Panel Members visit plastic recycling plant

23rd November 2018

On a fact-finding visit for the Review on Reducing the use of plastics in Jersey, Constable Mike Jackson (Chairman) and Constable John Le Maistre (Vice-chairman) of the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel have been finding out what happens to Jersey's plastic bottles which are sent to the UK for recycling.

Their visit began with a tour of the Plastic Recovery Facility where the bottles are received in bales and then mechanically sorted into different types/grades of plastic.  The second part of the tour continued at the PET Wash and Compounding Facility where the sorted plastic undergoes a hot wash at 85 degrees and any paper label residue is removed.  The plastic is then crushed into small cornflake size pieces and processed into clear plastic sheets, ready for casting into moulds.

The newly recycled plastic is used largely for food grade packaging, such as plastic meat trays and vegetable and salad trays which are supplied to leading UK supermarket chains.

Currently, Jersey only collects plastic bottles to send for recycling as they are made from a higher grade of plastic material.  As part of its Review the Panel will also be investigating what other plastic reduction initiatives Jersey could introduce.

The Panel's final report is expected to be published in December.

Click here to find out more about the Panel's Review.

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