What Happens to Your Recycling When You Leave the Depot?

After going through the effort of rinsing plastic bottles, separating recyclable waste, and dropping it off at an Adelaide recycling depot , people want to know what actually happens with their recycling. Where does your waste really end up? What processes does it go through? Is it really contributing to improving the environment? In today’s post, we’ll answer all of the very important questions a lot of Adelaide recycling depot visitors have.

Recyclable Waste: What Happens After an Adelaide Recycling Depot Drop Off?

Is your recycling really being recycled?

Some people worry about their recycling not actually being recycled. Yet, this is highly unlikely due to the very nature of recyclable products. Recyclable waste itself holds some value since these products can be turned into new products, which can be sold or used again. Unlike regular trash, which no longer serves a purpose, the Adelaide community can use your recycling repeatedly. For this reason, it is simply illogical to let a good resource go to waste. However, it is important to note that some contaminated or damaged goods might not be able to be processed correctly.

What Happens at an Adelaide Recycling Depot?

Once your recycling is dropped-off, recycling depots go through extensive processes to correctly sort all items so that they can be correctly distributed to specialized facilities. Cardboard and paper are separated from the rest of the items using machinery and then manually sorted by type. Metals can be sorted using magnets. Any unwanted item mistakenly disposed of with recyclables is removed. With the use of optical scanners, different plastic types are separated for proper sorting.

The Recycling Process Explained

Specific recycling methods vary greatly depending on the material that is being recycled. For example, plastic, once taken to the appropriate facility, will be shredded, washed, melted, and finally pelletized to be turned into new plastic items. Cartons, on the other hand, are broken down using special machinery and water to form a fibrous solution, which when dried can become a new carton product. As for cans, these have to undergo their unique recycling process too. First, any decorative coatings are removed and then the aluminium cans are shredded. The shredded bits are dumped into a furnace to be molten. Finally, molten metal is poured in a cast and can become a new product.

Bottom Line

Recycling is an easy way to make a real positive impact on our environment and the Adelaide community. After learning more about what truly happens to your recycling after visiting Thorntons Adelaide recycling depot, we hope you feel inspired to join in on our green efforts.

To learn more about our facilities and recycling processes , feel free to contact us for more information. You can reach us by leaving an enquiry here or calling us at  08 8443 7416. We hope to see you soon at our drive-thru recycling depot drop off, open Monday through Sunday!