Our Household Recycling Facility in Bodmin
A visit to our Household Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Bodmin was found fascinating by the many councillors that have visited over the last few months and I’m pleased to say that I managed to get there this week. This is where all our recycling materials collected from our homes and Household Waste and Recycling Facilities go for sorting, bailing and selling on as a resource for re-use.
Art from plastic outside the Materials Recycling Facility in Bodmin
When we arrived at the facility I suggested to the other Councillors that I thought we would probably all learn something new and we definitely did!
This is the open space that the recycling lorries enter, from their rounds and unload all they have collected for sorting
Myth Busters
- Lids should be left on bottles whether a plastic lid on a plastic bottle or a metal lid on a glass bottle. Reason – lids are too small on their own so fall through the sorting equipment. In the past, plastic lids were not made of material to recycle but now they are. With the metal lids on glass, as the glass is crushed there is equipment able to take out the metal.
- Clothing, bedding etc can be put out in your glass box as long as it is clean and in a bag. Fabrics are NOT shredded they are sent for re-use. Taking them to a charity shop is good but if that is hard to do, put them out with your recycling.
- Shredded paper can go in your paper bag as it is. If placed in a plastic bag these have to be removed by humans so takes more time.
- Only the small amount of contaminated recycling materials are sent to the incinerator. Materials are not sent to the incinerator just because the price is low.
- Things only need to be rinsed out, although all solid food should be removed and fluid should be left in bottles. Labels do not need to be removed.
- We cannot recycle black plastic trays (all other colours can be recycled) so do not buy stuff on black plastic trays!
Our mixed plastics making their way through the recycling facility
It is possible to visit the Materials Recycling Facility at Bodmin and the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre (Incinerator) at St Dennis. This is really good for school children and can be arranged for other groups.