Archived press release

UK Drinks Its Way Towards Bottom of EU recycling league

3 November 2003

The UK is the third worst recycler of drinks cans in Europe, recycling just 42% of steel packaging in 2002 according to figures just published [1]. The UK beats only Finland and Portugal in the European league table (below).

The figures are exposed as Friends of the Earth launches Shout About waste week, working with secondary school pupils around the country to promote recycling and greater awareness about waste.

But the environmental campaign group is also calling for the Government to take tougher action and ban recyclable materials from landfills and incinerators and provide an extra 100 million for local authorities to provide a good quality doorstep recycling service for every household.

The UK recycles less steel than Australia (43%), Korea (47%), the USA (59%), South Africa (63%) and Japan (86%), despite needing to recycle 50% of all metals by 2008 in order to meet new European legislation. The UK's aluminium recycling rate is currently less than 25% and research by Friends of the Earth shows an 80% reduction in our use of non-renewable resources, such as aluminium, steel and cement - is needed by 2050 to achieve a environmentally sustainable future.

Friends of the Earth Waste and Resources Campaigner Claire Wilton said:

"We use far more than our fair share of the earth's precious resources. Every ton of steel we recycle avoids the need to extract 1.5 tonnes of iron ore and just under a tonne of coal. But recycling household rubbish is still more expensive than burning it or burying it. The Government has to bring this perverse situation to an end by introducing higher taxes on landfill and incineration."

European steel packaging recycling league table

(All figures are 2002 unless stated)

Belgium 93%
Germany 79%
Netherlands 78%
Austria 78%
Luxemburg 71%
Switzerland 75%
Sweden 70%
Norway 60%
France 57%
Italy 55%
Spain 51%
Ireland 51%
Denmark 46% (2001 figure)
UK 42%
Finland 39% (2001 figure)
Portugal 28%

Rates for Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Finland and Norway show metals packaging recycling rates (including aluminium).

Notes

[1] `2002 - Steel packaging in the forefront of packaging recycling in Europe with a 60% recycling rate'. APEAL (Association of European steel packaging producers) press release, 28 October 03.

[2] Friends of the Earth (1998) `Tomorrow's World'.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust