Collaboration between can reprocessor Novelis Recycling, plastics reprocessor Recoup and packaging producers through Alupro and Coca-Cola culminated this week in the publication of results from the “Recycling Zone” project.
The project aimed to show how packaging materials can be collected from the “away from home” market. It looked at the logistics and economics of collections, created branded publicity materials and ultimately involved about 40,000 people in Luton, Redbridge, Newport and Newcastle from April to December 2004.
Feedback from the project suggested that multi-material collections were more popular than single-stream collections, and that changes in behaviour at work and in schools can change behaviour at home in terms of recycling.
In an interview with letsrecycle.com this week, Novelis Recycling national manager Rick Hindley highlighted the Recycling Zone project as important for aluminium recycling, since about 34% of cans are consumed in the work place.
- Click here to read the full interview with Rick Hindley of Novelis Recycling.
If the UK is to reach its packaging waste recovery targets set by Europe for 2008, collections from schools and offices will become increasingly important, the organisations believe.
The Recycling Zone has received support from environment minister Elliot Morley, who said of the project: “Not only does it benefit the environment and help to change the way we all think about recycling and our waste, but effective recycling systems can help to reduce costly waste management bills.”
See the letsrecycle.com features section for a full interview with Novelis Recycling national manager Rick Hindley on the company's work to increase can collections.
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