Plastic bottles can be recycled in your blue bin or at many of the recycling points around the city.
Nationally plastic bottles are collected more than any other plastic items because 95% are made from just 2 types of plastic. This makes them easy to sort and make into new products. There is increasing demand from manufacturers for these types of plastics as they are becoming more commonly used in recycled products and can be cheaper than virgin material.
Why can’t we recycle plastic pots, trays and tubs?
Sorting and recycling technology
There are over 50 different types of plastic in use today. Plastics also come in many different thicknesses and shapes, which makes them difficult and expensive to sort and process.
Usability of plastic
There is little demand from manufacturers for non-bottle plastics to make new items, which means that these plastics have a low value. Cambridge City Council aims to collect recycling that has established and sound markets.
The value of the recycling
The council receives some income from collecting high-value materials like aluminium cans, which helps us to keep the cost of waste collections down. If the council collected lower value items these costs would increase.
Will we be able to collect non-bottle plastic in the future?
The council is continually reviewing the feasibility of including other plastics in kerbside recycling collections. We will begin collection when costs become acceptable and we are satisfied that the markets are sound.
Work is ongoing in the waste industry to create new uses for other types of plastic, which will help to increase demand for them.
How plastic bottles are recycled
After collection, the bottles are taken to a sorting facility where they are separated into their different types by automated machinery, using techniques such as infra-red imaging.
The plastic is flaked and turned into pellets for sale to manufacturers to make new products including plant pots, compost bins, water butts and fleece jackets.
If you want to know more about plastic recycling visit Recoup, who specialise in maximising efficient plastics recycling.
