What Happens To Your Waste?

Recyling and Reusing the material we collect on a daily basis is a vital, as we strive to acheive 100% diversion from landfill.

We collect a huge range of materials every day, and we aim to recycle everything and return it to various industries as a reusable commodity.

Below, you can find out about our waste recycling and reuse process.

Metal:

Metal is sent to our metal recycling site and graded into different types of metal. It is then transported to specialist facilities, where it is granulated and taken through a re-melt process before being manufactured into new products. There is a significant carbon saving through recycling metal compared to the extraction of raw materials.

Paper & Card:

Paper and card are bulked before being sent for sorting into different grades of paper and card. They then go through a cleaning process and are added to water to create a slurry or pulp. Further materials are added which creates different paper-based products. This is spread into large sheets and left to dry before being sent to manufacturers to be cut to size.

Glass:

Glass is bulked and then sent to a glass treatment facility, where it is sorted into different coloured glass. It is then crushed into glass cullet, melted and moulded into new products, such as bottles and jars, or used for the aggregates industry as fill material.

Plastic:

Suitable plastics are bulked and then sent for processing. It is sorted into different colours and grades of plastic, such as PET and HDPE, and then shredded and granulated. A wet separation process then removes any contaminants, before the plastic pellets are extruded and sent for reprocessing into new materials.

Wood:

Wood is graded and shredded at our facilities. The resultant wood chip is then either used to generate heat within our own biomass boilers, or sent to a third-party for panel board manufacture.

Food Waste:

Separately collected food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion plant, where it breaks down to create biogas and biofertiliser. The biogas is used as fuel in a combined heat and power unit to generate renewable energy, i.e. heat and electricity. The biofertiliser is rich in nutrients and is used as a compost.

Non-Recyclable Waste:

We aim to divert as much waste away from landfill as possible. The overwhelming majority of waste that is not readily recyclable is shredded and converted into refuse derived fuel. This is sent to an energy from waste facility within the UK, where the material is used to generate steam, which is used to power a turbine, creating heat and electricity.

Our customers are invited to contact us for a site visit where our team will talk you through the process we use. You can contact us directly at compliance@ashgroupltd.co.uk