Recycling involves the conversion of a waste into a usable material or resource.
The process of recycling includes the collection and sorting of recyclable materials, as well as the processing of those materials into products which can then be re-sold.
Separating recyclable items from household waste and leaving them at the kerbside for collection or taking them to a drop-off centre is only the first step in the recycling process. Recycling cannot be considered to have taken place until the resource recovered is reprocessed and reused.
In its simplest form, the straight forward re-use of a waste product is often considered a form of recycling. The use of an old jar to store home made jam, or the use of an empty milk carton as a tree planter to protect a seedling from the elements, are just two examples.
Recycling can also be a very complex process. It can involve:
- the collection of waste materials through kerbside collection or drop off centres;
- sorting of these materials at a Materials Recovery Centre (this is the name given to recycling centres); and
- processing those materials into a form which can act as a substitute for virgin material (for example recycled glass cullet or pelletised plastic).
Recyclables means the following containers, packaging and products:
- Recyclable Paper and Cardboard as defined below;
- Liquid paperboard cartons;
- Glass bottles and jars or pieces of to a minimum size of 20mm;
- Aluminium rigid and semi-rigid packaging including foil, trays, aerosol cans;
- Plastics including:
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (1), High-density polyethylene (HDPE) (2) and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (3) rigid plastic packaging, containers and plastic durables;
- Other rigid plastic packaging, containers and plastic durables including low-density polyethylene (LDPE) (4), Polypropylene (PP) (5);Polystyrene (PS)(6), Other plastic (7), Steel rigid packaging, including tins and aerosol cans; and,
- Household pots and pans;
- Lids and caps from containers/bottles including metals and plastics;
- Newspapers;
- Magazines;
- Junk mail;
- Stationery;
- Office paper;
- Envelopes;
- Telephone books;
- Egg cartons;
- Cardboard;
- Mixed paper; and
- Any other items as agreed between the Council and the Contractor;