Spike In Aluminium Packaging Collected For Recycling In UK

There has been a significant surge in the amount of aluminium packaging collected for recycling in the UK in May.

Figures released by the Environment Agency revealed that 17,066 tonnes of aluminium packaging was collected for recycling in May, a 48 per cent increase on the same month a year earlier.

In fact, in the three months to June, 38,014 tonnes of aluminium packaging were collected for recycling, compared to 25,986 in the same period last year. Lockdown has been cited as one of the reasons for the higher rates of aluminium packaging being collected.

Rick Hindley, executive director at Alupro, said that lockdown had certainly contributed to the rise in the amount of aluminium packaging being recycled, “alongside greater public awareness about the benefits of recycling”.

He also revealed that there are now more companies accredited for processing aluminium recycling in the UK.

Mr Hindley added that he is confident the country will surpass its aluminium recycling targets in 2020 due to these high figures.

Resource recently reported on the findings of a survey, which found that 84 per cent of Brits believe that all drinks containers should be included in the government’s proposed deposit return scheme (DRS), regardless of the material they’re made of or their size.

Scotland has already passed legislation to introduce a DRS from 2022, which is an all-in scheme that will introduce a 20 pence cash deposit on all aluminium, steel, glass and PET plastic drinks containers that are over 50 millilitres in size, and up to three litres.

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