Working for an organisation which exists to promote more recycling there are several reasons to feel our glass, sorry can, is half full right now. Despite a backdrop of government spending cuts and a degree of policy uncertainty.
On the policy front we have recently had the publication of the long-awaited Waste Policy Review. Admittedly at Alupro we felt it lacked some vigour, but the Government does seem to be making the right noises about working with the industry to increase recycling and re-use of such materials before any major legislation, such as landfill bans, comes into force.
Our concern that it expects industry to bear the brunt of this effort is one we will doubtless raise with them at every opportunity. Partnership is very definitely the way forward on all things recycling, as the success of programmes like Every Can Counts and Aerofoil clearly demonstrate.
I am by nature an optimist, and there does seem to be good reason to be optimistic about the future. The public is now largely convinced of the benefits of recycling in fact they want to recycle more: Industry is seeking recycled materials for their cost and environmental benefits, and rising landfill taxes mean local authorities and more businesses are taking up the cause too.
All that is needed now is to give the public a recycling service thats easy to understand and, as a starting point, includes all metal packaging – because they are a valuable and stable commodity.
Valuable materials
Metals are the most valuable materials in the household waste stream; recycled aluminium has huge environmental benefits over virgin aluminium (nine tonnes fewer carbon emissions for every tonne of recycled material), and recycling rates have been steadily increasing in recent years.
Among Alupros reprocessor members the message is loud and clear; there is no shortage in demand for material – if we could collect every one of the 8 billion aluminium drink cans sold in the UK there is capacity in the UK to sort and reprocess the metal back in to packaging, and an almost infinite number of other applications.
For some irrefutable evidence look no further than Every Can Counts, the beverage can/reprocessor/drinks industry partnership programme promoting recycling away from home. Last year it resulted in an extra 27 million drinks cans being recycled. How? By making it easy for people and making sure we are talking to them in the places where they use cans.
That doesnt matter whether they are at the beach, at work or at a rock festival Every Can Counts is there. At the same time Alupros Aerofoil campaign has driven up the availability of kerbside recycling facilities for aluminium foil trays (now available to 1.7 million more households) and aerosols (3.5 million additional households are now able to recycle) at home.
Confusion
The lesson and reason for my optimism is simple: people want to recycle more and there is demand for recycled materials. However, there is still a lot of confusion around what they are able to recycle.
We recently exhibited at the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC, and whilst the overwhelming response was positive it soon became clear that many people are keen to recycle they understand why its important. But they are also confused, and frequently frustrated, by what they see as complicated, or incomplete, collection schemes and the lack of recycling facilities outside the home. In many cases we were able to correct the impression that their local authority doesnt collect foil trays or aerosols, thanks to the work we have been doing as part of the Aerofoil programme. But for many the result of a lack of awareness or understanding of local services means their desire and ability to recycle is being thwarted. And once thwarted it is difficult to convince people that they should re-engage.
We were delighted when the Waste Policy Review singled out Every Can Counts and metalmatters as examples of best practice. They are partnerships which deliver for everyone the funding partners, service providers and, ultimately, the people who are using the products in the first place the consumer.
If the industry works together and concentrates on making it easy for the people that can really make a difference the people putting things in the bin we can drive up recycling rates, divert waste from landfill and make sure that we are getting the value we deserve from these valuable resources.
Subscribe for free