Unilever UK has been announced as the latest partner of the MetalMatters programme. The company behind many well-known food, home and personal care brands has pledged its support for the programme and is the second consumer goods giant to back the innovative recycling programme.

Developed by the metal packaging industry, MetalMatters is designed to increase the capture rate for metal packaging collected for recycling by households. It is jointly funded by a partnership comprising the UK’s leading producers, users and recyclers of metal packaging.

Unilever, which runs Europe’s largest aerosol factory, has pledged an initial commitment for two years. Its support builds on a previous successful partnership with the Aerofoil programme, which has helped over 100 local authorities, covering 5.8 million households, expand their collection systems to include aluminium foil, and/or aerosols. The MetalMatters partnership is already working with a number of local authorities across the UK, with the recent campaign rolled out in Portsmouth being the first to benefit from Unilever funding.

Louis Lindenberg, global packaging sustainability director at Unilever, said: “One of our packaging goals set out in our Sustainable Living Plan is to work with partners in NGOs, government and industry to increase recycling by 5% by 2015 and 15% by 2020. This partnership takes us one step closer towards reaching this goal and demonstrates our continued efforts to help consumers reduce waste.

“As a consumer business it is imperative to take the lead and support initiatives that aim to shift consumer attitudes and help increase the amount of materials recovered for recycling. We have been impressed by the early successes delivered by the

MetalMatters programme, and realise that continued success depends on the involvement of brand-users of metal packaging. We look forward to making a positive contribution to MetalMatters’ continued success.”

Alupro executive director Rick Hindley, added: “Unilever’s backing for MetalMatters demonstrates that the programme is being seen as a best practice model within the industry, and is offering its partners an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to driving up recycling performance. The scale and potential of any programme is, of course, dependent on funding from key stakeholders; we welcome Unilever’s support and look forward to seeing MetalMatters continue to help householders recycle more at home.”

MetalMatters is managed on behalf of its funding partners by Alupro. So far this year the programme has developed campaigns with 15 local authorities and waste partnerships in the UK.