What happens to my Recycling?
After your recycling bin is emptied each fortnight into a Solo truck, the contents are transported to JJ Richards' Materials Recovery Facility, in Hallam. There the waste is channelled onto a conveyor belt where it is sorted.
- First, the paper and cardboard is separated by a trommel - a rotating cylinder where all other materials fall through holes.
- Steel is removed by an overhead magnet while aluminium is repelled by an eddy current of negative ions.
- Plastics are blown into another pile by an air classifier, while glass bottles and jars are separated by hand into three piles (clear, green and brown glass).
- Once sorted and baled, the recyclables are distributed to different facilities. Glass bottles and jars are sent to Visy Recycling where they are melted down and made back into bottles and jars.
- Some of the milk, juice and soft drink bottles are broken down and remanufactured in Australia. Most of the plastics, however, are shipped overseas to countries such as Indonesia and China. The majority of recycled milk cartons and paper ere either processed by Visy Recycling or sent overseas.
Paper and cardboard - newspaper can be made back into newsprint but most of your waste paper ends up as packaging cardboard. Other uses include insulation, plasterboard or moulded products.
Plastic - many versatile products can be made from recycled plastic including new bottles for soft drinks or detergents, packaging wrap, fleecy lining in jackets, carpet fibres, rubbish bins, plant pots, pegs, coat hangers, plumbing pipes and fittings.
Metal - recycled steel and aluminium is used to make packaging and other steel products such as window frames. Recycled steel is manufactured into cars, planes, railway tracks and tools.
Glass - recycled glass is used to make more glass bottles.