Where Does My Kerbside Recycling Go?

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WHERE DOES MY KERBSIDE RECYCLING GO?

MRWA have contracted with resource management company Veolia to sort and secure markets for target recyclable materials collected at the kerbside and from our household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).

  • Veolia send the sorted materials to different reprocessing companies who use the materials to produce items that include everything from home insulation products to producing tomorrow’s new newspapers.
  • Mixed recyclable materials collected at the kerbside and HWRCs across Merseyside and Halton are sent to two ‘Materials Recovery Facilities’ or ‘MRFs’ – one at Bidston on the Wirral and one at Gillmoss near Liverpool.
  • The vast majority of the recyclable material sorted at the MRFs remains within the UK, reprocessed into quality recycled products.
  • A small proportion of Merseyside and Halton’s materials are exported internationally in compliance with stringent market export requirements, to approved facilities ensuring the management of our materials to the highest standards.

The destinations for recovered recyclable materials changes regularly according to market demands – outlets for recycling will be dictated to by the market and so some of the outlets and their locations may vary.

Find out below what happens to the materials.

GLASS BOTTLES AND JARS

Are turned into glass cullet used in the production of glass insulation products.  Recovered glass is currently sent to Veolia’s reprocessing plant in St Helens.

CARDBOARD

Is pulped and recycled into new cardboard and cardboard packaging products, lower grade paper products and animal bedding. The majority of recovered cardboard is processed in the North West.

STEEL CANS AND AEROSOLS

Steel cans and aerosols are melted to remove impurities and made into steel and steel products. Steel cans and aerosols are currently sent for reprocessing in Warrington and the Midlands.

ALUMINIUM CANS AND AEROSOLS

Cans and aerosols are shredded and then melted down and recycled back into aluminium products. Aluminium cans and aerosols are currently sent for reprocessing in Warrington and the Midlands.

ALUMINIUM FOIL AND TRAYS

Aluminium foil and trays are shredded and then melted down and recycled back into aluminium. The material is currently sent to Swansea.

PAPER

High grade paper is recycled into newspapers, magazines and pamphlet paper stock. Mixed paper is pulped and recycled into lower grade paper products. Recovered paper is currently sent for reprocessing to facilities in Greater Manchester and India.

PLASTIC BOTTLES, POTS, TUBS AND TRAYS

Are recycled to produce numerous products including new bottles, pipes, fibres, food trays etc. Plastic bottles are predominantly sent for reprocessing in Veolia’s own plastics recycling facility in Shrewsbury.

CARTONS

Are composites which are broken down to their core products of paper, aluminium and plastic. The paper is pulped and made into new products such as tubes for hot chocolate and the plastic and aluminium from carton linings can also be made into products like garden furniture, play mats and building materials. This material is processed in the UK.