Metal targeted in industry-funded recycling drive

An industry-funded communications campaign aiming to boost public awareness of metal packaging recycling has been launched today (August 23) on a trial basis with the aim of developing a “proven resource” that all councils can use.

The ‘metalmatters' initiative is being trailed for a six week period with two local authorities, Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council, In Warwickshire, and East Hampshire district council, where marketing initiatives such as leaflet drops, roadshows and a poster campaign will now be rolled out.

The project is being jointly funded by the trade body Beverage Can Makers Europe, aluminium can recycling company Novelis and steel can recycler Corus Steel Packaging Recycling, with expertise and the funding for a small amount of consumer research coming from the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The campaign is being launched to address what the ‘metalmatters' partnership claim are “quite low” levels of public awareness of what materials can be recycled in some areas, despite 95% of local authorities offering a metals recycling collection programme.

It was devised as a result of consumer research and focus groups which aimed to understand the barriers faced by councils when trying to drive up household recycling rates, with the testing leading to specific communications messages being created.

Norman Lett, a spokesperson for the partnership, said: “This is a very exciting project for us, as we now know what we need to be doing to reassure the public what they recycle at home really can make a difference.

“We are constantly striving to make people more aware of how valuable metal is an endlessly recyclable material,” he added.

Approaches

Among the approaches being rolled out in the trial period are leaflet drops to more than 57,000 households, a consumer information roadshow, displays in local shopping centres targeting high footfall areas, local advertising, PR programmes and a poster campaign.

Findings from the pilots are then set to be analysed during the autumn and their success will be measured, with the partnership aiming to create a “proven resource” that all councils can use to support behavioural change and encourage more recycling.

The campaign is the latest in a line of industry-led initiatives targeting metal packaging recycling rates, with the ‘Aerofoil' campaign launched last year aiming to encourage councils to collect aluminium foil and aerosols at the kerbside (see letsrecycle.com story) and ‘Every Can Counts' targeting ‘away from home' can recycling (see letsrecycle.com story).

Councillor Bill Shepherd, from one of the two authorities involved in the trial, Nuneaton and Bedworth, commented: “We see this as an important opportunity to help drive up recycling rates in our local community.”

“The ‘metalmatters' programme is a great example of an industry taking an active role in support local authorities and the kerbside collection structure that is already in place,” he added.