Transcript:
Here’s your wheelie bin. Did you know that in Leicester the waste in your wheelie bin does not go directly to Landfill. Let’s see what happens. All wheelie bin waste comes here to Leicester’s Recycling Centre. Home to Leicester’s advanced waste processing and recycling facility. Here, your waste gets separated mechanically, mainly with the aid of this giant machine called the ball mill. The ball mill is a huge rotating drum containing 42 tonnes of steel balls, which works similar to a washing machine. The waste is fed into the drum and as this rotates, the balls break up and grind down the waste into smaller pieces. Once the waste is small enough, the different types of waste can then be extracted out. All metals including steel food tins and aluminium drinks cans are extracted out and sent away to be recycled into new metal products. Light materials, also known as FLOC, such as plastics, card and envelopes are extracted and compacted into bales for use as an industrial fuel. Finally, kitchen scraps, food waste and other organic waste are also extracted and sent to an anaerobic digester based at Wanlip.
Here, the organic waste is turned into a soil conditioner. This is used for agriculture or reclaimed land. During this process, methane gas is produced and used to generate electricity.
So, thanks to the Ball Mill approximately 70% of the waste in your bin is diverted from Landfill. And remember, you are playing your part in this process. By putting your wheelie bin, along with your recycling box out every week, you’re helping to divert waste from Landfill, and of course help the environment.
