METALS RECYCLING
Do what it says on the tin O
ver the past 20 years, producers, converters and reprocessors of aluminium packaging have voluntarily fund-
ed programmes to boost household recycling. Increasing metal recycling brings significant benefits to the envi- ronment, reducing the use of virgin materials and consuming less energy when new products are made from recycled metal.
However, increasing the volume of
metal packaging which households recycle relies on local authorities pri- oritising this material in municipal collections; a tough challenge when budgets are tight and resources are scarce. Despite making a commitment in last summer’s Waste Review to pri- oritise the recycling of materials like aluminium, the Government has still not proposed any significant drivers to boost recycling levels.
It has been left to the metal recy- cling industry to pick up the baton and help local authorities maximise the economic and environmental benefits of improved recycling. Working across the various packag- ing sectors, industry-led campaigns such as Aerofoil and Every Can Counts show how the recycling perfor- mance of local authori- ties can be enhanced when they are given practical support. In 2010, Every Can Counts col- lected more than 27 million cans for recycling from workplaces regis- tered with the pro- gramme, equivalent to 394 million tonnes of metal. This repre- sents a carbon emis- sions saving of over 4,000 tonnes. Likewise, the Alupro-devised and managed
The Government must do more to help local authorities improve metal recycling performance, argues Rick Hindley
Aerofoil programme has also pushed up metal packaging recycling. Research conducted at the start of the programme in 2010 found that households wanted to recycle both aer- osols and foil but were unsure if they could do so locally. The research was repeated in September 2011 and found an encouraging increase in awareness of recyclability of both materials. By May 2011, 66% of local authori- ties included foil in their kerbside collections. Foil became classified as “widely recycled” and could carry the British Retail Consortium’s on pack recycling label (OPRL). After two years, 98 local authorities had changed their collection system to include foil or aerosols or both and more than 5.8 million households were benefiting from expanded collection services. Aerofoil’s success hinged on effec- communication with
tive local
authorities and waste management companies, illustrating that foil and aerosols were not difficult to recycle and providing practi- cal support to commu- nicate with residents as collection services changed.
Alupro’s research also underlined how important it was for local authorities to regularly remind households about the local recycling services offered by the council. After successful trials in three local authori- ties last year (see LAWR August 2011,
Government and other stakeholders is vital to further improve metal recycling performance
“ ”
ers, designed to change behaviour and increase the volume and frequency of kerbside metal recycling.
But despite these successes, addi- tional support from the Government and other important stakeholders is vital to further improve metal recy- cling performance. While Alupro supports the review of the producer responsibility regulations, part of the Packaging Directive review, it is call- ing on the Government to set higher recycling targets, which will increase investment in infrastructure and sup- port
page 13), Alupro has launched the MetalMatters programme in Northern Ireland (see page 42).
Conceived by Beverage Cans Makers Europe (BCME) and their partners, Novelis and Tata Steel, MetalMatters was set up to understand consumer attitudes to metal recycling and to encourage householders to recycle more metals, more often, within the current kerbside collection schemes. Feedback from the trials showed that the communications and aware- ness programme has already resulted in improvements in capture rates for metals of up to 40%. MetalMatters provides local authorities and waste partnerships with the tools and sup- port required to deliver clear and con- sistent communications to household-
Extra support from the
consumer-focused communica- tion programmes like MetalMatters. Metal recycling performance may have improved dramatically in recent years but new, more challenging tar- gets, coupled with focused communi- cations and awareness programmes, will be pivotal in the future to maxim- ise recycling levels.
Rick Hindley is executive director at the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro)
March 2012 Local Authority Waste & Recycling 41
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