Transforming the wall of waste

Tonnes of plastic collected in beach cleans around Devon and Cornwall is now being recycled in Exeter.

The Keep Britain Tidy group now has a suitable place to dispose of the waste for reuse instead of sending it to landfill. It is hoping it will lead to other initiatives right around the country.

The coastline is being bombarded during the stormy season with plastics that may already travelled thousands of miles. Many of the larger items can be traced to the fishing industry.

In Exeter the waste is all sorted into its different types and placed into bailing machines.

The plastics are ground down to form pellets that can be remoulded for new products.

The wall of waste that used to end up in landfill is now being recycled. Credit: ITV West Country

Managers are confident all the waste can all be reused.

The Beach Care Campaign is now eager to find other recycling centres right around Britain keen to play their part in recycling plastics from the sea.

  • Watch: The people making good use of the things we throw away