and other events. 

As online streaming boosts every year, more DVDs, CDS, and VHS tapes are thrown away. The easiest option when considering what to do with unwanted discs is to donate them.

Charity shops, local communities, and other online stores will take your DVDs and CDs in. If you own a disc that is too damaged to play, you can recycle them.

This can prove difficult, as few places will offer a DVD recycling service to the public, but some companies can take yours in and recycle them in bulk.

VHS tapes can still be recycled, but you must remove the film first, and then the plastic case can go in with the regular recycling. 

Disposing of aerosol cans sometimes proves tricky, especially when liquid remains inside. The liquid can be hazardous and toxic, especially when put under intense heat.

This is why it's important to empty the can first or contact your local council about options for hazardous waste disposal. Empty cans can be thrown in with other metals you recycle, though. 

Most households are probably doing this already, as our children grow out of clothes or we want to get a new wardrobe.

We can donate old clothes to charity shops or homeless shelters, and such places can even recycle old and worn items for you.

If you're able to reuse anything yourself, then DIY and handcrafted items are on the rise again, and you can find yourself earning money for your unique creations.

How many plastic bags do you own in your home? They're probably tucked under the stairs right now. You should be aiming to reuse those bags wherever you can and not get new ones when you visit the supermarket next.

Most stores have switched to paper bags, as they can biodegrade much easier, but you will still find plastic around.

Use plastic bags as bin liners, or contact your local council to find nearby plastic bag recycling plants or centres.