Thanks in part to the 5,000 tonnes of steel cans collected in August, the steel reprocessing giant said collections for 2006 have already passed the 28,000 tonne mark – the equivalent of 700 million cans being recycled.
 Corus recycling projects manager Robert Jenkins (left) with Steve Cormack, manager of Premier Waste Management in South Shields |
This achievement represented a 20% increase in cans recycled compared to the same period in 2005, the company said.
David Williams, manager of Corus Steel Packaging Recycling, said: “The more steel cans we can collect from the household waste stream, the better – the huge end market for steel cans in this country means that there is always a use for all the steel that is collected.”
Set up as a series of collection hubs for steel cans around the country in 1999, the CanRoute network now boasts 14 centres for local authorities and collectors to deliver their cans and receive prompt payment.
The current price for steel cans delivered to CanRoute centres is 90 per tonne.
Support
Corus uses income from the UK's producer responsibility system for packaging to support the collection and processing of steel cans. The new figures came after a new support package was announced for one of the largest kerbside recycling operators in the UK – Durham-based Premier Waste Management.
Premier Waste operates kerbside collection schemes covering 500,000 homes including those in South Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham.
The company, which collects 50 tonnes of steel packaging each week, has been provided with 20,000 in funding by Corus to upgrade the company's steel can sorting equipment at its South Shields materials recycling facility. Premier has taken on a new can flattener that can process up to 125,000 steel cans every hour.
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Steve Cormack, general manager (kerbside north) for Premier Waste, said: “Kerbside collections generate a substantial volume of steel packaging, which is excellent, but covering such a large number of households does take its toll on the equipment. The new can flattener is going to make a huge difference to our operation.”
Mr Williams said: “By continuing to work closely with local authorities and investing PRN revenue into recycling schemes throughout the UK, even more steel will be collected and the steel recycling infrastructure will improve further.”
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