Aluminium sector to target cans outside the home

From September, Alupro – the trade organisation for the aluminium recycling sector – is to team up with drinks can manufacturers to target all drinks cans thrown out “Away from Home”.

In 2006, around 60,000 tonnes of aluminium beverage cans were used in the home, with around 50-60% being recycled.

However, around 27,000 tonnes of cans are used away from home – with very few collected for reprocessing.

The move will be important because Defra warned in March that the aluminium packaging sector was at risk of missing its 35% packaging recycling target for 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story). The current aluminium packaging recycling rate stands at about 32%.

The Department is currently considering revising its current packaging regulations to allow more exported metal packaging to count towards its targets, but this alone is not expected to be enough.

Rick Hindley, executive director of Alupro, told letsrecycle.com this morning that market drivers were now in place to make the Away from Home scheme a success.

He said: “Up until now there have not been the drivers to do it but landfill tax is going up and increasing government pressure to recycle now make it viable. We are launching a programme in September which covers all beverage cans and will be funded by the aluminium industry and drinks can manufacturers – not just our members but wider stakeholders.”

“A lot needs to be done and rather than sitting by we are doing something. We believe it will be a very powerful programme,” he added.

Banks 

Although exact details of the Away from Home scheme are still under wraps, Mr Hindley explained that Alupro was interested in looking at what role on-street recycling banks could play, and was trying to set up meetings with councils such as Westminster.

Reverse vending machines – in which consumers would be awarded a token for placing their beverage cans in a machine – could also play a role.

Alupro is hoping to receive government support for the scheme – especially since aluminium was identified as a key waste stream in Defra's English Waste Strategy 2007 – due to the significant carbon savings in recycling the material.

He said: “Reverse vending machines have not been tested properly in the UK yet so I think the government will look to run a sizeable trial.”

He added: “Joan Ruddock keeps talking about encouraging recycling on the go and we take the government will take a strong lead on it and support us. At the moment there is no obligation on any business to get involved in recycling and there is an opportunity here not just for aluminium but also for other materials.”

Hopeful

Mr Hindley explained that with the Away from Home scheme in the pipeline, and the government revising its “broadly equivalent” regulation, he was hopeful that packaging recycling targets for aluminium for 2008 would be reached.

A consultation on the proposals closed at the end of April 2008, and th government is expected to put out final proposals before its summer recess.

Mr Hindley said: “If the amendments are made we should achieve our targets this year. We reckon that last year there was 5,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging which was collected and recycled but was not recorded due to broadly equivalent rules.”

Andy Doran, national manager for the UK's largest aluminium beverage can recycling firm Novelis, which is a member of Alupro, agreed that the targets could be reached and said he hoped for the broadly equivalent changes to be published.

He said: “I think its still challenging to meet the targets but I'm optimistic we can reach them.”