Birmingham-based Alutrade has operated from its 100,000 square foot site since 1986, collecting scrap aluminium from recycling schemes throughout the region with a large vehicle fleet.
Working with local authorities, the company has now expanded its collections to include significant quantities of steel cans, thanks to the investment from steel packaging reprocessor Corus.
The funding from Corus has been provided through the PRN – packaging waste recovery note – system, under the UK packaging waste producer responsibility regulations (see letsrecycle.com legislation section). Under the regulations, which sees packaging producers paying reprocessors to recycle their obligation of packaging, the UK must recycle 50% of steel and aluminium cans by 2008. The UK recycled about 44% of its steel cans in 2003, and only 25% of its aluminium cans.
The PRN funding from Corus has enabled Alutrade to purchase a new baler and short-feed conveyor from Cornwall-based Advanced Recycling Solutions. The new equipment will allow about two to three tonnes of steel cans to be processed every day, the equivalent of about 50,000 to 75,000 cans.
Chris George, managing director at Alutrade, said: “We identified the potential to process an even greater volume of cans but felt we were being restricted by a lack of suitable equipment to sort and compress the steel cans. We decided to approach Corus to seek their advice.”
Garvin Freeman, the recycling representative for Corus in the West Midlands, said Alutrade's position in recycling aluminium in the region made it a “perfect partner” to see an increase in steel packaging recycling there.
He said: “If Alutrade’s can recycling continues to progress at its current rate, there is the potential for 500 tonnes of steel cans to be processed at the centre every year – the equivalent of 125 million cans.”
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