Plastics

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Last revised: 2 July 2008

How to recycle plastic bottles

Recycling one plastic bottle will save enough energy to light a 60W light bulb for over 6 hours, yet in the UK only 3% of our plastic is recycled. Plastic is lightweight and very bulky, making it difficult to collect economically and efficiently from the kerbside. Kennet District Council appreciates the problem of plastics in the waste stream and the importance of recycling it and is actively seeking a solution to the problem.

In Kennet, plastic bottles can be taken to the Household Recycling Centres at Everleigh, and Hopton Industrial Estate, Devizes, where they will be recycled and made into a variety of products including carrier bags, building materials and even clothes!

The Household Recycling Centres will take plastics made of PET (1), HDPE (2) or PVC (3). To identify what your plastic bottles and containers are made of, look on the base for the correct recycling symbol. This symbol may consist of triangles and numbers, letters and triangles, or simply letters, as shown  below.

Yes Please

PET plastics
Type: PET - Polyethylene terephthalate

  • Fizzy drink bottles

  • Cooking oil bottles

  • Cordial bottles

  • Oven-ready meal trays

HDPE plastics
Type: HDPE - High-density polyethylene

  • Milk bottles

  • Washing up liquid bottles

  • Shampoo and conditioner bottles

  • Fabric conditioner bottles

  • Household cleaning fluid bottles

PVC plastics
Type: PVC - Polyvinyl chloride

  • Cling film

  • Food trays

  • Shampoo and conditioner bottles

No thank you

These plastics below cannot be recycled

LDPE plastics
Type: LDPE - Low density polyethylene

  • Bin liners

  • Carrier bags

PP plastics
Type: PP - Polypropylene

  • Margarine tubs

  • Microwave ready meal trays

  • Plant pots

PS plastics
Type:PS - Polystyrene

  • Foam meat or fish trays

  • Burger boxes

  • Yoghurt pots


All other plastics

  • Any plastic which does not fit into any of the groups above

All the plastic collected is baled and sent to Preston for sorting. The HDPE (2) bottles are made into drainpipes, compost bins and recycling boxes. The PET (1) bottles are made into clothes and carpets, whilst the PVC (3) collected is turned into Christmas trees and toys.

To make plastics recycling a success, please ensure that you only recycle these types of plastic in the recycling banks. Any other plastic or other material may contaminate the entire collection. Please make sure all bottles are washed and squashed to save on space, and remove all tops.

Unfortunately, we are unable to collect other types of plastic such as yoghurt pots or margarine tubs as they are made from a range of polymers, which are much more difficult to identify. Therefore if it doesn’t say PET (1), HDPE (2) or PVC (3) on it, it can’t be recycled.

Plastic Carrier Bags

Around 80 million carrier bags are used in Wiltshire each year with most being sent to landfill. Try to reuse plastic bags as much as possible, or invest in a ‘bag for life’. Some supermarkets also offer a plastic bag recycling point.

Thank you for recycling