Where Recyclables Go

Aluminium cans and foil - collected

See 'Mixed recyclables'

Aluminium cans - bring bank sites

Metal Salvage, Oxford

The mixed metals are baled by a local contractor and then sent to be ground down in the UK. The aluminium is separated and sent for further refining. The metals are then traded on the open market.

Books - bring bank site

Oxfam

Card and cardboard - collected

See 'Mixed recyclables'

Fridges - bulk collected and flytipped

Weymouth & Sherbourne, at Dix Pit Waste Recycling Centre

Fridges that we collect are dismantled in the UK. The oil and gases are used to fire power stations and steelworks in the UK. The plastics are processed abroad to make new items. The polyurethane foam goes abroad to "energy from waste" plants. The metals are processed in the UK and traded on the open market.

Garden waste - collected

Agrivert, Crowmarsh Gifford

The garden waste is taken direct to a local processor for making into compost, which is suitable for spreading on arable land and is taken by local farmers.

Glass - collected and bring banks

Thamesdown Recycling, Swindon

Glass is sorted and bulked locally, and then sent for reprocessing in the UK. The colour separated glass is used to make more bottles and jars. The mixed glass goes for use by aggregate and road building industries.

Mixed recyclables - collected

Community Waste, Milton Keynes

The collected mixed recyclables - plastic bottles, card and cardboard, aluminium tins and foil, metal tins, and low grade paper (directories, junk mail, envelopes, wrapping paper) - are taken to a Materials Recycling Facility for separating and bulking. The recyclables are then sold on the open market for recycling.

Paper - collected and bring banks (newspapers, magazines, white office paper)

Aylesford Newsprint Ltd, Aylesford, Kent.

This high grade paper is taken to a UK processor, who manufactures it into newsprint. Separation of high grade paper for recycling means that it can be used to make newsprint. Low grade papers (e.g. wrapping paper) can only be recycled into things like envelopes.

Paper - collected (wrapping paper, envelopes, junk mail, directories)

See 'Mixed recyclables'

Plastic - mixed plastic from bring banks

Cleanaway, Radley

Mixed plastic from our bring banks is baled locally and sold on the open market for recycling. It is sorted, washed and chipped, and then goes on for manufacturing. The material goes abroad for recycling because there are no processors in the UK who will take mixed plastics for recycling.

Plastic - old recycling boxes and bins

Otto (UK) Ltd of Coalville, Leics.

Plastic bottles - collected

See 'Mixed recyclables'

Steel tins and cans - bring bank sites

Metal Salvage, Oxford

The mixed metals are baled by a local contractor and then sent for processing in the UK. The metal is washed and shredded, and then traded on the open market. It is then smelted and used to make new steel items.

Street sweepings

Worton Park Composting, Cassington

The street sweepings are taken direct to a local processor for making into compost, which is suitable for spreading on arable land and is taken by local farmers.

Ragtex of Leicester

Textiles collected from the City's kerbside are taken to Leicester, where they are sorted. The good quality garments are sent to Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. The unsalable items are then processed into cleaning rags for the UK market.

Textiles - bring banks

BCR of West Bromwich

Textiles collected from the City's bring banks are taken to the Midlands for hand sorting. The good quality garments are exported for resale. Non reusable items are shredded to make flocking for upholstery, wipes for industrial and garage use, or woollen jazz to make blankets.

White goods

Metal Salvage in Oxford

White goods are taken to a local metal merchant who sells them to a processor for dismantling. The metals and plastics are traded on the open market, and the raw materials are shredded and processed to make new plastic and metal objects. Fridges are treated separately - see Fridges.