Learn where your waste and recycling goes after we've collected your bins.
Mixed recycling (blue bins and clear sacks)
Mixed recycling is sorted into separate materials at a Materials Recovery Facility, a state-of-the-art sorting centre based in Crayford, Kent.
Glass
Almost all of the glass we collect is recycled in the UK. Glass in good condition can be recycled infinitely with no loss of quality. Glass can be ground down and used for aggregate in the construction industry.
Metal
Most of the metal we collect is recycled in the UK. A small amount is sent for specialist repurposing in various countries in Europe. A metal tin that you put in your recycling bin could be back on supermarket shelves in less than 60 days.
Paper and cardboard
Some of the paper and cardboard we collect is recycled in the UK. Some is sent abroad for recycling on a basis of supply and demand but always to facilities that are accredited and licensed by the UK Environment Agency. Paper and cardboard are pulped and reprocessed into fresh paper products.
Plastic
Much of the plastic we collect is recycled in this country. Some types of plastic are sent abroad for recycling on the basis of supply and demand but always to facilities that are accredited and licensed by the UK Environment Agency. Unlike many local authorities, we collect many different types of plastic such as thin stretchy films and black trays.
Food waste recycling (food caddy)
We take your food waste to an anaerobic digestion plant near Cassington, Oxfordshire. The waste food is broken down by bacteria and turned into biogas and liquid fertiliser. The biogas is a renewable source of electricity. The Cassington plant generates enough energy each year to power 4,200 homes. The liquid fertiliser is spread on local fields - naturally boosting crop yield.
Watch 'Food waste recycling in Oxfordshire' on YouTube (2 minutes, 30 seconds)
Garden waste (brown bin)
Garden waste is taken to Wallingford composting site just outside of Oxford. Garden waste is turned into compost in just a few short weeks. The compost is then spread on local fields helping to naturally boost crop yields.
Watch 'Oxfords, Christmas Tree Composting' on YouTube (1 minute, 41 seconds)
Batteries and small electricals
The batteries we collect are recycled at a specialist facility in the West Midlands. Small electrical items are broken down into their constituent materials and recycled at an electrical salvage facility in Berkshire.
Rubbish (green bins and lilac sacks)
We don’t put any of your household rubbish into landfill. We take material that can’t be recycled just up the road to an energy recovery facility in Ardley, Oxfordshire. At Ardley, the waste is converted into energy in a process that meets the highest environmental standards and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
The facility generates enough electricity to power at least 60,000 homes - that’s enough to power the whole of Oxford City.
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Contact the Recycling and Waste Team
Address: Cowley Marsh DepotMarsh Road
Oxford
OX4 2HH
