General waste
General waste is collected from your grey bin.
It is taken to Lancashire County Council's Thornton waste transfer plant.
It then is used to create refuse derived fuel or sent to landfill.
Paper and card
Paper and card is collected from your blue bin.
It is taken to Lancashire County Council's Thornton waste transfer plant, put in a big bulk loader and taken to a paper plant.
It is then graded and made into new products, for example newsprints.
Mixed recycling
Mixed recycling is collected in your red bin.
It is taken to Lancashire County Council's Thornton waste transfer plant, put in a big bulk loader and taken to a material recycling facility (MRF). They then separate the material.
Steel and cans are sent to a reprocessor in the North West to make new cans.
Larger components of glass bottles and jars are re-melted and made into new bottles. Smaller fragments are used in road surfacing.
Plastic bottles are sorted into different types by infrared lights. They are recycled to be made into new products such as pipes, bottles, packaging and non-woven fabrics.
It is important that you rinse out empty food and drink containers before you recycle them, otherwise they may be classed as contaminated which means they cannot be recycled.
Green waste
Mixed recycling is collected in your green bin if you pay for a green waste subscription
It is taken and broken down into composting. This is called open windrow composting.
It will then be used as a soil improver in retail and landscaping.