SOUTH Lakeland District Council's kerbside collections and bring-site schemes have transformed the area's waste disposal system, but separating can, paper, glass, plastic, cardboard and green waste is just the first step of the recycling process.

Before the schemes were launched in 2003, the district's recycling rate was less than nine per cent and it is anticipated to rise to more than 40 per cent this year, with less waste being sent to landfill and more being taken to recycling plants throughout the country.

Once collected from the kerbside, glass, cans and paper are taken to transfer stations in Kendal and Barrow, and local contractors collect materials from recycling banks before they are all distributed to sites that transform the materials into new products.

Paper is taken to Shotton Paper Mill, at Cheshire, and Kimberly-Clark, at Barrow. It is mostly recycled to make newsprint and household products, such as toilet paper, tissues and kitchen roll.

Glass is taken to Glass Recycling UK, at Barnsley. It is recycled into new bottles and jars and is also used in road construction as a form of surfacing.

Cans are often recycled at Leyland. Steel and aluminium cans can be recycled into more cans or melted down and used to make cars, aeroplanes and electrical goods.

Green garden waste is taken to Carlisle where it is composted and supplied to local farmers and used for remediation work on old landfill sites to assist in reinstating them as green belt land.

Plastic bottles and containers are taken to recycling sites in the North East and Lincolnshire. They are recycled to form more plastic products such as garden furniture, stationary, fence posts and clothing. Recycled plastic is also used to make SLDC's blue recycling boxes.

Cardboard is recycled into notepad backs, plasterboard, animal bedding and is used in the manufacture of trainers.

For full story and graphic, see the March 2 edition of The Westmorland Gazette.