At a glance, I work in waste. But what I and my colleagues actually do is keep valuable materials moving, wherever possible, in loops. While the term circular economy might be splashed across PowerPoint slides and policy papers, we're living it, bin by bin, tonne by tonne.
Closed Loop Champions: The Materials We Keep Circulating
We don’t just collect, we close the loop, especially for the materials most likely to be lost in the system.
Polypropylene (PP)
Used in crates, packaging, and containers, PP often gets excluded from kerbside recycling. We collect it separately and send it to specialist recyclers, where it’s processed and returned to market as reusable PP - no downcycling, no shortcuts.
But the story doesn’t end there.
The digestate that remains is packed with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)—the essential nutrients for plant growth. It’s Soil Association approved and injected into farmland within five miles of the AD facility, closing the loop locally.
Even better, because it’s in liquid form, plants absorb nitrogen more effectively, giving farmers a natural, circular alternative to synthetic fertilisers.
Leftovers powering homes and feeding crops? Now that’s a full-circle success.
Fact: The energy generated from 1 tonne of waste food would power an electric car approximately 1,560 miles; for example from Wallingford, England, to Bodø, just north of the Arctic Circle in Norway.
Used in crates, packaging, and containers, PP often gets excluded from kerbside recycling. We collect it separately and send it to specialist recyclers, where it’s processed and returned to market as reusable PP - no downcycling, no shortcuts.
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
The “problem child” of plastics, EPS is bulky, light, and usually landfilled. Not with us. We compact it on-site at our facility, reducing volume by 90%, then send it for transformation into insulation, decorative mouldings, and new packaging. Yes, EPS can be recycled, if you know how.
The “problem child” of plastics, EPS is bulky, light, and usually landfilled. Not with us. We compact it on-site at our facility, reducing volume by 90%, then send it for transformation into insulation, decorative mouldings, and new packaging. Yes, EPS can be recycled, if you know how.
Paper & Cardboard
We keep fibre clean and separate, sending it to UK paper mills for remanufacture. Your old cardboard box could be back on the shelf as a new one in weeks.
We keep fibre clean and separate, sending it to UK paper mills for remanufacture. Your old cardboard box could be back on the shelf as a new one in weeks.
Glass
Collected separately and sent directly for remelt, not crushed and forgotten. Glass is infinitely recyclable, and we ensure every bottle, jar, and fragment finds its way back into the furnace, ready to start life anew.
Collected separately and sent directly for remelt, not crushed and forgotten. Glass is infinitely recyclable, and we ensure every bottle, jar, and fragment finds its way back into the furnace, ready to start life anew.
Why Closed Loop Matters
Recycling isn’t about good intentions, it’s about outcomes. True circularity means:
Recycling isn’t about good intentions, it’s about outcomes. True circularity means:
- High-quality material recovery
- Domestic reprocessing
- No export, no greenwash
- Measurable reductions in emissions and virgin material use
From Food Waste to Electricity (and Fertility): Circular Fuel
Every tonne of food waste we collect is sent to anaerobic digestion, where it’s converted into clean energy and nutrient-rich digestate. On average, we generate 390 kWh of electricity per tonne, well above typical industry averages.
Every tonne of food waste we collect is sent to anaerobic digestion, where it’s converted into clean energy and nutrient-rich digestate. On average, we generate 390 kWh of electricity per tonne, well above typical industry averages.
But the story doesn’t end there.
The digestate that remains is packed with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)—the essential nutrients for plant growth. It’s Soil Association approved and injected into farmland within five miles of the AD facility, closing the loop locally.
Even better, because it’s in liquid form, plants absorb nitrogen more effectively, giving farmers a natural, circular alternative to synthetic fertilisers.
Leftovers powering homes and feeding crops? Now that’s a full-circle success.
Recycling with Purpose: Quality, Not Just Quantity
We work with FCC Environment’s Smallmead MRF (part of the re3 partnership) to process our mixed recycling, ensuring that materials like aluminium, plastics, paper, and more are separated, recovered, and sent to end-markets. With a commitment to keeping contamination low (target rejection rates of under 10%), the focus is on high-quality outputs, not just high tonnage.
We work with FCC Environment’s Smallmead MRF (part of the re3 partnership) to process our mixed recycling, ensuring that materials like aluminium, plastics, paper, and more are separated, recovered, and sent to end-markets. With a commitment to keeping contamination low (target rejection rates of under 10%), the focus is on high-quality outputs, not just high tonnage.
Residual Waste: Turning Waste into Power
Not all waste can be recycled, but that doesn’t mean it’s wasted. Our residual, non-recyclable waste is taken to a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, where it's converted into electricity. We average 598 kWh per tonne; comfortably at the high end of global benchmarks for WTE, and far beyond what ends up in landfill. It's not zero-waste, but it’s smart, efficient resource recovery.
Not all waste can be recycled, but that doesn’t mean it’s wasted. Our residual, non-recyclable waste is taken to a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, where it's converted into electricity. We average 598 kWh per tonne; comfortably at the high end of global benchmarks for WTE, and far beyond what ends up in landfill. It's not zero-waste, but it’s smart, efficient resource recovery.
This Is Our Circular Economy
It’s not perfect, but it’s working. Every vehicle we run, every bin we empty, every loop we close brings us closer to a system where nothing is wasted; not time, not materials and never an opportunity.
It’s not perfect, but it’s working. Every vehicle we run, every bin we empty, every loop we close brings us closer to a system where nothing is wasted; not time, not materials and never an opportunity.
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