INTRODUCTION
An estimated 650 million metal aerosols are sold in the UK, with just over 500 million likely to be collected through kerbside (70% aluminium/30% steel). Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reforms in the UK from 2024/25 will charge producers to cover the Full Net Cost (FNC) of managing the packaging waste they place on the market. There will also be a ‘modulated fee’ introduced, designed to incentivise more recyclable packaging and penalise less recyclable formats.
RISKS
In the future, over 90% of used beverage cans (UBCs) will be collected via the UK Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) leaving other aluminium packaging behind which is less easy to sort and recycle. These ‘non-beverage’ formats face a mandatory 50% recycling target by 2030. Aerosols are vulnerable due to perceived safety issues, multiple materials and consumer confusion. Left unmanaged, these factors could lead to high modulated fees and costs for brands choosing to use metal aerosols, damage claims around aerosol sustainability and ultimately damage demand for the product.
VISION, GOALS & STRATEGY
VISION
A world where consumers recycle all of their empty aerosols responsibly in their kerbside system, knowing with confidence that this will result in their packaging waste being collected, sorted, recycled and transformed into something new.
GOALS
• Increased capture rate of aerosols in kerbside collections (>75% by 2030)
• High recycling rates of aerosols driven by initiatives with good ROI and good pilot performance.
STRATEGY
1. Improving aerosol capture rates by actively engaging consumers with communications programmes.
2. Identifying and implementing improvements in the value chain that will maximise the recycling rates of aerosols, particularly focusing on improving the ‘sortability’ of aerosols.
- PUBLICATIONS/
DOCUMENTS - Roadmap to achieving
high recycling rates.
Feasibility study into
different solutions.
- DATA/PROJECTS
- Monitoring of capture rates of aerosols from
kerbside recycling.Part-fund pilot
programmes testing
identified solutions
from roadmap and
feasibility study.
- STAKEHOLDER
ENGAGEMENT - Engage largest MRFs that do not accept aerosols.
Offer consultation to
MRFs on how to accept aerosols safely and
economically.Press releases to trade and industry, as well as government updates.
- CONSUMER
ENGAGEMENT - Adaptation of existing Alupro assets into
‘off-the-shelf’ digital
campaign that can be used to promote aerosol recycling to consumers.Annual consumer surveys testing awareness of
aerosol recycling and effectiveness of different messages and delivery systems.
TIMELINE
This is a multi-year project that will end once aerosol recycling rates surpass the levels required to hit 2030 targets.
