Alu D&T Challenge: Winners announced!

Winners of the 2015/16 Alu D&T Challenge, a design competition for 11 to 14 year olds, were announced at a prize-giving event at Thinktank Science Museum in Birmingham on 24 February.

The national schools’ competition, linked to the Design and Technology curriculum at Key Stage 3, helps teach pupils about the material properties and sustainability potential of aluminium by challenging them to design a sustainable product for the future using aluminium. Read more

Alupro figures show aerosols and aluminium foil “widely” collected for recycling

New figures released by Alupro show 96% of councils in the UK are collecting aerosols and 86% are collecting aluminium foil for recycling.

mixed_foil_trays_filled01Over the past three years, the number of councils collecting aerosols has increased from 87% to 96%, providing almost complete coverage throughout the UK. Meanwhile, foil recycling has also seen a dramatic increase in collection, from just 35% of councils in 2007 to 86% today. Read more

Alupro’s Position on the EU Circular Economy Proposals

The EU Commission has proposed packaging recycling targets of 65% by 2025 and 75% by 2030. Targets for individual waste streams include 85% for aluminium. Read more

Q3 Packaging Recovery Data: Marked improvement for aluminium packaging

Packaging waste recovery data for the third quarter of 2015 shows that reported aluminium packaging recycling has recorded its highest ever quarterly performance at 23,330 tonnes*. The Q3 results are the direct result of adjustments made to the accreditation process, following lower than expected tonnages in Q1 and Q2, and increasing volumes of aluminium packaging recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA) being reported through the system. An estimated 18,800 tonnes is required in the final quarter to achieve the 2015 recycling target. Read more

Alupro launches new teaching resources for schools

Schools around the UK can now benefit from new multidisciplinary teaching resources on aluminium recycling. The Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has launched the new resources for schools with free curriculum-linked activities for pupils aged seven to 14. The resources, which can be used across several subjects including geography, design and technology, English and ICT, are hosted on a new dedicated website www.learningaluminium.co.uk. Read more

National Recycling Award for Every Can Counts Recycling Initiative at South Lanarkshire Schools

An Every Can Counts recycling initiative at schools across South Lanarkshire has been recognised with a Scottish environmental award.

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Every Can Counts and KA ‘KAnival Krush’ take Notting Hill Carnival by storm

Every Can Counts, KA drinks and recycling company SUEZ joined forces at this years’ Notting Hill Carnival to encourage an estimated one million revellers to recycle empty drinks cans at the world famous event.

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Alupro Statement on revisions to the aluminium incinerator bottom ash protocol

Following approval from Defra and the Environment Agencies, revisions are being introduced to the protocol which accounts for aluminium packaging recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA).

Three revisions to the protocol are designed to obtain a more accurate rate of the aluminium packaging currently being recycled in the UK or exported for recycling.

  1. The existing protocol which is based on the mixed non-ferrous element of IBA has been revised. The protocol now recognises that a minimum of 70% of the mixed non-ferrous metals recovered from IBA is aluminium packaging, including drinks, cans, foils and aerosols. This increase from the previous percentage of 50% follows detailed studies of tested samples and discussions with metal processors since the introduction of the initial protocol in January 2015.
  2. A new protocol is being introduced based on the aluminium fraction which is recovered from mixed non-ferrous. When the original protocol was developed the majority of the aluminium packaging recovered from IBA was exported, mixed with other non-ferrous metals. The protocol was, therefore, based upon the total mixed non-ferrous metals recovered.

Ongoing analysis of IBA has led to this adjustment, which recognises that significant volumes of mixed non-ferrous metals are sold by IBA processors to UK metal reprocessors who separate the aluminium fraction for export or sale to a UK re-melter.

Up to now some metals processors have been applying the original 50% figure to the recovered aluminium fraction, instead of the actual recovered aluminium packaging fraction, meaning that packaging recovery has been under-reported.

Exporters or UK recyclers of aluminium recovered from IBA mixed non-ferrous metals will be able to issue PRNs/PERNs based on 87.5% of the total recovered aluminium fraction.

  1. A new protocol has been introduced recognising that aluminium packaging is present in “fragged” mixed non-ferrous recovered from IBA. Alupro has become aware that some non-ferrous metals recovered from IBA is sold to UK metals processors who mix it with metal from other sources and then process it through a fragmentation plant. The material is then exported (normally as Zorba grade). As the material is mixed with other non-ferrous metals from various sources it is not possible to separately weigh the non-ferrous metals from IBA prior to export (the normal process for issuing PERN).

 In these situations metal processors are permitted to issue the PERN on the incoming weight to the fragmentation plant based on 70% (based on revised protocol figure above) of the IBA derived mixed non-ferrous metals.

These three revisions can be applied retrospectively from 1 January 2015 or the date at which the reprocessor/exporter originally applied for their accreditation if after the 1 January 2015, in line with the other changes announced by Defra last week.

The tonnage reported for aluminium packaging recovered from IBA is significantly below the level we know has been recycled or exported. Revisions to the aluminium protocols are part of Alupro’s on-going strategy to ensure recycling performance data is robust and that accurately reflects the industry’s efforts to meet national recycling targets.

Defra recently issued a statement urging producers and compliance schemes to comply with their packaging recycling and recovery obligations. Unaccredited reprocessors and exporters are encouraged to become accredited and compliance schemes called upon to actively assist them in this process to help secure the requisite number of PRNs/PERNs for their producer members.

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Ayrshire residents urged to make their metals matter

The latest MetalMatters campaign sees East, North and South Ayrshire Councils joining  forces to call on residents to make their metals matter and boost household recycling of metal packaging across Ayrshire. Read more

Grand Arcade Cambridge takes a CAN-do approach to drinks can recycling

Shops and businesses based in the Grand Arcade Cambridge are making a difference, as part of a new canny recycling initiative.

All of the 58 premium retail centre’s shops and its 670 staff are now part of the Every Can Counts recycling scheme, which aims to ensure more drinks cans are recycled rather than sent to landfill.

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