Metal, plastic & cartons - What happens to your waste and recycling?

View this page in Welsh / Gweld y tudalen hwn yn Gymraeg

Metal Tins / Cans

Why is it important to recycle metal tins & cans?

Many food and drink products come in cans made from aluminium or steel, both of which can be recycled into new cans or other products.

Aluminium and steel can be recycled over and over again without losing quality. More and more people are recycling their cans, which helps save fossil fuels, reduce energy use, and cut down on harmful gases like carbon dioxide in the air.

By recycling these cans, we use less energy than making new cans from raw materials, and we help reduce carbon emissions, fighting climate change!


What happens to metal recycling after it is collected?

The Vale of Glamorgan Council collects metal recycling from residents every week.

Once collected, your metal recycling is brought by our crews to a local recycling centre.

It is then taken on for further processing and recycling where:

Aluminium cans are shredded, removing any coloured coating. They are then melted in a huge furnace and the molten metal is poured into ingot casts to set. Each ingot can be made into around 1.5 million cans.

Aluminium foil is a different alloy and is usually recycled separately with other aluminium scraps to make cast items such as engine components.

Steel cans are put into the furnace where molten iron is added. Oxygen is then blasted into the furnace which heats up to around 1700°C. The liquid metal is poured into a mould to form big slabs which are then rolled into coils. These coils are used to make all sorts of steel products.


Watch the video to learn more about the process:


How are recycled tins & cans used?

Many aluminium drinks cans collected in Wales are recycled and turned into new cans within just six weeks, ready to be filled and put back on the shelf.

Steel can be recycled forever, and because it's used in so many products, its possibilities are endless. Recycled steel can be found in train tracks, cars, bicycle frames, paperclips, and of course, new food and drink cans.

Plastic

Why is it important to recycle plastic?

Plastic is a popular and highly versatile material - globally we produce 300 million tonnes of plastic each year.

Reusing and recycling items as much as possible helps reduce the need for new plastic. This helps conserve fossil fuels, save energy in plastic production, and cut down on carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere.


What happens to plastic recycling after it is collected?

The Vale of Glamorgan Council collects plastic recycling from residents every week.

Once collected, your plastic recycling is brought by our crews to a local recycling centre.

It is then taken on to be reprocessed, where it is sorted by type of plastic.

The plastic is then shredded, washed, melted, pelletised, and made into new products.

Most of the sorting is done automatically, with a final manual check to remove any contaminants.

Once cleaned, the plastic is either shredded into flakes or melted to form pellets, which are then used to create new products.

Watch the video to learn more about the process:


How is recycled plastic used?

A wide range of products can be made from recycled plastic including:

  • Drinks bottles and food trays;

  • Polyester fabric for clothing;

  • Wheeled bins and food caddies;

  • Refuse sacks and carrier bags;

  • Composters and wormeries;

  • Wheel arch liners and bumpers on cars;

  • Damp proof membranes;

  • Reusable crates and pallets;

  • Flowerpots, seed trays, watering cans and water butts.


Cartons

Why is it important to recycle cartons?

As a nation, the UK uses around 60,000 tonnes of cartons every year - that's the same as the weight of 349 blue whales! Fortunately, the Vale of Glamorgan Council collects cartons for recycling.

Recycling cartons helps to save natural resources and reduces the amount of waste that is incinerated or sent to landfill.


What happens to cartons after they are collected?

The Vale of Glamorgan Council collects cartons from residents every week.

Once collected, your recycling is brought by our crews to a local recycling centre, where cartons are sorted from other recyclables.

Cartons are made from 70-90% paperboard, which is recyclable just like any other paper or card. The carton lining is made from plastic and aluminium and needs to be removed from the paper before it can be recycled.

After removing the lining materials, the paper is mixed with water and pulped for 20 minutes to break it down into a fibrous solution. This is then dried, rolled out and made into new products.


How are recycled cartons used?

Once recycled, cartons are turned into new material which can be made into products like tubes for hot chocolate and gravy.

The plastic and aluminium from carton linings can also be reused to create products such as garden furniture, play mats, and building materials.

View this page in Welsh / Gweld y tudalen hwn yn Gymraeg

Metal Tins / Cans

Why is it important to recycle metal tins & cans?

Many food and drink products come in cans made from aluminium or steel, both of which can be recycled into new cans or other products.

Aluminium and steel can be recycled over and over again without losing quality. More and more people are recycling their cans, which helps save fossil fuels, reduce energy use, and cut down on harmful gases like carbon dioxide in the air.

By recycling these cans, we use less energy than making new cans from raw materials, and we help reduce carbon emissions, fighting climate change!


What happens to metal recycling after it is collected?

The Vale of Glamorgan Council collects metal recycling from residents every week.

Once collected, your metal recycling is brought by our crews to a local recycling centre.

It is then taken on for further processing and recycling where:

Aluminium cans are shredded, removing any coloured coating. They are then melted in a huge furnace and the molten metal is poured into ingot casts to set. Each ingot can be made into around 1.5 million cans.

Aluminium foil is a different alloy and is usually recycled separately with other aluminium scraps to make cast items such as engine components.

Steel cans are put into the furnace where molten iron is added. Oxygen is then blasted into the furnace which heats up to around 1700°C. The liquid metal is poured into a mould to form big slabs which are then rolled into coils. These coils are used to make all sorts of steel products.


Watch the video to learn more about the process:


How are recycled tins & cans used?

Many aluminium drinks cans collected in Wales are recycled and turned into new cans within just six weeks, ready to be filled and put back on the shelf.

Steel can be recycled forever, and because it's used in so many products, its possibilities are endless. Recycled steel can be found in train tracks, cars, bicycle frames, paperclips, and of course, new food and drink cans.

Plastic

Why is it important to recycle plastic?

Plastic is a popular and highly versatile material - globally we produce 300 million tonnes of plastic each year.

Reusing and recycling items as much as possible helps reduce the need for new plastic. This helps conserve fossil fuels, save energy in plastic production, and cut down on carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere.


What happens to plastic recycling after it is collected?

The Vale of Glamorgan Council collects plastic recycling from residents every week.

Once collected, your plastic recycling is brought by our crews to a local recycling centre.

It is then taken on to be reprocessed, where it is sorted by type of plastic.

The plastic is then shredded, washed, melted, pelletised, and made into new products.

Most of the sorting is done automatically, with a final manual check to remove any contaminants.

Once cleaned, the plastic is either shredded into flakes or melted to form pellets, which are then used to create new products.

Watch the video to learn more about the process:


How is recycled plastic used?

A wide range of products can be made from recycled plastic including:

  • Drinks bottles and food trays;

  • Polyester fabric for clothing;

  • Wheeled bins and food caddies;

  • Refuse sacks and carrier bags;

  • Composters and wormeries;

  • Wheel arch liners and bumpers on cars;

  • Damp proof membranes;

  • Reusable crates and pallets;

  • Flowerpots, seed trays, watering cans and water butts.


Cartons

Why is it important to recycle cartons?

As a nation, the UK uses around 60,000 tonnes of cartons every year - that's the same as the weight of 349 blue whales! Fortunately, the Vale of Glamorgan Council collects cartons for recycling.

Recycling cartons helps to save natural resources and reduces the amount of waste that is incinerated or sent to landfill.


What happens to cartons after they are collected?

The Vale of Glamorgan Council collects cartons from residents every week.

Once collected, your recycling is brought by our crews to a local recycling centre, where cartons are sorted from other recyclables.

Cartons are made from 70-90% paperboard, which is recyclable just like any other paper or card. The carton lining is made from plastic and aluminium and needs to be removed from the paper before it can be recycled.

After removing the lining materials, the paper is mixed with water and pulped for 20 minutes to break it down into a fibrous solution. This is then dried, rolled out and made into new products.


How are recycled cartons used?

Once recycled, cartons are turned into new material which can be made into products like tubes for hot chocolate and gravy.

The plastic and aluminium from carton linings can also be reused to create products such as garden furniture, play mats, and building materials.