Where can I recycle?

To find out how you can recycle food and drink cartons in your area use the search dropdowns. To start a new search click the reset link.

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Cumberland

Region: North West

Allerdale

Cartons and paper containers (such as Pringles tubes etc.) can also be recycled at the following bring bank sites:
1. Tesco Workington, New Bridge Road, Workington, CA14 3YG

Carlisle

Cartons can be recycled at the kerbside in the ​green bag number one.

Copeland

Cartons and paper containers (such as Pringles tubes etc.) can be recycled at the following bring bank site:
1 .Tesco Millom, Lancashire Rd, Millom, LA18 4BX

Dacorum

Region: East of England

Residents are able to recycle their cartons from the kerbside in the blue lidded bin.

Cartons can also be recycled in the plastics recycling banks at the following sites:
1. Hemel Hempstead HWRC, Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7DU
2. Berkhamstead HWRC, Northbridge Road, Berkhamstead, HP4 1TL

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Recycling

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Food and drink cartons are fully recyclable. Following significant investment from our members and our work with Local Authorities and others, the overwhelming majority of UK Local Authorities now recycle food and drink cartons, either through household kerbside collections or ACE UK’s own bring bank network. Cartons are also proposed to be on Government’s list of core materials to be included in all household kerbside collections by 2023, under new consistent collections regulations currently under consultation.

ACE UK runs its own dedicated food and drink carton reprocessing facility here in the UK, set up and opened in 2013 in partnership with paper and packaging producer Sonoco Alcore.

All cartons collected via ACE UK’s bring bank network are recycled here and we encourage Local Authorities and waste management companies to use this facility too.

How are food and drink cartons recycled at the facility?

The baled cartons are dropped into a pulper, which resembles a giant food mixer. They are pulped with water for around 20 minutes, which delaminates the packaging, breaking it down into a slurry.

The different layers of material are then separated, and the fibre is recycled at the on-site paper mill to manufacture coreboard, which is used to make cores and tubes for a variety of industrial applications. 

ACE UK is currently working with a plastic recycler in Cheshire and have developed a line which will be able to recycle all of the separated polymers and aluminium layers from the facility into new products, such as durable fence posts.

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