Drive to Increase Metal Packaging Recycling Launched

arc21 has joined forces with the metal packaging industry & metal reprocessors, an arc21 recycling contractor and the DOE to lauch a communications campaign.The campaign is the UK’s biggest industry-funded recycling programme focussed on boosting collection levels for packaging.

The awareness programme is designed to increase the amount of metal packaging collected from householders primarily through the various council recycling scheme.

Lending his support to the campaign, Alex Attwood, Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister, said:

“Recycling metal packaging saves energy and valuable raw materials while reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill.

“The high intrinsic value of used metal packaging like food and drink cans and foil trays is a key incentive and major economic impetus for increasing recycling, adding significant value to kerbside collections and helping to keep down the cost of waste collections to the ratepayer.”

“The infrastructure to collect and process recycled metal is already well established in Northern Ireland and this new recycling programme will boost our metal recycling rates and in turn increase the supply of valuable materials for reuse by industry.”
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The eight week campaign will reach more than 407,000 households, representing over half of Northern Ireland’s population.

Alupro executive director Rick Hindley said:
“The campaign we’re launching in Northern Ireland is the most ambitious ever attempted on this scale by any industry partnership, and we are grateful to the team at arc21 and Bryson Recycling for their support, along with the DOE NI for their funding. We look forward to seeing how the programme develops over the next two months.”

Ricky Burnett, arc21’s Policy & Operations Director, stressed the importance of ensuring existing services are fully used;
"Whilst councils are beavering away to introduce new recycling schemes, it is vital that householders take full advantage of the current services. This campaign reminds everyone, the metals are recycled back into new cans and aerosols as well as a variety of products such as kettles and digital cameras."

He added
"Metal packaging is found in living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. They are used for food and drinks, furniture and shoe polish , foil trays, deodorant and hairsprays. Recycling of metal offers greater carbon savings per ton than most other material including glass.

This campaign is a timely reminder of the benefits of recycling."

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