Good question! And we can understand why you ask, with regular media reports about what happens to waste produced in the UK. Well, we’re going to tell you…
First, as the recently published Surrey Waste Tracker shows, 85% of Surrey’s waste stays in the UK to be treated, whether that’s recycled into something new or turned into energy. When it’s sent abroad, it’s usually because there isn’t demand for the material in this country or because there are no facilities to treat it. However, we can assure you that your waste is sent to reputable, licensed organisations with world-leading facilities.
We have a whole section (including videos) on what happens to your waste, but if you don’t have time, here’s a quick rundown:
- Glass – your glass gets crushed and turned into…glass! Now that’s circular!
- Paper and card – in what could be as little as seven days, your old paper and card is turned into…new paper and card. There’s a theme here!
- Plastic – your plastic pots, tubs, bottles and trays are either melted or crushed into flakes and are then used to create new items like toys, benches or clothing.
- Tins and cans – it’s a bit complicated, but essentially metal tins and cans are heated to very high temperatures, before being made into new metal used to make new tins and cans or even things like bikes and paper clips.
- Food waste – we use clever little actual living things, microorganisms for this. They break down food waste and produce biogas, which generates electricity, heat and fuel. What’s left is used as fertiliser on farms.
- Garden waste – it’s shredded and put in a long line before it decomposes, turning into compost, which is used to help improve soil and help new things grow.
- Clothes and textiles – if clothes are in good condition, they’re passed on to be re-worn in the UK or around the world, if not, they are turned into products like insulation, felt and stuffing.
- Small electricals – these are shredded and the metal is used in things like shipbuilding, galvanising railings and lampposts, in jewellery or musical instruments.
- Rubbish – your rubbish is turned into energy that is used to power the national grid, powering homes, businesses and streetlights.
It all goes to good use, so please help keep Surrey as one of the top performing counties for waste in the country by recycling right.