What happens to your rubbish

What happens to your rubbish?

  • How recycled rubbish is used to make new products
  • Expert advice on minimising the amount of rubbish your household creates
  • Advice on what items can and can't be recycled
  • Where does your rubbish go when it leaves your home?

Which? Archive

This article, What happens to your rubbish?, was last updated on 03 August 2009 and is now out of date and held in our online archive for reference. Explore our latest Home & garden articles.

What's in this guide

Non-recyclable rubbish

Less than half of all rubbish is recycled – find out what happens to rubbish that's not recycled

Recycled rubbish

Your guide to what happens to waste that's put out for recycling

What happens to your recycling?

Follow the typical journey of a plastic bottle when it's sent to landfill or for recycling

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