Where does my recycling go?

Paper

Paper is collected from the kerbside or from recycling banks and is taken to Aylesford Newsprint Ltd in Kent to be recycled.
It is mashed up into pulp and reformed into large paper rolls which are cut down to size. The paper is reused within the UK by printing companies to make newspapers.

Glass

Glass is collected from the kerbside or recycling banks, sorted into colours and taken by Recresco Ltd to be recycled. Glass is 100% recyclable; however we cannot recycle ceramics, Pyrex, drinking glasses or plate glass.
Our glass is made into new glass bottles and jars or crushed up and used as aggregate to make roads.

Tins, cans, aerosols and foil

These are collected from the kerbside or recycling banks and taken by various companies to be recycled.
The steel cans are mixed with iron ore, lime and other materials to produce steel which can be used to make car parts, household parts, pipes, steel sheets and many more products. The cans and foil that are made from aluminium are recycled into new aluminium products.

Clothes/Textiles

Clothing and textiles are collected from the kerbside or recycling banks and taken by Wilcox Ltd to be recycled.
90% of the textiles are shipped to third world countries and deprived areas around the globe. Other textiles are shredded and become cleaning cloths or felt to be used by the automotive industry for sound proofing.

Batteries

Batteries are collected from the kerbside only and taken by G & P Batteries Ltd, to be recycled.
The batteries are shredded and all the different metals are separated and sold to be re used in other products such as new batteries or metal products.

Plastic bottles

Plastic bottles are collected from the kerbside only and taken by TQ Recycling in Torquay to be recycled.
The plastic is cleaned, shredded and used to remake other materials such as garden furniture, bins, insulation and fleece clothing. Plastic is lightweight and bulky it is better if the bottles are flattened for recycling.

Food waste

Food waste is collected from the kerbside only and taken by Langage Farm Anaerobic Digestion Plant near Plymouth to be recycled.
Food waste is mixed with cow slurry at an anaerobic digest plant where the waste is turned into compost and returned to local farms as a soil fertilizer for arable or grazing land. The gases produced are converted back into electricity and fed into the National Grid.

Page last updated on 15 December 2011