Council tenants have reaffirmed their commitment to going green after an eye-opening visit to a recycling facility in North Tyneside.
Two groups of tenants were invited to take a look behind the scenes at O’Brien Waste Recycling in Wallsend to find out what happens to their recycling after it’s collected from the kerbside.
The business processes more than 3,000 tonnes of dry mixed recycling and glass waste every week across their three North East recycling centres, serving an area that extends as far north as Berwick, and plays a vital role in supporting a cleaner, greener North Tyneside.
The visit included a video and Q&A session as well as a tour of the main plant, where a combination of manual pickers and machinery are used to sort, bail and transport thousands of tonnes of recycling.
Robin Bridges, from Longbenton, has always been a dedicated recycler but the visit has reinforced his passion for going green.
He said: “I had a vague idea about what the recycling process involved but I had no idea it was on such a large scale. It is very encouraging to see so much waste being processed like this instead of going into a big hole in the ground.
“I’m a very passionate recycler anyway but I was surprised to learn about the range of materials they can do something with. I know that in other parts of the country they don’t collect glass, for example, but it’s all done very thoroughly in North Tyneside.”
The group were also shown around a refurbished outdoor area, within the grounds, made and furnished entirely out of recyclable materials.
David Melrose, of North Shields, added: “It’s been a great visit and we’ve learned a lot about the process. I do a lot of recycling but I know that not everybody is on board. Perhaps if people could see what we’ve just seen, and how much effort is involved, I think they’d do much more.”
Councillor John Stirling, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “These have been really informative visits, with two groups who were already very passionate about recycling but curious to know more about the process.
“I think they’ve been shocked by the amount of waste that is generated and the fact that it has to be largely separated by hand. Most people don’t know that and we hope it will make people think more carefully about how they separate their rubbish and recycling at home.”