As local authorities seek new ways to improve their recycling rates to meet 2005/06 statutory targets, aluminium recyclers have said that it is financially worthwhile to collect aluminium foil.
” We pay 450 per tonne for bailed foil, the message we would like to get across is that yes we do want foil and we will pay a good price for it “
– Rick Hindley, national manager for Novelis recycling
Rick Hindley, national manager for Novelis Recycling (formerly Alcan), said: “We pay 450 per tonne for bailed foil, the message we would like to get across is that yes we do want foil and we will pay a good price for it.”
But Mr Hindley advised that the aluminium foil should be kept separate from aluminium cans where possible, as it is a different alloy.
He explained: “If foil is collected in a commingled system it is possible to separate it at a MRF. There is advanced machinery that can actually separate the two, although this is only on very modern equipment. But there are pickers on the conveyor belt so there is no reason why they cannot pick foil out as well.”
Local authorities
Cherry Hamson of aluminium recycling organisation Alupro said there are already many local authorities that are collecting aluminium foil in one way or another.
She said: “According to our figures from the middle of last year we had 261 local authorities collecting aluminium foil, that figure will no doubt be higher now. Of those local authorities around 120 are collecting foil in kerbside collections.”
Ms Hamson believes that the earlier the foil and cans are separated the easier it is to build up a decent collection. She said: “There is no point foil being collected separately at the kerbside and then being put back in with cans at the MRF. It is best for a local authority to separate it at the source and then ensure that it remains separate throughout the process.”
Ms Hamson also said that it was only clean foil that aluminium recyclers wanted. Due to it often being involved with food products it is often contaminated. Ms Hamson said: “It is important that the foil is cleaned before being put in a collection, we don't want any organic contamination at any stage.”
Slow collection
Part of Sita UK, Surrey Waste Management is one company that collects aluminium foil at its civic amenity sites, where it is kept separate from aluminium cans from the very start of the collection process.
Nicky Dalrymple, the company's communications manager, said that since aluminium foil is a light substance, it can take a while to build up enough for a collection. She said: “It can take about six to 12 months to build up a tonne of aluminium foil, but there is always a market to take it to once that amount is collected.”
She added that Surrey Waste is working with schools in the area in an attempt to increase the awareness of aluminium foil collection as well as working with charities which also collect aluminium foil.
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