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Where to take used paper and plastic cores

ROLL Lab · updated 24 October 2026 · sources at the end of the page

In shortA plant’s used cores go to an authorised waste contractor or an affiliated platform, not to council collection. Start from the EWC code: 15 01 01 for paper, 15 01 02 for plastic.
On this page · calculators
Where a core ends up Paper and plastic take two different routes Paper collected with paperEWC 15 01 01pulped in waterpulperadhesive and rejects outnew paper and board Plastic collected by polymerEWC 15 01 02grindingflakeswashing and sortingrecycled pelletsnew products papercores.info · ROLL Lab
Both routes only work if the core arrives clean: no film, labels or metal.

In Italy

SourceWhat for
Albo Nazionale Gestori Ambientalinational register of authorised waste carriers and managers, searchable by EWC code
Comiecoplatforms for paper and board
Coreplaplatforms for commercial plastic packaging
Unirimapaper recovery companies
Assorimapplastics recyclers

In the UK

A business must pass its waste to a registered waste carrier. The public registers of carriers are kept by the Environment Agency (England), SEPA (Scotland), Natural Resources Wales and DAERA (Northern Ireland).

Across Europe

SourceWhat for
RecovinylPVC recyclers: the route for PVC cores
Plastics Recyclers Europemember plastics recyclers
RecyClassrecyclers with a certified process
ENF Recyclinginternational directory of plastic and paper recycling plants, by country

Before you call

  1. Separate paper, plastic and metal; keep PVC apart.
  2. Strip the leftover material from the core: how to do it.
  3. Estimate your tonnes per year: work them out in the lab.
  4. Ask your core supplier whether it runs a take-back or reuse scheme.

A list of public sources, with no assessment of the individual companies.

← Guide to core recycling

Frequently asked questions

Can a business put used cores out for council collection?

Generally no: used cores are commercial packaging waste. In Italy, tertiary packaging cannot go to the municipal service (Legislative Decree 152/2006, Art. 226); in the UK, a business must pass its waste to a registered waste carrier. The usual routes are an authorised waste contractor, a recycling platform or a take-back scheme run by the supplier.

Is the PVC in cores recyclable?

Yes, but it must be collected separately and sent to PVC recyclers. Mixed with PP or PE, it contaminates them: at their processing temperatures it degrades and releases hydrochloric acid. It can be separated by density (it sinks in water), but a few fragments are enough to spoil a batch. In Europe, the dedicated network is Recovinyl.

Sources

  1. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR), EUR-Lex
  2. Eurostat env_waspac (21 October 2026)
  3. CONAI circular on tubes and rolls (27 June 2013, Italy)
  4. Italian Legislative Decree 152/2006
  5. ROLL Lab calculation
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