When you lob the cardboard box your latest online purchase came in into your recycling bin, it's got a long old schlep ahead of it - all the way to Turkey, India, Vietnam, Malaysia or Thailand.

A report to West Norfolk councillors shows where Norfolk's waste travels on its journey to be recycled.

While plastic and glass remain in the UK, some aluminium and steel cans are transported to Germany to be processed.

But cardboard is a globetrotter by comparison, literally travelling more than halfway around the world.

Some of the paper we put in our recycling bins goes on a similar journey.

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A Norfolk County Council spokesman said: “While most recyclable materials are processed here in the UK, some are sent abroad to be made into new products.

"The UK collects about 8m tonnes of paper and cardboard for recycling every year but there’s only capacity to actually recycle 3.5m tonnes here in the UK.

Eastern Daily Press: A recycling bin being collected in West Norfolk - some of whose contents could end up in ThailandA recycling bin being collected in West Norfolk - some of whose contents could end up in Thailand (Image: Ian Burt)

"So when there isn’t enough recycling capacity in the UK we rely on well-regulated overseas markets to make sure our paper and cardboard gets recycled.

"Exported materials are often shipped using boats that might otherwise be returning empty after delivering goods to the UK. "

The global economy which means most of our consumer goods travel thousands of miles before they end up in our homes has a flipside.

Eastern Daily Press: Cardboard makes its epic journey to be recycled on board container shipsCardboard makes its epic journey to be recycled on board container ships (Image: Charlotte Bond)

For the cardboard packaging in which online retailers despatch our goods get returned to the country it came from via container ships which would otherwise be sailing home empty.

Barry Brandford, West Norfolk council's waste and recycling manager, said: "These countries make a lot of cardboard for the things that they then export back to us.

"It is economically better to make cardboard where it's needed to make the final packaging."

Mr Brandford added end users did pay for the paper and cardboard they receive from Norfolk but said he could not divulge the price.