Where does my recycling go?
Our aim is to send as much of the material that you recycle to a local reprocessor as possible. However, your recycled materials can be sent within the UK, Europe or further afield, and this depends on market demand for materials, so it is constantly changing.
High quality recycling is extremely important and this is where your input is needed to ensure that you only put what we ask for into your recycling containers.
Below you can find out more about what happens to the material you recycle, where it is taken and what it is recycled into.
Mixed paper and card
Your mixed paper and card is baled into large quantities here in Greater Manchester and then transported to a reprocessor.
Around 80% of the paper and card you recycle is made into new products in the UK. This could be anything from newspapers and cardboard boxes to other packaging card. So newspaper you recycle today can be reprocessed and be back in your house as your cereal box. The remaining 20% of the paper and card you recycle can be sent to Europe or further afield.
Rest assured this material is sent as a quality resource for recycling and our systems and controls ensure that this happens. The paper and card is still recycled into the same new items as they would be in the UK.
Your glass bottles and jars are separated by a mechanical sorting process from the other materials that are collected for recycling (food and drinks cans and plastic bottles) and loaded in large quantities in Greater Manchester and then transported to a reprocessor. 100% of the glass that you recycle is made into new products in the UK.
This can be anything from new glass bottles and jars, or to be used in building products and insulation. The jam jar you recycle today might be reprocessed into loft insulation.
Food and drinks cans (including foil)
Your food and drinks cans are separated in Greater Manchester by a mechanical sorting process from the other materials that are collected for recycling (glass bottles and jars and plastic bottles).
The aluminium and steel is baled separately and then transported in large quantities and then sent to a reprocessor. 100% of the food and drinks cans you recycle are made into new products in the UK. The aluminium or steel will be cleaned and melted down to be used again. This can be for anything from cars and planes to fridge parts as well as for new food and drinks cans.
Your plastic bottles are separated by a mechanical sorting process from the other materials that are collected for recycling (food and drinks cans and glass bottles and jars) and baled into separate types of plastic (HDPE and PET) in Greater Manchester and then transported in large quantities to a reprocessor. Around 50% of the plastic bottles you recycle are made into new products in the UK.
The plastic bottles will be cleaned and chipped ready to be melted down to be used again for anything from new bottles, pipes and toys to garden products. The other 50% of the plastic bottles you recycle can be sent to Europe or further afield, but rest assured this material is sent as a quality resource for recycling and our systems and controls ensure that this happens.
Parts of Europe and China for example, have large manufacturing businesses that have a demand for our plastic bottles for use in their new products: your plastic bottle might come back to the UK in a children’s toy, a garden chair or a car bumper.
Your garden waste is shredded and loaded in Greater Manchester and then transported in large quantities to a reprocessor. We use licensed farms across the North West to turn your garden waste into a quality compost to be used in agriculture and horticulture.
This can be anything from a soil enricher for farmers and growers to peat-free compost sold in garden centres.
This page was last updated on 4 May 2010
