What Happens to your Recycling

With a few exceptions, all recyclables collected in Mole Valley are processed at the Grundon Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) at Leatherhead. The others are sold on directly by the companies that collect them.

Grundon’s MRF segregates dry mixed recycling waste, following which the materials are baled and sent on to specialist reprocessors and manufacturers, where they are used to create new products. More information regarding these end destinations can be found on the Surrey Environment Partnership website.

Through the use of state-of-the-art sorting technology, Grundon’s MRF’s typically recover over 90% of the materials passing through them for subsequent recycling. The remaining non-recyclable residual waste is sent on to Energy from Waste facilities where it is used a fuel source to generate renewable electricity.

The recycled waste materials collected and recovered through the MRF’s includes:

  • Paper (including newspapers, magazines, catalogues and envelopes)
  • Card (including packaging)
  • Cardboard
  • Steel and aluminium drinks cans
  • HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastics
  • PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastics
  • Glass (all colours)

Process summary

Following collections from households, mixed recycling materials are transported the MRF site, where they are loaded into a hopper and onto a conveyor. This feeds the materials through the MRF, where they are sorted both by a combination of hand and mechanical processes:

  • Sorting and screening – Hand sorting and screening of paper, card, and cardboard removes these materials from the process
  • Ferrous metals sorting – The remaining stream of materials passes through a series of overband magnets where ferrous metals, such as steel cans are recovered
  • Non-ferrous sorting– Eddy current separators are used to recover non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium cans
  • Infra-red spectroscopy – A series of infra-red spectroscopy automated sorters separate out the different types of plastic materials, such as plastic bottles and packaging
  • Glass screening – Glass is also screened from the stream of waste materials and is sent through an air-classifier to remove any paper. The glass is then collected and sent on to be recycled
  • High-density baling – The various segregated materials are high-density baled and temporarily stored until a sufficient quantity has been collected. They can then be transported to specialist reprocessors where they can be recycled into new products

Recycling streams that are not processed at the Grundons MRF

Batteries

Collected by Amey and passed direct to the buyer.

Garden Waste

Delivered by Amey direct to the processing facility.

  • K P S Composting Services Ltd Boathouse Farm, Isfield Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 5JJ

Textiles

Collected by Amey and passed direct to the buyer.

  • Green World Recycling Ltd, Unit 15, The Hayes Trading Estate, Folkes Road
    Stourbridge. West Midlands, DY9 8RG

Textiles are also collected from Recycling bring sites at Mole Valley District Council car parks by Green World Recycling.

Tetrapak

Collected from Recycling bring sites at MVDC car parks throughout the district and at Dorking and Leatherhead CRC’s.

  • Ace UK, Suite G2, The Hub, 5 Royal Court, Gadbrook Park, Northwich, CW9 7UT

Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE)

Domestic appliances are collected kerbside by Amey and passed direct to the buyer.

  • M D J Light Bros ( S P ) Ltd, Unit 18, Cliffe Ind Est, South Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 6JL (small appliances)
  • Suez Surrey Ltd, Leatherhead Wts, Randalls Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BA (fridges and freezers)

WEEE is also collected from Recycling bring sites at Mole Valley District Council car parks by DHL Envirosolutions.
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