Why can’t I recycle plastic pots, tubs or trays?

97% of plastic bottles are made of two plastic polymer types (PET and HDPE). Our MRFs can sort these bottles from other materials using infra-red light. Other plastic packaging types (pots, tubs, trays and films) are made of different polymers. Unfortunately, there are currently limited markets available for these plastic types. If we were to collect them, there is no guarantee that they could be recycled or processed in the UK at this time.

We continue to monitor markets and are seeking ways of increasing the range of items that we can accept for recycling. In the meantime, we recover value from all black bag rubbish by safely incinerating it at one of three Energy Recovery Facilities in the county. This creates enough electricity to power 50,000 homes every year. As a result, Hampshire sends less than 10% of all household waste to landfill.