What happens to your waste?

What happens to Hertfordshires recycling?

What happens to the mixed dry recycling we collect from your green-lidded bin?

Once collected, your recycling (such as paper, cardboard, plastics, cans, drink cartons and glass) is transported to Pearce Group in St Albans, where it is sorted in a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF). Recyclables are separated by type using a variety of methods, including magnets, air jets and large rotating drums and then bulked ready for reprocessing.

Watch this video to see an example of how a MRF operates:

Following this, the materials are then sold on by Pearce. The specific material, quality and wider market conditions at the time dictate where the material is sold on to. Pearce will do its best to find a UK market for all materials. However, sometimes there is no viable option to have the material reprocessed in the UK.

What happens to the food waste we collect from your silver pods?

Once collected, the food waste is taken to Severn Trent Green Power's Anaerobic Digester in London Colney which converts the food into green energy and fertiliser. There is a mechanism at the start of the process which pulls out packaging, therefore we allow residents to wrap their food in plastic.

Here is a video from the facility we use: