Hampshire Now - your County Council magazine

What happens to our recycling

Last year in Hampshire, thanks to residents’ support, we diverted 90% of our household waste from landfill. Much of this was recycled or composted - reducing the cost burden of collecting and disposing of waste on the council taxpayer. On behalf of the County Council’s Waste and Resource Management team, Zoe Cooke tells us more.

What can I recycle in my bin or sack?

Recycling is collected from your home by the city, district or borough councils. Although the bin colours may differ, in Hampshire they all take the same materials for recycling: paper, cardboard, tins, empty aerosols, cans and plastic bottles.

Where does my recycling go after it is collected?

All the recyclables collected in the county are delivered to our Material Recovery Facilities to be sorted by a combination of machines and manual processes. Spinning drums separate items by size, magnets pull out the cans and light sensors sort the remaining items. The separated materials are baled and loaded into lorries, then sent to be recycled into new products.

Why can’t I recycle yoghurt pots and other plastic containers?

In Hampshire we focus on sending our recyclable materials to established reprocessors to ensure they are put to good use. There is currently no viable UK market for the plastic types which make up yoghurt pots and food trays. Plastic bottles are readily recycled in the UK, so councils in Hampshire concentrate on collecting as many of these as possible. We encourage residents to only put the correct items in their recycling bins as removing and disposing of the non-recyclable materials leads to additional costs.

What can I do with garden waste?

You could compost it at home, or some councils in Hampshire offer a separate collection for lawn cuttings and hedge trimmings. You can also take it to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC). All of the garden waste received from Hampshire households is composted at two sites in the county and turned into a soil conditioner called Pro-Grow, which is available for sale at HWRCs.

What happens to the materials which can’t be recycled?

Rather than being landfilled, Hampshire’s non-recyclable rubbish is sent to our Energy Recovery Facilities for safe incineration, generating enough electricity to power 50,000 homes.

What is being done to help increase recycling rates in Hampshire?

The councils in Hampshire work together to deal with waste and keep a watching brief on new materials which could be recycled. For example, householders can now recycle empty aerosol cans like air fresheners and deodorants, as well as Yellow Pages directories, in their kerbside recycling collection. The Recycle for Hampshire campaign website can tell you more: