Debunking the recycling myth

Like many other waste authorities, were keen on making sure we know where the materials we collect go, and put significant effort into doing this. It was therefore disappointing to see some reports in the media, suggesting the UK’s recycling gets dumped in landfill, either in the UK or abroad.

In north London, the recycling is actually sorted in the city, and sold to manufacturers who turn it into a range of new products and materials. This income helps north Londons councils offset the cost of waste disposal. Some of these manufacturers are in the UK while others are based abroad. The recycling gets sent to where there is a reliable and financially sound market for the materials.

At present, many of the manufactured goods that we buy in the UK are made in the Far East and therefore, once its been sorted, some of the recyclable material is sent there because that is where it is needed as raw material to make into new products. The material gets turned into a vast range of products, from kitchen appliances, to toys, clothes and packaging.

Here in north London, weve expended considerable effort in explaining clearly to residents what happens to each type of waste that people separate for recycling in north London:

Dry recyclables are either sorted at the kerbside when theyre collected or taken to a materials recycling facility (MRF) in London where they are sorted into the various materials such as paper, glass, plastic and metal.

Reprocessors

Whatever the method used by the local council to collect the material from homes or businesses, the materials are passed on to reprocessors places like paper mills or manufacturers of metal or plastic goods where they are recycled and made into new products.

All the kitchen and garden waste collected by north London councils is made into compost. Mostly this happens at our composting facility in Edmonton, which is run by LondonWaste Ltd, but if there is too much it will be taken to another composting site in the surrounding area.

None of the recycling we collect is incinerated or sent to landfill unless it is too contaminated to be processed, and never abroad. Thats why weve also carried out a significant amount of engagement with residents to help them make sure they do not put the wrong things in the bins for recycling or composting. The NLWA and north London’s seven borough councils also plan ahead to make sure that there are enough facilities available to recycle and compost all of the waste that is collected.

Landfill

The small amount of waste that cannot be recycled is either used as fuel to generate electricity at an energy from waste incinerator, or sent to landfill in the UK.

North London councils, like all others across the UK are dealing with the pressure on public finances. Saving money where we can is paramount, and recycling is one area where the savings to councils can be potentially very significant.

It is extremely irresponsible to discourage recycling by incorrectly suggesting that a large amount of the recycling collected in the UK is simply dumped in landfill, at a time when it is more important than ever that people recycle as much as they can.