Plastic (Rigid)
The UK consumes as much as 5 million tonnes of plastic every year, but less than ten percent of this is recycled. Plastic comes in so many varieties that recycling each type is difficult. The necessary infrastructure needs to be in position for recycling to take place in a way which is both environmentally beneficial and cost effective. In order to reduce waste from rigid plastic, consider whether the item can be re-used. Many items made of rigid plastic are eligible for re-use, such as your garden table and chairs.
Rigid plastics are typically very bulky, and so recycling the material and removing it from the waste stream prevents a high volume of space at landfill sites being loaded with non-biodegradable waste.
Hertfordshire County Council is currently operating a trial through one of their contractors at selected Household Waste Recycling Centres in the county for the recycling of hard or rigid plastics. The types of rigid plastic accepted at this current time are children's toys, crates, storage boxes, hard plastic tubs, buckets, plastic plant pots, and dustbins. Plastic food trays (including those from ready meals or other food containers like yogurt pots) are not currently accepted for recycling. In addition, garden furniture, like tables and chairs, soft plastic film, and window frames are also not accepted for recycling at present. This specification is subject to change, as Hertfordshire County Council is limited by what reprocessors are willing to accept. Having said this, we will continue to work to divert as much rigid plastic from landfill as possible.
Once removed from the Household Waste Recycling Centre, the material is transported to a reprocessor where it is shredded, washed, flaked, and melted down for manufacture into a variety of new products.
Download a pdf of a leaflet about plastics.
Our recycling / disposal advice
Rigid plastic materials are currently being collected for recycling at more than ten Household Waste Recycling Centres across Hertfordshire. Click below to search for your nearest site participating in the trial.
Place the item in the allocated area at the Household Waste Recycling Centre. If you are unsure where to place the rigid plastic items, please ask the operator for assistance.
Use the search below to find where to recycle / dispose of Plastic (Rigid).