What happens to the materials you put in your green box?
Everything that you put in your Green Box is
recycled. Here's what happens to each of the materials that
we collect:
After collection, they are sorted and compressed into bales and
sent for reprocessing. They are then melted into blocks
(ingots), which are then rolled into sheets and sent
to can makers all over Europe. New aluminium cans can be
in the shops in only six weeks.
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The foil is recycled separately from the cans because it has a
slightly different metal content. The process is similar to the
aluminium can recycling and the finished product is used
to make a range of products such as car parts.
People often mistake silver coated plastic (such as crisp
packets) for aluminium foil. You'll know if it is foil
because when you squash it in your hand it stays squashed.
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Car Batteries are broken up in a huge crushing machine and
then sorted into their different parts.
- The plastic is recycled made into many different
products including Green Recycling boxes, furniture, paint trays,
car parts, drainpipes and more cases for car batteries.
- The lead is melted down to make products such as more car
batteries, guttering, and shields for X-ray machines in
hospitals.
- The acid is treated and neutralised.
- The distilled water is purified and used again.
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The oil is decanted into a large holding tank where it is boiled
up and left to settle. Any water is removed and the oil
is then filtered. This process is repeated to produce a watery
brown liquid that is used in furnaces at power stations and
quarries as an alternative, recycled fuel.
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The steel cans and aerosols are separated from the
aluminium cans by magnet and then baled and sent for
reprocessing. They are melted down in furnaces where the impure
metal (slag) is separated and may be recycled back into road
building products. The pure metal is made into blocks (ingots),
which are rolled into different shapes and
sizes. Finished products include tins, car parts,
fridges and other domestic appliances. In some instances they
even help to make bridges.
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Only bottles and jars are recycled as other types of glass are
made of different ingredients and will leave faults in the finished
product. The glass is crushed and each colour is melted in a
separate furnace before being moulded into new glass bottles and
jars for many well known brands.
Glass can be recycled over and over again. Recycling glass means
less energy and resources are used in heating the furnaces. In Bath
and North East Somerset we currently recycle over 10 million
bottles and jars every year.
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The different metals are separated from the batteries and sent
for recycling.
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Mobile phones are sent to a charity for reuse in developing
countries. Those not suitable for reuse are shredded and
their raw materials are recycled.
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Most types of paper (except brown paper and card) are
collected and made back into newsprint.
Paper is sent to Aylesford Newsprint in Kent (the largest paper
recycling plant in Europe) where all inks, staples etc are
washed out of the paper with soapy water. This is helped by
special ingredients (clays) in the magazines that help to lift
the ink from the paper.
The paper is pulped and then injected between two wire
meshes to make it paper thin, before being dried.
It is then rolled into jumbo reels, each weighing more than 30
tonnes. These are used to supply all the national newspapers
in this country and several local ones. They can be back in
the newsagents in as little as seven days.
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There are many different types of plastic that must all be
separated in order to be recycled. At present we only collect
plastic bottles only as they are easier to collect and separate.
The bottles are separated from the cans by magnet then baled and
sent for recycling.
The plastic is broken down into flakes and then cleaned.
These are melted down and moulded back into plastic shapes.
Plastic bottles are made into items such as bollards, recycling
boxes, compost bins, drainage pipes and even fleece jackets.
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These are sorted and cleaned at Horfield prison in
Bristol. They are then passed on to the charity Vision Aid
Overseas (VAO). VAO take them to developing countries to help
people who would otherwise not have access to any professional
eye-care.
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Reusable clothes and shoes are sorted then sent abroad for sale
where there is a strong market for second hand clothes. We are not
currently able to recycle any other types of textiles.
It is important that all textiles are kept clean and dry so
please put them out in a plastic bag. Tie your old shoes
in pairs so that they don’t get separated.
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