Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling, after it has been collected? Now is your chance to find out!

To mark Recycle Week 2012, which runs from June 18-24, Hammersmith & Fulham Council is offering residents the chance to see for themselves.

The council is organising visits to the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Smugglers Way, Wandsworth, where recycling from the borough’s Smart Banks and Smart Sacks is sorted and separated.

Once it has been organised into groups of materials, using a variety of high-tech equipment, the recycling is then sent to processing facilities to be made into new products.

The tours will take place on Monday June 18 and Thursday June 21, 1pm-2pm. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

To book your place email taisi.oja@lbhf.gov.uk or call 0208 753 4199, with your name, contact details and which visit you would like to attend.

Cllr Greg Smith, deputy leader and cabinet member for residents’ services, says: " Every time we send rubbish to be recycled rather than throwing it away, we save money. It costs £136 per tonne to send our rubbish for disposal whereas to recycle the same amount costs £77.50 – that means a huge saving for taxpayers.

“I hope that residents sign up for these interesting visits and get to see for themselves how important it is to put the correct materials out for collection. We need more people to recycle and to do it properly to make sure we can keep saving them money.”

Some items, like shredded paper, clothes or plastic bags are not easily recycled, as they can cause problems like getting caught in machinery or contaminating other recyclable materials.

The following items can be recycled at Smart Banks or in Smart Sacks:

Paper, card and cardboard
Glass bottles and jars
Cans, tins and empty aerosols
Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
Cartons

Please remember to keep the following items out:

Shredded paper
Electricals and cables
Clothes, shoes and textiles
Food waste
All plastics not listed above e.g. bags and films

Smart Sacks and Smart Banks should not be used for normal rubbish, and residents using Smart Banks should put their items in loose, using a reusable bag rather than using black sacks or plastic bags.

June 12, 2012