The data indicates that the UKs recycling rate for the waste stream in 2009 was 54%, compared to a European average of 64.3%. This was an improvement from 2008, when the UK achieved a 51% recycling rate, compared to a Europe-wide average of 63.1% (see letsrecycle.com story).
However, the UKs performance is still significantly behind that of the best performing countries in Europe, with Germany and Finland topping the table, recording 96% and 95% recycling rates respectively.
Both countries use a deposit scheme for cans, an approach also taken by a number of other countries with high recycling rates, such as Norway and Iceland (92%) and Sweden (88%). The UK government ruled out introducing a deposit scheme for drinks containers such as cans in its June 2011 Waste Review.
Despite still lagging behind Europe as a whole, the UK did win praise from the EAA for Every Can Counts the away from home drinks can recycling initiative which was launched by the aluminium packaging recycling organisation Alupro in 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story).
In its analysis of the 2009 recycling figures, the EAA said: Successful local programmes such as the UK Every Can Counts initiative can further help and are now being replicated in other countries.
The EAA pointed to similar schemes in Austria and France, explaining that the main purpose of these programmes is to stimulate consumers at their workplace or while enjoying other outdoor activities such as a festival or a sport event to collect and deposit their cans in designated bins.
Alupro
This recognition was welcomed by the executive director of Alupro, Rick Hindley, who told letsrecycle.com: The industry can easily see that its a formula that works and so is starting to replicate it elsewhere in Europe: we hope that the French and Austrian schemes are the first of many new initiatives.
Mr Hindley noted that, in 2010, the initiative helped to recycle more than 27 million aluminium and steel cans in the UK.
He cautioned against direct comparisons between figures for the UK and other European countries, claiming the differences in recycling infrastructure and reporting mechanisms meant it could be misleading.
But, he did hail the UKs performance as a major achievement. He said: We have a long-term ambition to grow our recycling rate further, but this will require significant changes to the recycling infrastructure and the creation of even more effective partnerships with everyone involved in aluminium recycling.
Our work shows that with the current infrastructure a 65% recycling rate can be achieved by 2020, to go beyond this will require a massive effort and significant infrastructure changes.
Describing the UK as the fastest growing can market in Europe, Mr Hindley said this meant that, if it wanted to keep its recycling rates proportionally the same, volumes of cans collected would have to grow significantly.
He added: Can recycling rates continue to grow quickly in the UK. We expect to report figures for 2010 in the next few weeks and I am confident that they will once again show that great progress is being made.
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