How we recycle plastics

Plastics collected from households are used for recycling and remanufacturing. They are sorted into their various types and transported to reprocessing facilities where they are washed and refined into flakes and pellets or, are sold back into the manufacturing industry, for example the production of plastic milk containers.

The plastics are all sorted into their various polymer types in the UK. Existing and new UK and European markets receive the plastics for their reprocessing and remanufacture into new products.

We work closely with our contractors to ensure the materials they process on our behalf are handled by responsible, ethical and UK Environment Agency Licenced companies.

Plastics we can't recycle

We don't currently have the facility to recycle large rigid plastic items such as children’s play equipment. These are sent to be shredded and used as refuse derived fuel (RDF) within Europe.

Tips for using less plastic

• Avoid using disposable bags when shopping by taking a reusable bag with you.
• Avoid individually wrapped items and snack packs, buy in bigger sizes which have less wrapping and use less material.
• Buy laundry detergent and home cleaning products in more concentrated formulas to avoid unnecessary packaging.
• Buy recycled and biodegradable items where possible.
• Avoid using single use plastic bottles for water, use a reusable bottle.
• Switch to a reusable coffee cup.
• Use beeswax wraps for storing food or packed lunches and picnics instead of cling film and plastic bags.

Find out how much money and plastic could be saved by switching to:

• reusable water bottle - watch the BBC Plastics Watch video - Why you need one of these
• keep-cups - watch the BBC Plastics Watch video - What keeping a keep-cup can do.

Find out how we recycle other types of waste.