Waste and recycling facility types
There are many different types of waste and recycling facilities. Some are used for collection or storage, others sort the materials into different types (plastic, paper, aluminium, etc.), others use biological processes to create fertiliser or soil conditioner, some use heat to treat non-recyclable materials to create power.
To help you understand what different facilities there are, what types of materials they take in, what they do and what they produce, we have created a range of different factsheets which you will find in the links below.
Collection and handling facilities
At these facilities, waste and recycling is collected and stored for onward transport. There is no processing or treatment of materials unless on a multi-activity site (please see below).
For more information on collection and handling facilities, please view our factsheets:
- Dropping it off - Recycling Centres. (print version)
- Getting it together - Transfer stations. (print version)
Processing facilities
These facilities deal with input materials in some way, for example by separating mixed recyclables, or separating an item into its metal and plastic components.
For more information on processing facilities, please view our factsheets:
- Getting it sorted - Materials Recovery Facilities. (print version)
- Another person’s treasure - Repair and re-use. (print version)
- Metal matters - Metal recyclers (end-of-life vehicles and waste electronic & electrical equipment). (print version)
Treatment facilities
A treatment facility is a type of processing facility which reduces the quantity of input material either by using heat (thermal treatment) or a biological process. They also produce heat, electricity, fertilisers or other outputs.
- Breaking it down – Open air windrow composting (Print version)
- Breaking it down - In-vessel composting (print version)
- Breaking it down - Anaerobic digestion (print version)
- Power for the people - Mechanical biological treatment and mechanical heat treatment (print version)
- Power for the people – Incineration (print version)
- Power for the people - Gasification and plasma arc (print version)
- Power for the people – Pyrolysis (print version)
Other facilities
There are other types of waste and recycling facilities which do not fall into any of the categories above. They include reprocessors (take in recyclable materials to turn them into new products), landfill sites (used for waste disposal) and multi-activity sites (which are made up of a combination of lots of different types of facilities).
- Turning full circle - Reprocessing (print version)
- Jack of all trades - Multi-activity (print version)
- Down in the dumps - Landfill (print version)