Where your recycling ends up
This page tells you where all your recycling ends up after we have collected it from your house or from one of our many recycling centres.
Garden waste
Garden waste collected from your house is transported to Britaniacrest, Surrey.
The garden waste is then transported to Laverstoke Park, Hampshire to an open windrow composting facility to make soil improver.
Glass bottles and jars
In December 2009 we changed the way glass bottles and jars were collected. Previously glass had to be separated into green, clear and brown for recycling. Now new technology can separate the colours so glass can be recycled back into new bottles and glass.
Glass is bulked at Earlswood Depot and taken to Recresco Limited, Southampton. Glass is optically separated where 92% is recycled into new bottles and jars. The remaining 8% of poorer quality glass is used for aggregate (glass fragments are too small for optical separation).
The glass cullet is then heated at 1500C, cut into pieces called 'gobs' and blown into the shape of a bottle or jar. The bottles are reheated and cooled and sent to food and drink manufacturers.
Mixed paper and cardboard
Paper and cardboard is bulked at our Earlswood Depot and then transported to Kemsley Mill, Kent.
The paper mill, operated by Severnside and part of the DS Smith Group which also owns St Regis Paper Mills, manufactures the material into new cardboard packaging.
Plastic bottles
Plastic bottles are bulked at our Earlswood Depot and then transported to Viridor Resource Management, Kent.
The plastic bottles are hand sorted into their different polymer types and then baled for recycling into new bottles.
The majority of the plastic bottles are recycled within the UK market, whilst a small proportion is sent to the European and Asian markets.
Exports are highly regulated by the Environment Agency in co-operation with the competent environmental authorities of destination countries.
Mixed cans
Mixed cans (food and drink) are bulked at our Earlswood Depot and transported to Viridor Resource Management, Kent.
Steel and aluminium cans are sent to European Metal Recycling (EMR) in Canning Town, London, for onward shipment to Corus or AMG Resources in South Wales.
The steel, tin and aluminium are separated and sold back to the relevant markets such as steel tin plate manufacturing.
Textiles and clothes
D & M Recycling, a member of the Textile Recycling Association, collect our textile banks.
The textiles are sorted within the UK where 95% of the textiles are re-used.
The money raised from recycling textiles is used to support the Mayors charity, which is nominated each year.
Foil
The foil is bulked at our Earlswood Depot and then transported to Surrey Waste Management Limited (SWML), Surrey.
The foil is then transported to a non-ferrous metal merchant, T Baker in Franham, Surrey, to manufacture into new aluminium products.
Fridges and freezers
Fridges and freezers are delivered to SWML, who then transports the white goods to EMR at their Wilsdon Depot, North London, for recycling.
Contact
For further information please contact us via our Help Line on 01737 276000 or email us at customer.services@reigate-banstead.gov.uk.
See also
You can apply for a replacement recycling box online.
Last updated : 22/12/2010
