What happens to the Recycling?

Glass

Glass bottles are sent back to breweries for reuse or are sent to Auckland where they are made into new bottles and jars. Glass bottles and jars can be recycled to make decorative paving and aggregate for asphalt and swimming pool filters. Glass bottles need to be sorted into their different colours so that they retain their colour when made into a new bottle.

Plastic

Plastics are sent to Auckland where they are chipped and washed. The resulting plastic granules are sold to manufacturers throughout New Zealand. Grade 2 HDPE plastic such as milk bottles can be recycled into buckets, composting bins and even the bins used for kerbside recycling. Grade 1 PET plastic from soft drink bottles can be turned into new soft drink bottles. Recycled plastic can also be made into other products like pipes, furniture, trays and even clothing items.

It takes 25 recycled plastic bottles to make an eco-fleece top!

Paper

Recyclable paper is generally taken to the Carter Holt Harvey pulp and paper processing plant in Auckland where it becomes a variety of products such as fruit trays, toilet paper, cardboard boxes and egg cartons.

Aluminum

Empty aluminum soft drink cans are sent overseas for recycling and can be recycled again and again. Recycled aluminum cans are sorted, crushed and baled into "bricks" for transporting. These bricks are fed into a hot furnace where the aluminum melts and the melted aluminum is then cast into smaller ingots which are processed into new aluminum cans.

Steel

Hamilton's steel cans (and old car bodies) go to Auckland to be melted down. Steel cans that have contained anything from baked beans to pet food can be recycled and usually end up as reinforcing steel for concrete construction. A lot of molten steel is exported to places like Japan as well who may make new cars out of it.