In our last step by step guide we explained what happens to commercial food waste when it is destroyed securely by Swancote Energy. This time we are going to walk you through what happens to the packaging that we recycle. Once again, there’s a link at the end where you can download a brief summary.
Modern food packaging is largely recyclable, and what isn’t can be incinerated in a waste to energy plant, so there really is no excuse for sending any used packaging to landfill. Most of it can be recycled to be used again, it’s just a matter of separating it from the food, sorting it by material type and preparing it so that it is ready for the recycler to process. Here’s how we do it.
1. The first step is for customers to book their food waste consignment for arrival at our secure site. Nothing gets in unless it has been booked in!
2. Once the food waste is on site we manually break down pallets to remove outer cardboard and plastic shrink wrap. The cardboard is baled and sent for recycling whilst the outer plastic packaging is compacted and sent for incineration at a waste to energy plant.
3. When all outer packaging has been removed, products are sorted according to whether or not the inner packaging includes glass.
4. Non-glass packaged food products are processed on our paddle de-packer line where packaging and food are separated. The line also includes a TOMRA optical sorter which enables us to sort plastic packaging by polymer type.
5. Liquid and solid food waste is fed into our anaerobic digestion plant, meanwhile plastic and metal packaging are hot washed and baled. Cardboard packaging is also baled. Once baled the packaging is sent for recycling.
6. Glass packaged food is collected into a “glass holding area”. Then it is processed on a bespoke line we have developed to break the glass, remove liquids, separate solid food by flotation and sort any other materials such as plastic or metal lids.
7. As above, liquid and solid food waste is fed into our anaerobic digestion plant, whilst plastic and metal lids are hot washed and baled ready for the recyclers.
8. Glass cullet is also hot washed before being moved to a holding clamp ready to be sent to recyclers via bulker.
Glass can be recycled time after time with no loss of quality, so when you choose Swancote Energy you are helping to reduce waste and put less strain on precious natural resources.
“Glass cullet is recycled glass that has been broken up ready to be melted for the manufacture of new glass products.”
You might be interested in the following links:
To download a pictoral summary of this guide
For more information about secure food waste destruction
For details of our unbeatable prices
To find out more about how Swancote Energy can recycle your food waste – and its packaging, please get in touch on 01746 716400 or via enquiries@swancoteenergy.com
