What happens to our recycled materials

Little changes really can make a world of difference!  Recycling products, rather than taking new materials to start a manufacturing process from scratch, saves energy, money and the world's natural resources.

Glass
Glass bottles and jars become new bottles and jars. They can also be made into road aggregate and household insulation.

Paper
Paper from our schools is collected and baled. It's then taken in 25 tonne loads to pulping mills where it's turned back into paper - and could be back on your desk within a few weeks!

Cardboard
This follows the same route as paper and will return as a cardboard box.

Tin Cans
All cans are separated using an electro-magnet with the steel cans being sent to Corus at Port Talbot. These are turned into new cans or bridge girders, for example.  Aluminium cans go to Novelis in Warrington and will be back in the supermarket as new cans within a few weeks.

Plastic Bottles
These are squashed into 300kg bales before they are sent to companies such as Linpac in Leeds to be turned into polymer granules to make new bottles.

IT Equipment
Printwaste will take IT equipment to Hemplan in Gloucester. Any data is securely destroyed before the equipment is refurbished or recycled.

Textiles
If your school arranges textile collections through companies such as Ragtex Schools Scheme and Bag2School, the textiles will be sorted and many are sent to developing countries to benefit communities who are less fortunate than us. Very low quality textiles are shredded and turned into fibre filling or insulation.

Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE)
Sometimes schools have old electrical equipment such as toasters and heaters. These can be dismantled and the component parts recycled.