Material facts
Aluminium or steel cans are sorted and then shredded which makes the remelt easier. After melting the metal is cast into ingots which are then sent to a rolling mill. Rolling the ingots makes the metal stronger and more flexible. Rolled metals can then be made back into new cans or any other metal component.
Glass is collected in glass bottle banks. After collection it is sorted by hand to remove contaminants. It is then crushed and screened to remove paper, plastics, metals and corks. It is also sorted into separate colours. The end result of all this cleaning is pure crushed glass called cullet. This cullet is the raw material which is then melted down to create new glass jars and bottles.
Greenwaste can be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Sites. From there it gets taken away and composted. This involves shredding and screening to increase the composting rate and remove contaminants. The material is placed in long rows called windrows which are periodically turned to aerate the compost. Eventually the end result is a compost which can be used for re-landscaping and as a soil-improver. We usually make this available to the public once a year in free soil-improver giveaways.
Paper is sorted and graded at the mills. It is then pulped chemically or mechanically so contaminants like staples or glass can be removed. Sometimes the paper may require de-inking for highly quality paper. The pulp is then washed, rinsed, rolled and dried. The paper is now ready to be re-used for example as newspaper or magazine print.
Plastic bottles are sorted, crushed and baled after collection. Often more sorting is required after this to separate different polymers as some are not compatible with others when it comes to recycling. They are then sent to a plastic recycling factory where the plastic is cut into pellets which are washed and melted. The melted plastic can then be reformed into new plastic bottles, for example, or any other plastic product.
Textiles are sorted and graded into a wide variety of fibre types. Unwearable items are sold to merchants for recycling or used as factory wiping cloths. Items can be shredded and used as felt in car insulation or roofing felt for example. Specialist firms may use fibre reclamation to retrieve fibres that can be turned into yarn or thread ready for use. Wearable items are given to the homeless, sold in charity shops or sent to developing counties.
