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What happens to my recycling?
The paper, plastic, glass and cans you put in the recycling bins is
sorted before being sent for recycling or reuse. Paper that is contaminated
with food or chemicals can not be recycled. It is sorted from the recyclable
material and thrown away.
Glass
- Empty glass bottles and jars can be recycled to make things like
decorative paving and aggregate for asphalt or swimming pool filters,
as well as new glass jars and bottles.
- Some glass, such as mirror glass and crystal, cannot be recycled
because of high lead content.
Paper
- Corrugated paper and cardboard can be used to make new paperboard
and corrugated boxes.
- Newspapers can be recycled into paperboard, new newsprint, insulation
and animal bedding products.
- Office paper can be recycled into writing paper, tissue and towel
products.
- Telephone books can be recycled into egg cartons and wine boxes.
Food and drink cans
- Empty aluminium drink cans are sent overseas for recycling and can
be recycled again and again. Recycled aluminium cans are sorted, crushed
and baled into "bricks" for transporting. These bricks are fed into
a hot furnace where the aluminium melts and the melted aluminium is
then cast into smaller ingots which are processed into new aluminium
cans.
- Steel cans that have contained anything from baked beans to fruit
cocktail, pet food or soup can be recycled to make new cars and bridges.
Plastic
- 25 plastic soft drink bottles can be recycled to make an ecofleece
top.
- A styrofoam vending cup can be made into a pencil or a pen.
- Plastic bags and containers can be recycled into garden furniture,
decking and fencing.
- Milk bottles can be recycled into buckets, composting bins or the
recycling bins many councils use for kerbside recycling.
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