The Recycle for Cornwall campaign has been developed to raise public awareness of recycling and to provide consumers with a compelling reason to recycle.
Cornwall’s District and Borough Councils commission various companies to collect recyclable materials directly from over 90% of Cornwall's 250,000 homes. Further recycling is also collected from public recycling banks and some businesses.
After collection the recyclable material is taken to one of the County's two Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF), or to the Carrick Bulking Up Facility (BUF). At the MRF’s the materials are further sorted, for example steel cans are separated from aluminium and paper is sorted into different grades. The materials at the Carrick BUF do not undergo this extra separation.
The separated materials at all three sites are then squashed together into large cubes in a baling machine. The bales of materials that have been collected and sorted in Cornwall are now a quality raw material which can be used by a company to make new products.
Some of the recycling collected in Cornwall is sold to manufacturers out of the county, bringing much needed income into Cornwall and has generated approximately 100 jobs!
Paper and magazines are taken to Kent and processed into print rolls for the newspaper industry. They are made into more newspapers made from 100% recycled paper!
Cardboard is usually sent to Somerset, The Midlands and Kent where it is made into new cardboard or used as a filler material for packaging. Av average cardboard box contains over 80% recycled material.
Aluminium cans are sent to Cheshire where they are made back into new cans. These can be recycled over and over again with no loss in quality.
Steel cans are processed in South Wales, where they are made into lots of different steel products from cans to parts for bridges or paperclips!
Plastics are sent to various companies in the UK and made into new products such as piping systems, fencing, decking, compost bins and even fleece material. Plastic bottles have even been used to make kerbstones for the Tamar Bridge!
The clothes and textiles which are donated in Cornwall are sent to sorting centres in Yeovil, the West Midlands and Salford. Often these are shipped to people in developing countries for reuse. Charities such as Oxfam and the Salvation Army distribute and sell textiles and books collected at bring banks.
The glass collected in Cornwall is sent to South Yorkshire for processing where it is turned back into new bottles and jars. Some of the glass in Cornwall is crushed and used in road foundations.
Some of the materials are recycled within the county
Efforts are being made to use some recycled materials collected in Cornwall within the county, this will cut down on transportation, enhance the environmental benefits and improve the local economy. Currently the following recycling takes place within Cornwall:
Garden waste that is collected is taken to one of 4 facilities in Cornwall and turned into compost for Cornish farms. Plans for the future will see some of this compost available for the public to buy.
Some of the cardboard collected in Cornwall is made into animal bedding by a project called Shreddybed.
Scrap metal often goes to local merchants.
Some small scale Cornish companies make unique and interesting products from various different materials collected by a variety of means, these include glassware, jewellery, bags, decorative crushed glass, garden ornaments and more.
Make a difference TODAY
Take a trip to your local recycling centre to find out more about how your recycling gets sorted.
Paper and magazines are taken to Kent and processed into print rolls for the newspaper industry. They are made into more newspapers made from 100% recycled paper!
Steel cans are processed in South Wales, where they are made into lots of different steel products from cans to parts for bridges or paperclips!
The clothes and textiles which are donated in Cornwall are sent to sorting centres in Yeovil, the West Midlands and Salford. Often these are shipped to people in developing countries for reuse. Charities such as Oxfam and the Salvation Army distribute and sell textiles and books collected at bring banks.
Garden waste that is collected is taken to one of 4 facilities in Cornwall and turned into compost for Cornish farms. Plans for the future will see some of this compost available for the public to buy.
Some small scale Cornish companies make unique and interesting products from various different materials collected by a variety of means, these include glassware, jewellery, bags, decorative crushed glass, garden ornaments and more.