Waste Journey Guide

What Happens to Your Waste After Collection?

January 2026
7 min read
Clear Space Team
Collection
Sorting
New Life

Ever wondered what happens to your rubbish after it leaves your property? From the moment our team drives away with your cleared items, a fascinating journey begins. Here's the complete story of where your waste goes and how much of it gets a second life.

The Journey Begins: Collection Day

When our clearance team arrives at your property, we're not just loading items into a van—we're beginning a careful sorting process. Our trained staff categorise items on-site whenever possible:

Donate

Usable items for charity

Recycle

Materials for processing

Energy

Waste-to-energy plants

Landfill

Last resort only

Step 1: The Transfer Station

Our first stop is usually a licensed waste transfer station. Think of this as a sorting hub where waste is categorised more precisely before being sent to its final destination.

What happens at a transfer station:

  • Waste is weighed and recorded for legal compliance
  • Materials are separated into recyclable categories
  • Hazardous items are identified and handled separately
  • Reusable items are set aside for donation centres

Step 2: Recycling Facilities

Around 45-60% of household waste can be recycled. Different materials go to specialised facilities:

Paper & Cardboard

Pulped and reformed into new paper products. One tonne of recycled paper saves 17 trees!

Glass

Crushed, melted, and remoulded. Glass can be recycled infinitely without losing quality.

Metals

Aluminium and steel are melted down. Recycling aluminium uses 95% less energy than making new.

Plastics

Sorted by type, shredded, and pelletised. Different plastics become everything from fleece jackets to garden furniture.

Electronics (WEEE)

Dismantled for precious metals and components. Old phones contain gold, silver, and rare earth elements.

Step 3: Energy Recovery Plants

Waste that can't be recycled but still has energy value goes to Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities. These modern plants are far from the old incinerators of the past.

How Energy Recovery Works

Waste burned at 850°C+ destroying harmful substances

Heat creates steam to drive turbines

Generates electricity for thousands of homes

One tonne of waste can generate enough electricity to power a home for a month!

Step 4: Landfill (The Last Resort)

Only waste that cannot be recycled, recovered, or converted to energy ends up in landfill. Thanks to better practices, UK landfill rates have dropped from 80% in 2000 to under 25% today.

Modern landfills are engineered facilities with:

  • Multiple liner systems to prevent ground contamination
  • Leachate collection and treatment systems
  • Methane capture for energy generation
  • Long-term monitoring (30+ years after closure)

The Donation Route

One of the most rewarding destinations for cleared items is charity donation. We work with over 15 local charities to ensure usable items find new homes.

Items commonly donated:

Furniture
Clothing
Books
Kitchenware
Toys & Games
Appliances
Sports Equipment
Baby Items

Our Waste Diversion Stats

85%

Diverted from landfill

45%

Recycled materials

25%

Donated to charity

15%

Energy recovery

Need a Responsible Clearance Service?

We're committed to sustainable waste management. Every item we collect is handled responsibly.

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