Taurus Crafts, based in Lydney, are celebrating because with the help of local residents they have saved over two tonnes of aluminium foil from landfill in the past year. 

The foil, collected through the bright yellow recycling banks sited around the Forest of Dean is processed by volunteers at Taurus Crafts.   The project is supported by Forest of Dean District Council and Ubico who deliver the collected foil into the Lydney project.

Ingo Kresse from Taurus Crafts commented, “We would like to thank residents for using the yellow foil recycling banks sited around the Forest of Dean.  We are delighted that during the last twelve months alone we recycled 2.2 tonnes of foil. Our recycling volunteers are very enthusiastic and proud of their achievement, and they do a great job. All clean aluminium foil, from takeaway containers, to pie cases and food wrapping foil can be recycled. We want to remind residents that some things, such as tablet packaging and pet food pouches look shiny, but are actually made of laminated plastic. A simple way to tell if something is foil is to scrunch it, if it springs back into shape it is plastic and cannot be recycled.”

Councillor Chris McFarling, Cabinet Member for the Environment at the Forest of Dean District Council said: “We are delighted to support Taurus Crafts with this initiative. It means that not only can residents recycle foil, which diverts waste from landfill, but they can do so knowing that they are supporting a very worthwhile local project because the money raised from the sale of the foil goes straight back to supporting Taurus Crafts. 

“The average household throws away a ball of foil weighing one and a half kilos every year.  If all of this was recycled it would be worth thousands of pounds that could be used by the organisations collecting it.”

There are big environmental benefits to recycling foil, as it can be endlessly recycled with no loss of quality, saving over 95% of the energy used to make it from raw materials. By recycling just one large foil takeaway or foil ready meal container, enough energy is saved to run a television for three hours.

The group is also supported by Alupro, who provide recycling sacks, protective clothing for recyclers who take part in the Taurus Crafts project, and provide a foil baler on free loan.

Foil banks are located at:

Grahamstown Road (Tidenham Royal British Legion), Sedbury
Co-op, Cinderford
Railway Drive Car Park, Coleford
Newerne Street Car Park, Lydney
Lewell Street Car Park, Newent
High Street, Ruardean
Ruspidge Road, Ruspidge

The foil collected from Oak Quarry Household Recycling Centre is also delivered to Taurus Crafts for recycling.

There are a further two wheelie bins on site at Taurus Crafts, Old Park, Lydney Park Estate, Lydney, for public use.