At Commercial Waste Services, we take a comprehensive approach to waste management, ensuring that nothing we collect ends up in landfill. Our commitment to recycling extends even to the ash produced from Energy Recovery (the controlled incineration of general waste to generate electricity for the local grid).
The journey of your recycling and waste
Once your waste is collected, it embarks on a journey through our state-of-the-art facilities.
At our Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) we process commingled recyclables from across London. This means we accept all dry mixed recyclable materials that businesses put into a single recycling bin, including all the dry mixed recyclable materials like paper, plastic, and metal. Paper and cardboard are among the easiest materials to recycle, as they can be efficiently repurposed into new paper products like newspapers and cardboard packaging. On the other hand, coffee cups often present a significant challenge in due to their plastic lining, which requires specialised processes to remove before they can be recycled into high-end paper products.
Plastics and cartons
We meticulously sort all items, separating them by material type - such as different plastics, paper, glass, and metals. This crucial step ensures each material can be properly recycled. Once sorted, we compress these single-material groups into large, compact bales. These bales are then sent to specialised facilities where each material undergoes its specific recycling process. All plastic bottles, pots tubs and trays are baled together and sent to our facility in Rainham where we separate out the plastic into eight different plastic types. From there all the plastic milk bottles we collect (which are made from HDPE plastic) are sent to our Dagenham facility, where they’re shredded, washed and melted back into food grade plastic pellets, ready to be sent back to milk bottle manufacturers, completing a fully circular loop.
Metals
There are two types of metals in mixed recycling; ferrous and non-ferrous. Ferrous is magnetic and will include all steel and iron products (cans and aerosols etc but also other metal items people put in mixed recycling). Non-ferrous is not magnetic and mainly includes aluminium beverage cans, aluminium foil, aluminium trays and aerosols.
Ferrous metals are mostly recycled in overseas electric arc furnaces, primarily in Turkey, as the UK no longer has a significant presence in this industry.
Aluminium is typically processed at facilities like Novelis in Warrington, UK, or Speira in Neuss, Germany. These plants melt and reform aluminium into ingots for use in various new products, from car parts to beverage cans.
Paper and cardboard
Paper and cardboard are transported to the DS paper mill, where they are repurposed into new paper products like newspapers and cardboard packaging. DS Smith specialises in closed-loop recycling solutions meaning that cardboard can be back on the shop shelf within 14 days.
Glass
Separate glass collection is your best choice for sustainability. This efficient process takes glass from our Alperpton depot to Southampton, then to Portugal, where it's transformed into new bottles for the hospitality industry. This closed-loop recycling maximises resource reuse, reduces energy use, and lowers carbon emissions. By choosing separate glass recycling, you're directly enhancing your sustainability efforts and supporting the circular economy in the hospitality sector.
Coffee cups
Coffee cups, often a challenging material to recycle, are sent to a specialist paper mill that has developed innovative processes to remove the plastic lining. This process only happens for the coffee cups that are separated using our specialist recycling service, for more information on this service, please click here. These cups are then transformed into high-end paper products, such as Selfridges bags.
Food waste
The food waste we collect first gets transported to our depot in Alperton to go through a special bulking process before it gets diverted to Biogen, where it is converted into a liquid fertiliser and biogas. This is then used to generate electricity for the national grid. Biogen processes 65,000 tonnes of food waste per year generating 2.9MW of green electricity, enough to power approx 6,500 homes.
Bulky waste
Bulky waste items are transported to a site in Brent, where items that cannot be donated to charity are sent to either Greenwich Renewable Energy Facility (RDF) or SELCHP (South East London Combined Heat and Power) facility.
Garden waste
Once any garden waste is collected, it will be stored in our Alperton depot and then taken to our Southwark transfer station. Once the waste is processed, it is bulked up and sent to the Pitsea open windrow composting facility.
General waste
Any remaining waste that cannot be recycled is sent to SELCHP, where it is converted into energy for the national grid, providing electricity for 48,000 homes. The residual heat from the electricity generation process is also used to heat over 2,800 homes in London. Every bag of general waste generates enough hot water for 7 showers or nearly 24 hours of watching TV. Since July 2024, a portion of this electricity has been used to charge our electric fleet, another example of our commitment to closing the loop between waste and resources.
By choosing us as your waste management partner, you can rest assured that your waste will be handled responsibly and sustainably. Our services go beyond recycling, offering tailored solutions to help your business achieve its sustainability goals. Contact us today to schedule a free waste audit and explore how we can support your journey to a greener future.
