Where recycling and waste goes

Learn where your waste and recycling goes after we've collected your bins.

Mixed recycling

Mixed recycling is sorted into separate materials at a Materials Recovery Facility, a state-of-the-art sorting centre based in Crayford, Kent.

Glass

Almost all of the glass we collect is recycled in the UK. Glass in good condition can be recycled infinitely with no loss of quality. Glass can be ground down and used for aggregate in the construction industry.

Metal

Most of the metal we collect is recycled in the UK. A small amount is sent for specialist repurposing in various countries in Europe. A metal tin that you put in your recycling bin could be back on supermarket shelves in less than 60 days.

Paper and cardboard

Some of the paper and cardboard we collect is recycled in the UK. Some is sent abroad for recycling on a basis of supply and demand but always to facilities that are accredited and licensed by the UK Environment Agency. Paper and cardboard are pulped and reprocessed into fresh paper products.

Plastic

Much of the plastic we collect is recycled in this country. Some types of plastic are sent abroad for recycling on the basis of supply and demand but always to facilities that are accredited and licensed by the UK Environment Agency. Unlike many local authorities, we collect many different types of plastic such as thin stretchy films and black trays.

Food waste

We take your food waste to an anaerobic digestion plant near Cassington, Oxfordshire. The waste food is broken down by bacteria and turned into biogas and liquid fertiliser. The biogas is a renewable source of electricity. The Cassington plant generates enough energy each year to power 4,200 homes. The liquid fertiliser is spread on local fields - naturally boosting crop yield.

Watch 'Food waste recycling in Oxfordshire' on YouTube (2 minutes, 30 seconds)

Garden waste

Garden waste is taken to Wallingford composting site just outside of Oxford. Garden waste is turned into compost in just a few short weeks. The compost is then spread on local fields helping to naturally boost crop yields.

Watch 'Oxfords, Christmas Tree Composting' on YouTube (1 minute, 41 seconds)

Coffee Pods

Used Coffee pods are taken to a specialist reprocessing plant in the UK to separate the packaging from the used coffee grounds. 

Coffee grounds are used to create soil improvers and renewable energy.

The pods are transformed into new products such as beverage cans or plastic garden furniture.

Aluminium pods are reprocessed at Tandom Metallurgical Group Ltd in Congleton, Cheshire.

Plastic pods are reprocessed by Roydon in Swinton, near Manchester.

Find out how to register for the Podback recycling service

Textiles

Good quality items are sold to second-hand clothing traders in Ukraine. Worn items and garments get turned into industrial wipers, cloths, mattress filling, insulation and new fibres.

The demand for second hand clothing in the UK is smaller than the quantity collected by the service provider, so most clothing is processed and sold abroad where free and fair trade is available. Proceeds from sales support Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

Learn more about textile recycling collections.

Batteries and small electricals

The batteries we collect are recycled at a specialist facility in the West Midlands. Small electrical items are broken down into their constituent materials and recycled at an electrical salvage facility in Berkshire.

Learn about collections for small electricals, batteries, vapes and mobile phones

Rubbish (green bins and lilac sacks)

We don’t put any of your household rubbish into landfill. We take material that can’t be recycled just up the road to an energy recovery facility in Ardley, Oxfordshire. At Ardley, the waste is converted into energy in a process that meets the highest environmental standards and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

The facility generates enough electricity to power at least 60,000 homes - that’s enough to power the whole of Oxford City.

Bulky waste

Bulky waste is collected by different vehicles and taken to a landfill or for breaking and salvage:

• white goods are taken by box van to Euleme for degassing and metal retrieval
• electrical items are taken by box van to Jack Daw Lane for metal salvage
• household items are taken by refuse lorry for landfill at Sutton Courtenay