- Cans
- Car batteries & scrap metal
- Cardboard
- Engine oil
- Furniture and household goods
- Garden waste
- Gas cylinders
- Glass bottles and jars
- Paper
- Rubble and soil
- Textiles
- Tyres
- White Goods
- Wood
Cans
First of all the steel cans and the aluminium cans are separated from each other using a magnet (steel cans are magnetic and aluminium cans are not). Our steel cans go to Glasgow, from where they are sent to Redcar in Teesside for reprocessing. Steel cans are taken to a de-tinning plant where the tin lining is removed and saved for re-use. This tin lining is used to protect the steel from starting to rust, which would happen if the steel came into contact with the food in the can. The steel that’s left is melted down to be used in making new steel.
Cans made of aluminium go to Alloa in Clackmannanshire, and from there, they are sent on to Warrington in North West England for recycling. Aluminium can be recycled an infinite number of times, and is used to make new cans and foil and other aluminium products.
Car batteries and scrap metal
are taken by local scrap merchants.
Cardboard
is used to make plasterboard.
Engine oil
is reprocessed into heating fuel.
Furniture and household goods
can be donated to Refurnishings (Lochaber
Environmental Group) for reuse by using the container provided at the Recycling
Centre. The Highland Council and Lochaber Environmental Group are working in
partnership to ensure that items suitable for reuse are diverted from landfill. For
further information please contact Lochaber Environmental Group directly
on 01397 705707 or email: info@leg.org.uk
Garden waste
is taken to a composting facility in Lochaber where the compost produced is used as a soil conditioner.
Gas Cylinders
are returned to the suppliers for reuse.
Glass bottles and jars
Our glass is collected from all over the Highlands and is transported to Alloa to be recycled. It will be crushed and cleaned, and melted down and used to make new bottles and jars. Colours separately
Paper
Our paper in the Highlands is sent to one of two processors in the central belt located at Kilsyth and Paisley. At the paper mill, the ink is washed off and then the paper is pulped by mixing it up with water. The pulp is then dried and flattened to make new sheets of paper.
Rubble and soil
– this material will be crushed and screened for reuse.
Textiles
Textiles from recycling banks in Highland are collected and taken to Denny in Stirlingshire. Here they are cleaned and sorted into different categories so that they can either be sold for reuse (e.g. sent to less well-developed countries) or recycled as sound-proofing or industrial cloth.
Tyres
will be shredded and recycled to make road, playground and sports surfaces, carpet underlay or street furniture.
White goods
these will be dismantled and as much as possible will be recycled.
Wood
is taken to be pulped and recycled into chipboard.
General Enquires Tel: 01349 868 439
Email Address recycle@highland.gov.uk