Plastic bottles, tubs and trays
Wash it and squash it!
Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays and can be recycled in your kerbside recycling box – not just drinks bottles, but all bottles whatever the shape or contents. Please wash food residue off your pots tubs and trays this makes it easier for the technology to sort the different types of plastic.
Wash it and squash it to make room in your boxes.
Recycled plastic can be turned into all sorts of everyday objects, such as fencing, benches, even fleeces. In fact it only takes 25 two litre bottles to make one adult sized fleece.
What happens to your plastic?
- Once we have collected your plastic bottles, glass and cans they are transported to Lancashire’s materials recycling facility (MRF) at Leyland for sorting into the different streams.
- Using mechanical technology at the MRF the plastic bottles are separated from the glass and the cans. The plastic bottles are then further sorted into types using infra red technology.
- Once separated the plastic bottles are baled and sent to different recycling merchants across the UK.
- These recycling merchants wash then turn the plastic bottles into flakes and pellets.
- The flakes and pellets are used within the UK and Europe to become new products including bottles, packaging, drainage products and woven fibre.
What else can I do with my plastic?
- Recycle as many of your plastic bottles as possible including shampoo bottles, detergent and garden/car product bottles – just make sure they are empty first.
- Shop smart, avoid over packaged products and buy in bulk where possible to reduce packaging.
- Re-use plastic containers for storage.
- Re-use carrier bags when you shop or recycle them at local supermarkets.
Last updated: 02 August 2023