What happens to those items that can’t be easily recycled at home or at one of Lincolnshire’s recycling centres?
If you’ve been following our waste and recycling journeys in the last two editions of County News, you’ll know your recycling is processed just outside Grantham.
And, if you have a purple-lidded bin at home, you’ll have seen how that separate paper and cardboard is turned into newspaper at a specialist paper mill in Kings Lynn.
Last year, Lincolnshire households threw away 350,000 tonnes of waste and recycling. Around half of that was ‘general waste’, stuff that can’t be recycled at home or at one of our recycling centres.
We often hear residents saying, “it all goes to landfill anyway” – but that is not the case in Lincolnshire. In the past, non-recyclable items might have been buried in the ground, but, since 2014, Lincolnshire County Council has sent your household waste to our Energy from Waste plant on the outskirts of North Hykeham, where it is used to generate electricity.
In a year, this plant – operated on our behalf by FCC Environmental – produces enough electricity to power up to 29,000 homes, just from the things we throw away. The ash that is created in the process is then also reused in the building and roads industry.
But there are some things that can’t go in our general waste. Any electrical items with a plug or with batteries inside can cause a fire if it’s put in with your general waste.
That’s because waste is compacted numerous times on its journey to the Energy from Waste plant, which can cause a spark and start a fire. Waste crews also often find used gas canisters in general waste bins, which also present a fire risk.
If electrical items or gas canisters make it to the Energy from Waste plant, they could cause an explosion if they’re not removed before being processed.
Waste electronics and empty gas canisters should instead be taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
If you want to know what happens to your recycling you can follow its journey on the news section of our website – www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/news.
If you’re ever in doubt about whether or not you can recycle something in your bins at home, leave it out, and then check it out on our website at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/recycle.
No thanks – not even in your general waste
- Any electrical items or batteries
- Gas canisters
- Hot ashes or fireworks