West Oxfordshire District Council

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What happens to your recycling

The vehicles which collect your food waste and recycling have separate compartments for crews to sort the different types of materials straight from your recycling boxes at the roadside. Materials are then baled and sold on to be recycled.

Plastics - are recycled into packaging, fleece clothing, outdoor furniture, pipes and many other items. Flyaway plastics are turned into low grade plastic items such as black sacks and carrier bags.

Aerosols, tins, cans and foil - are turned into new tins/cans, car parts, aeroplanes and lots of other new metal items.

Batteries - have any hazardous elements removed and parts are made into new metals.

Cardboard - is made into new cardboard packaging.

Paper - is recycled into newspaper and packaging material.

Mixed glass (bottles and jars) - can be recycled time and time again into new bottles or jars.

Mixed textiles and clothes - are reused around the world; unusable clothes are recycled into dusters etc.

Drinks cartons (TetraPaks) - are recycled into the lining for plaster board.

Food waste and garden waste are both treated within the district:

Food waste - is taken to a plant near Cassington where it is converted into electricity and a soil conditioning fertiliser. For more information see:

What happens to your food waste

Garden waste - is taken to a plant near Chipping Norton. Here it is turned into a rich compost or mulch for agricultural use. For more information see:

What happens to your garden waste

Salvation Army banks

Textiles and shoes - 96% are useable and are sent for humanitarian needs, national emergencies and to the company's own shops.

Books - valuable books are put on Amazon and eBay. Some are sold to professional book people, with the rest sold to companies in the UK who recycle them back to paper.