About
Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling once it’s been collected by your local authority? My Recycling Wales allows you to browse Welsh local authorities and see what happens to your household's waste across the UK, and even around the world.
The site shows how much recycling your local authority collects each year and its reported fate.
Organisations – such as businesses, the public sector, and charities – should contact their waste collector to find out where their business/commercial waste goes.
My Recycling Wales is funded by Welsh Government and sustainability experts WRAP Cymru.
How is the data compiled?
The data used on this site comes from WasteDataFlow, an online reporting system for collating each UK local authority’s waste data, that is the waste collected by local authorities from households and businesses. It does not include waste collected from businesses by private waste companies.
The data provided by Welsh local authorities is validated by Natural Resources Wales.
Question 100 of WasteDataFlow requires local authorities to report as much information as they can reasonably acquire about what happens to the materials sent for recycling. Natural Resources Wales assists Welsh local authorities to continually improve the accuracy of their reported end destinations.
Overview of different destination classification types
Each reported destination has been classified by type. The classifications are as follows:
- MRF: A Materials Recovery Facility sorts and prepares recyclable materials for onward sale to market or to manufacturers. Any unrecyclable or non-target materials are sent for further treatment or disposal. There are generally two kinds of MRF: Clean and Residual.
- Clean MRFs sort co-mingled recyclable materials into separate materials to be prepared for onward transfer.
- Residual MRFs separate recyclable materials from mixed and residual waste. Recovered recyclable materials are sent for onward transfer.
- Merchant: Merchants for recyclable waste help buyers and manufacturers from around the world to source recycled and recyclable material to use as inputs in their production process, and help sellers to find buyers for their materials. Merchants act as a facilitator for trade in recyclable materials between different markets.
- Reprocessor: Reprocessors take sorted recyclable materials and remanufacture them into new products. Some reprocessors have MRFs on site, but this is not always the case, and so recyclable inputs must often be purchased from a supplier.
Frequently asked questions
How far can I track my recycling?
My Recycling Wales includes as much information as possible. In some cases this means that recycling can be tracked as far as the reprocessor, and, for others, only as far as an exporter or merchant. We include as much information as possible, but sometimes the data simply isn’t available.
What does ‘unknown’ mean?
Unknown means that we don’t have enough information to establish the end destination. All the information we have is included, and local authorities are required to provide as much information as they can.
Why is my local authority exporting recycling?
Recyclable material is a resource and there may be demand for that resource around the world. Local authorities, brokers or waste treatment facilities may export recyclable waste materials to meet that demand and fetch the best price for their materials as long as they meet the required quality standards and comply with the relevant legislation. WRAP’s research identifies that there are CO2eq savings to be made from recycling materials rather than sending them to landfill and using virgin material, even if those materials still have to be transported overseas. In many cases, materials are sent to countries from which the UK also imports products. Whilst our research suggests that exporting is an environmentally sustainable option, the exact nature of the benefit is dependent on what the recycled material is used for (that is, what it replaces). This is more important than the transport emissions. The research does not make any assessment of the relative benefits of recycling solely to domestic markets rather than in other countries.
How may I find out what I can recycle in my area?
Visit Wales Recycles' Recycling Locator to find out what you can and can't recycle in your area.
I thought my recycling was sent abroad; why do you say it stays in Wales?
My Recycling Wales includes all the available information. Sometimes local authorities will sell recycling to a company in Wales, which then exports it. In some cases the information about what happens once it’s been sold within Wales is not available. In these cases, the last known destination, that is, Wales, is noted. Where information is available to show recycling is exported, this is included, with the ultimate destination marked as ‘unknown’ when the country isn’t known.
Why does the chart show recycling going to China when that country has a ban on importing recycling?
China's import ban came into force in 2017/18, and so data shown before that year may show recycling going to China.
What’s the difference between the linear and logarithmic charts? Why are they so different?
The charts use the same data, but they represent it in different ways.
The scale on the linear chart goes up in equal intervals (for example, 10, 20, 30, 40, and so on), whereas the scale on the logarithmic chart does not (for example, 10, 100, 1,000).
The linear chart is useful for comparing two or more results, however because the differences between the largest and smallest result can be significant, it means the lowest results are too small to be seen.
The logarithmic chart makes it easier to see all results.
How often is the site updated?
My Recycling Wales is updated every year, once the latest annual data has been validated by Natural Resources Wales.
I have another question, who should I contact?
To find out what household waste you can and can't recycle where you live, visit Wales Recycles' Recycling Locator or contact your local authority.
If you're an organisation, please contact your waste collector to find out where your commercial/trade waste goes.
