Statistics and information
What happens to your recycling and rubbish?
Rubbish
- After the rubbish is collected from your home it is taken to the Western Riverside Waste Authority transfer station at Smugglers Way for weighing.
- Then it is taken down the River Thames to a landfill site in Essex.
Recycling
- Recycling collected in orange sacks and mixed recycling banks is sorted out and then recycled. The mixed recycling is also weighed after it has been collected. It is then sent to a materials recycling facility (MRF) in Kent where the materials are sorted.
Made into new
Sorted recycling is made into new products.
- Paper is made into newspapers
- Glass bottles and jars are crushed into fine sand for use in paving
- Plastic bottles can be made into fleece clothing or underground pipes
- Cans become cans again
More information
- Recycle Now for recycling facts and myths.
- Recycle Western Riverside for information on how to recycle, what to recycle, and what happens to your rubbish and recycling.
- Viridor website to find out about the sorting process and get details of where each material is sent for recycling.
- For frequently asked questions on rubbish and recycling, go to the FAQ page.
