Even more plastic items are set to be recycled in Cornwall, cutting down on waste as well as benefitting the environment. 

A new rigid plastic recycling service has been introduced at seven of Cornwall’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC).  

It means that residents can now recycle a variety of previously non-recycled plastic items such as clean buckets, bins, storage boxes and containers, water butts, garden furniture, rigid plant pots and crates. 

You can now take those items to be recycled to the following HWRCs. 

Collected plastic waste is recycled to produce high-quality secondary raw material for use in manufacturing new items for the construction industry as well as household goods and furniture.  

The Council’s portfolio holder for neighbourhoods, Carol Mould, said: “Adding rigid plastic to items that can now be taken for recycling to seven of our larger HWRC’s means there is another way we can all cut down on waste and help recycle more. It gives us residents the opportunity to clear out the plastic items that are no longer needed whilst playing an important part in the sustainable production of new items.”  

The service has been introduced at HWRC sites with suitable capacity and will be kept under review for roll out at other sites in the future.

Residents are also being urged to recycle more by sorting their items before they set off to visit their local HWRC. 

Analysis of waste at Cornwall’s HWRCs found that an average of 22.4% of items disposed of in the general waste container could have been recycled using the fortnightly household recycling service or placed in more suitable containers at the sites. 

Various materials including metal, cardboard, clothing and unwanted or broken electricals, can be recycled in dedicated containers at Cornwall’s HWRCs. Old batteries, which can cause fires if they are put with general waste, can also be recycled at the sites.  

Carol added: “Everyone needs to play their part and dispose of the things they no longer want responsibly. That may mean giving things to others or donating them to charity shops.” 

“For unwanted goods that cannot be reused, we ask that people sort them before they arrive at their local HWRC and put them in the correct containers. This means we can recycle more.” 

Find out what you can recycle and which container it goes in using our online A-Z search of recycling: www.cornwall.gov.uk/recycling 

The HWRCs are open 7 days a week from 9am to 4pm – even on Bank Holidays. 

Only waste from households in Cornwall can be taken to these sites. Commercial waste is not accepted at any recycling centre.