Where your recycling goes

Brown bin

1. Your garden waste is taken to a local facility for composting.
2. It is piled in large rows called 'windrows' to allow naturally occurring bacteria to break down the garden waste.
3. The windrows are turned regularly. This ensures that the heat produced by the bacteria is spread evenly through the pile, killing any weed seeds that might be present.
4. The end material is then sieved to produce soil improver, which is bagged for sale. You can buy this from Caledonian Horticulture.
5. Commercial users of this compost are local sport and leisure services.

More about the garden waste process

Glass recycling box

1. Your glass bottles and jars are taken to a local facility for processing.
2. Bottles and jars are then recycled and used in water purification systems.

About glass recycling on YouTube

Blue bin

1. Tins, cans and plastics are sorted at a recycling facility, before being sent to manufacturers to be made into new products.

Green bin

1. Paper, card, and cardboard are sorted at a recycling facility, before being sent to manufacturers to be made into new products.

Food waste

1. Your food waste is taken to a local Anaerobic Digester.
2. Naturally occurring bacteria break down the waste, generating heat which is converted into energy.
3. The residue is used as an agricultural fertiliser.

More about anaerobic digestion

Non-recyclable waste

1. The contents of your grey bins are delivered to a local Energy-from-Waste facility.
2. Waste is burnt with the heat used to drive a steam turbine to generate electricity.
3. Scrap metal is removed by magnets for recycling.
4. The residual heat will be used in local housing.

More about the energy from waste process