EVER wondered where the rubbish you put in your grey bin ends up? Our reporter Andrew Bardsley went to the thermal recovery facility at Raikes Lane to find out before tomorrow's open day.

MOST of Bolton's rubbish has been sent to Raikes Lane since the 1970s, and more recently the site has been able to generate electricity.

Huge mounds of general household waste are brought in to the site over the weight bridge in vans, before being moved into a 10-metre deep pit.

Then a grab machine, similar to the grab machines you see at the seaside while trying to win a cuddly toy, moves it into the furnace to be burnt and turned into ash.

During The Bolton News's visit to the site, the temperature in the furnace was a mighty 1,111°C.

The ash created then cools, and is run over a magnet to ensure any metal is removed. This remaining ash can be used in construction materials or sent to landfill.

The gas created in the furnace is sprayed with ammonia, lime and carbon to ensure it is not dangerous, and the site is closely monitored by the Environment Agency to make sure no poisonous gases are omitted.

The heat generated from the furnace is used to boil water, which creates steam, which is then used to power a turbine that turns a gearbox and drives the generator to produce electricity.

A continuous flow of nine megawatts is created — one megawatt is needed to power the site and the rest is sent to the National Grid, which experts say could power 14,000 homes.

The site is mainly operated by computers, but is manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, apart from a couple of scheduled maintenance days throughout the year.

It even has its own part of Bolton history, as Fred Dibnah repaired part of the 61-metre chimney at the site in 1982 and 1983, and marked the occasion by inscribing his initials on it.

The thermal recovery technology used is seen to be beneficial, because it reduces the amount of material going to landfill, and allows the metal picked up to be recycled.

The Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority is giving people the rare chance to take their own tour of the site tomorrow, with sessions being held from 2pm to 4pm and from 6pm to 8pm.

The site has an interactive learning area where people can learn about what happens to their waste, and staff will be on hand to offer tips and advice on how people can increase their recycling rates before being given a hard hat and a hi-vis coat for the site tour.

Denise Catley, an education officer from Viridor Laing which operates the site on behalf of GMWDA, said the aim of the sessions are to help people understand why it is important to separate their rubbish and recycle.

She said: "I think a big part of our job is myth-busting. Some people don't think it matters which bins they put their rubbish in, but coming on this tour will help people appreciate why it is important.

"It is also a bit of Bolton history for people to see. A lot of people don't think it will be interesting, but we get a lot of good feedback."

Residents are being urged to recycle to help fulfil the target set by the European Union for countries to achieve a 50 per cent recycling rate by 2020.

Bolton has traditionally been one of the lesser performing boroughs across Greater Manchester in terms of recycling,

After a controversial change to fortnightly black bin collections, recycling rates in Bolton rose to 38 per cent, but there is still room for improvement with boroughs such as Trafford achieving more than 60 per cent.

Plans to role out the use of smaller wheelie bins next year were met with opposition from residents, but are also designed to increase recycling.

The sessions are free of charge, and for more information or to book call 01204 374 222.