![]() The polymer used to make milk bottles, but widely used elsewhere. The resin identification codes mean the following:ġ: PETE (or sometimes PET) – polyethylene terephthalateĬommonly used to make soft drinks bottles. They communicate which polymer the product is made from. The triangles with numbers in the middle are resin identification codes and were created by the Plastic Industry Association. This is not to be confused with the universal recycling symbol, which is also made up of three arrows in a triangle. Sometimes there is also an acronym like "HDPE" below it. You might notice somewhere on your plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays a small triangle made of three arrows with a single number in its centre. Here, the plastics are cleaned and sorted into different polymers. While in mid-air, it's hit with a precise puff of air to remove it from the belt.Īfter plastics are separated at an MRF, they are sent to a plastic-specific facility. Optical sorters detect paper with lights and cameras at lightning speed as it cascades over the end of a conveyor belt. Magnetic metals like iron and steel are extracted with another magnet. The current repels aluminium cans, flinging them off the belt and onto another track. The other waste goes past a type of magnet called an eddy current, which induces a current in non-magnetic metals. The smallest waste is bounced around in a machine that works a little like a sieve, separating the heavier glass fragments from the lighter bottle caps or pieces of paper. The waste is split into the smallest items – usually bottle caps, small bits of paper and glass fragments – and pieces about the size of soft drinks bottles or newspapers. Then follows a machine that shatters glass. Here, smaller boxes or large plastic items are pulled out. The remaining recycling then passes onto a similar disc screen with smaller gaps and the process is repeated. These definitely shouldn't be in with the domestic recycling. ![]() ![]() On my visit, two bins filled with frying pans stand to one side, and a beaten up microwave is pulled from the belt. ![]() These first human sorters search for large items that shouldn't be there and might slow down the machines, such as clothes or towels, which can get tangled up. According to Tim Duret, director of sustainable technology at Veolia in the UK, 80% of the sorting is done by machines and 20% is done by hand. While in much of Europe it is normal for communal recycling bins to be segregated by type, in the UK and the US household recycling is usually commingled – and that's what I've come to see.Īt the next stage, the recycling is given a first pass by a small team of human sorters. The recycling is first unloaded and then tipped into a machine that shreds plastic bags with a mechanical claw. These buildings, typically the size of a football pitch, are a whirling mass of conveyors and machines. So where does your recycling go? And what happens to it?ĭomestic recycling first goes to a material recovery facility (MRF). Along the way we will correct some of the myths, and share tips from the experts on how to recycle considerately. While BBC Future can't claim to provide a definitive guide on what to recycle where you live, we decided to embark on a journey to learn what exactly happens to our recycling after it is collected. The rules of recycling can feel confusing, particularly when they can differ so much from area to area. Have you ever wondered if you need to wash your plastic trays before putting them into the recycling? Or should you put them in a plastic bag before throwing them into the recycling bin? How about soaking the labels off bottles before putting them out for collection? And what about leaving the caps on bottles?
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