The recycling facilities are situated at Hurn in Christchurch and the Hybris Business Park in Crossways.  Most of the recyclables are separated into the different materials at the point of collection, so little sorting takes place at these facilities.

The following information explains what happens to the different materials collected from the  kerbside and bring banks [572kb] (opens in a new window) along with materials from household recycling centres.

Paper

Paper is taken to our recycling facilities where it is sorted and baled.  Newspapers and magazines are then sent to the UPM newsprint mill in Shotton, Deeside in Flintshire where they are recycled into more newsprint.  Mixed paper and cardboard which is collected in some parts of the county is also taken to Shotton, as well as to a packaging mill in Watchet, West Somerset where it is made into more packaging material.

Cans

After collection, they are taken to our recycling facilities where they are separated into steel and aluminium.  The aluminium cans are taken to the Novelis used beverage can recycling plant in Swindon where they are reprocessed into more aluminium cans.  The steel cans are transported to the Corus steel plant in South Wales where they are reprocessed into new coils of steel and used in goods such as fridges, cutlery or more steel cans.

Glass

After collection, glass is taken to our recycling facilities where it is stored in the three separate colours.  When sufficient tonnes have been accumulated, the glass is sent to the Recresco reprocessing plants in Southampton and Ellesmere Port where it is made into more glass bottles and jars.

Plastic bottles

Plastic bottles are taken to our recycling facilities where they are bulked up and baled.  They are transferred to AWS, a plastic recycling plant in Helmswell, Lincolnshire, where they are sorted into the three polymer types, and reprocessed into pellets.  The pellets are used to manufacture non food grade plastics such as traffic cones, bollards, guttering, etc

Textiles

The textiles are taken to Bedford to be sorted, and the reusable material is used in emergencies or sent abroad for use.  The remaining material such as rag is used in a variety of ways such as wiping cloths for industry and stuffing in furniture.