What happens to my recycling in Torridge?

Have you ever stopped to think about where your recycling ends up? Well, for residents in Torridge, wonder no more! Torridge District Council is dedicated to collecting household recycling on a weekly basis.  At the end of each round, the collected items are taken to the Deep Moor Transfer Station near Great Torrington, where they are carefully separated into mixed recycling, paper and glass.

The council prioritises the collection of single-material items such as bottles and food trays made of easily recoverable polymers, which results in higher quality end products. All waste and recycling collected at the kerbside must be sent to reprocessing markets, with the majority going to reprocessing plants across the UK. Please take a look at the list below to see where your recycling goes and what useful products are created.

Food waste:  Passes through an anaerobic digestion process to generate fuel gas and fertiliser.

Garden waste: Goes to an open windrow compost site where it is turned into a soil improver for agriculture.

Paper: Recycled into both regional and national newspapers.

Cardboard: Recycled and used in carton manufacturing.

Aluminium: Melted down into aluminium ingots which are used to manufacture new cans.

Steel cans: Recycled and used in new steel products.

Plastic pots, tubs and trays: Used to manufacture large plastic items such as garden furniture, plastic pallets and wheelie bins.

Glass:Recycled for use in new glass products.

Plastic household bottles: Recycled and reused to make plastic milk bottles.

Plastic drink bottles: Recycled into plastic pellets used to produce food grade packaging.

Textiles: Processed cleaned and distributed to charity shops and homeless projects.

During the first quarter of 2024, Torridge District Council's recycling rate was 55.4% with a staggering 1718.5 tonnes of waste being either recycled or re-purposed.

Councillor Chris Leather, Lead Member for Waste and Recycling, said:

"I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the residents of Torridge for their dedication to recycling. Your commitment to recycling materials so they can be reprocessed is commendable and plays a significant role in conserving our environment. I take great pride in the exemplary efficiency demonstrated by the Torridge Waste and Recycling Team. Please visit the council's Waste and Recycling webpages www.torridge.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling for more information."