A local authority in South West England has installed £1m of recycling kit to boost material quality.
Swindon Borough Council purchased the separator and baler at its household waste recycling centre.
It said the machinery would help increase the value of material recycled, generating additional income.
The separator sorts plastic and metal collected from homes across Swindon using filters and magnets.
The waste is then compacted into bales that are easy to transport.
Council chiefs warned that soft plastics, such as films and single-use bags, could prevent the machine from sorting effectively and require it to run at a lower speed.
Cabinet member for the environment and transport Chris Watts said: “This new machine will help us to recycle more of our waste, make us more environmentally friendly and support our mission to build a greener Swindon.
“Thank you to everyone who is already helping our service, which will only be helped by this investment in the latest technology.”
