New contract set to boost recycling for items put in blue bins

A new contract to process recycling collected from Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire residents' blue bins comes into effect in March - and will see even more of what's collected re-processed into high-quality new products.

Residents are being reassured there are no changes to what can be put into their blue bins, and reminded to check the councils' websites or residents' magazines for information about what goes in which bin.

The new contract has been awarded to Re-Gen, whose Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) is one of Europe’s most advanced facilities. It runs on 100% renewable energy and features specialist machinery designed by Re-Gen’s experienced engineers. Re-Gen were named both Paper Recycling Business of The Year and Recycling Business of The Year at last year’s Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management.

The new MRF will be able to correctly sort and recycle 19% more of the material from residents’ blue bins than currently. This includes very small fragments which are currently difficult to sort and can end up as waste. More effective sorting also means better recycling options – for example it will be possible for 95% of glass to be re-melted and used for new bottles and jars, rather than most being used in road construction.

Executive Councillor for Climate Action and Environment at Cambridge City Council, Cllr Rosy Moore, said: “I want to thank residents for continuing to diligently recycle, and to reassure you that the new contract doesn’t affect what you put in your blue bin. There are no new rules to learn about what can be recycled, so please keep doing what you’re doing. The good news is that by working with a modern Material Recycling Facility, we are going to be able to guarantee an even higher proportion of what’s collected can be re-processed into even higher quality materials.”

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Cllr Natalie Warren-Green, commented: “Residents I’ve spoken to generally appreciate that materials collected for recycling are a valuable resource, and part of a global economy. People can be reassured and confident that what they are carefully rinsing and squashing before recycling will be re-processed at a high-quality facility before being made into new products.”

The Re-Gen MRF is based in Newry, Northern Ireland, so initially this is where the blue bin recycling will be taken for sorting. However, Re-Gen say that, within the first half of this year, it will take over a MRF on the UK mainland. This will negate the need to transport the recycling to Northern Ireland. 

Re-Gen Chief Executive, Joseph Doherty comments: “We are delighted that Re-Gen will be working with Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council from early March. Initially, the blue bin recyclate will be brought to our state-of the art facility in Newry. Over the last number of years there has been significant technological investment, particularly in AI and high precision optical sorters using high-resolution cameras and near-infrared sensors. This enables our industry leading MRF to identify plastics, metals, glass, and paper, ensuring that we deliver the highest quality of recyclate to be made into new products. Re-Gen operate our own haulage fleet and logistics service. Our fleet are already travelling from Newry, Northern Ireland to England with materials and products. Therefore, the collection of recyclables from Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council will take advantage of back haul arrangements, ensuring that HGVs already on the road do not return to Newry empty.”

In recent years, Greater Cambridge residents’ blue bin recycling has been sorted at a MRF off the A10 at Waterbeach. There, metal cans, glass, paper, cardboard and plastics have been sorted and separated, mainly by machinery like magnets and infra-red sensors and a team of people providing quality control.

Once separated at a MRF, those materials are pressed into bales and ready to be sold. UK buyers are prioritised – and last year all materials except for 38% of paper and card were sold on to recyclers all over the UK. Some materials like paper are transformed into new products at their first destination, being pulped and pressed into large reels of paper for newsprint, for example. Others like metal are melted down into ingots which are then sold again to manufacturers who make anything from aeroplanes to new cans.

The contract with the company that runs the MRF at Waterbeach expired, and following a procurement process bound by public sector rules, Re-Gen was appointed. The company that runs the Waterbeach site was not successful, so the Waste Service was not able to continue the current arrangements.

Cllr Moore continued: “The new contract does involve further haulage than the current operation – whether initially to Newry or, soon, to a facility closer to Cambridge. However, Re-Gen already have an extensive haulage operation transporting both unsorted recycling from 16 councils in England to their MRF as well as sorted materials from the MRF to recycling companies around the UK. They will be able to make use of space in lorries returning to them to transport much of our material. Like our own waste service, Re-Gen has begun transitioning its fleet of vehicles to more sustainable fuels like Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil and is trialling electric HGVs.”

Cllr Warren-Green continued: “It’s pleasing to hear Re-Gen is quickly advancing its plans for a MRF closer to us – which will minimise the amount of time that our blue bin recycling goes to Northern Ireland for sorting. There are carbon emissions at every stage of the process. With the change of contract, the impacts of transport changes will be monitored and considered in the round with the wider impacts of recycling your plastics, cans, glass, paper and cardboard.”