Archived press release

Businesses Fail to Meet Aluminium Recycling Targets

12 April 2005

The UK has failed to meet its business targets for recycling packaging waste because too many cans and aluminium foil trays are finding their way to landfill, new government figures reveal. Those UK companies currently bound by packaging regulations recycle just 58.2 per cent of aluminium packaging waste and only 32 per cent of aluminium drink cans [1].

Friends of the Earth described the failure as "feeble" and called for a crack down on businesses that fail to meet their targets. Aluminium is one of the easiest and most energy efficient materials to recycle with some countries, such as Norway, Switzerland and Iceland, recycling 91 per cent of drinks cans [2].

Friends of the Earth's recycling campaigner Claire Wilton said:

"The Government must crack down on businesses that aren't meeting the recycling targets. The less we recycle, the more our consumption of fizzy drinks and oven-ready meals threatens valuable wildlife sites in some of the poorest countries of the world. Recycling aluminium is easy, efficient and saves energy."

She added:

"As consumers we can also do our bit by remembering to recycle every can we use, whether we're at home, at work or out and about. If there is no local recycling service, we should ask the local council to provide one as it can make the council money."

Aluminium production is also energy intensive. Smelting aluminium uses one per cent of the world's fossil fuel energy, contributing to climate change. Even where hydro-power is used, the dams and diverted water supplies can devastate the environment, while communities are often displaced from flooded land.

Friends of the Earth wants the Government to crack down on businesses that fail to meet their recycling targets and wants local authorities, offices and pubs to recycle more aluminium - and to exceed the current target which stands at just 59 per cent.

Facts and figures

The raw material for aluminium (the ore bauxite) comes from open-cast mines in places like China, India, Guinea and Kazakhstan. Mines have a huge environmental impact. They produce thousands of tonnes of waste rock, often displace village communities and can pollute the local rivers and soil.

Making aluminium also uses vast amount of energy. Nearly half of world aluminium is made using fossil fuels and this is contributing to dangerous climate change

Collecting cans in offices can make up to 20 per cent savings on the office waste management bill, according to a trial scheme operating in Luton, Redbridge, Newport and Newcastle. [3]

There is plenty of capacity for recycling more cans in the UK. At the UK's biggest plant in Warrington, just 17 per cent of the cans for re-melting arrive from the UK; the rest are imported.

Last month, the national glass collection Recycle-More-Glass folded because of lack of support from brewers, who are reluctant to pay for the service. [4]

Recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a 100 Watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for three hours or a television for two hours.

Recycling 1 kg aluminium saves 8kg of bauxite, 4 kg of chemicals and 14 kW of electricity. But 160,000 tonnes of aluminium are still thrown into landfill sites in the UK each year.

Guinea: 70 per cent of the country's export value comes from non-fuel minerals, while 40 per cent of its population lives below the poverty line.

Notes

[1] Almost all companies are obligated under the packaging regulations but some small companies are exempt. Packaging Data, January to December 2004, Defra summary report:

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/topics/packaging/pdf/summary210305.pdf (PDF)

[2] European Aluminium Association, 2004

[3] www.letsrecycle.com/features/novelis_cans.jsp

[4] www.letsrecycle.com/materials/glass/news.jsp?story=4283

†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust