What is my recycling used for?
Recycling end use
Material |
End use |
| Paper | Paper is reprocessed into 100% recycled paper for newsprint and packaging. |
| Cardboard | Cardboard is sorted and reprocessed into new cardboard |
| Steel Cans | Steel cans are recycled into many different steel products including cars, bridges and cans. |
| Aluminium cans and foil | Aluminium is melted and turned into ingots which are then used to make many different products from foil trays to aeroplanes |
| Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays | Plastic is sorted, shredded, melted and used to make many products like garden furniture, refuse bags and drainage pipes. |
| Glass bottles and jars | Glass is made back into glass bottles or jars |
| Clothes and textiles | Textiles are sent for reuse in charity shops in the UK or exported for re-use in a number of countries in West Africa, Eastern Europe or the Middle East |
| Small electrical equipment | Metals, plastics, glass, batteries and circuit boards are separated and recycled or reused in manufacturing. |
| Household Batteries | Metals and compounds are recovered for use in manufacturing |
| Green Waste | Composted and used as a soil conditioner at farms in East Devon. A small quantity is also used as a mulch on the beds in East Devon’s parks. |
| Food waste | Food waste is used to generate electricity, provide gas for the grid and fertiliser for agriculture at an anaerobic digestion plant. |