Recycling Changes Set to Improve Collection Rates
Wednesday, March 13, 2019 - 15:44:19
A report published this week by the Green Alliance has suggested that revisions need to be made to waste management and collection in the UK to increase the proportion of recyclable materials that are saved from landfill.
The particular focus of this study was aluminium waste, with analysts suggesting that up to 97 per cent of it would be recoverable with a few simple shifts in council collection routines, according to Letsrecycle.com.
Experts believe that local authorities across the UK should agree upon a core group of recyclable materials which should be eligible for kerbside collection no matter where households are based. This regional unification of recycling is also being looked into by Defra at the moment, so suggestions such as this are in a position to be listened to by politicians.
Aluminium is widely used in the production of drinks containers, covering soft drink cans and other types of packaging. Campaigners are looking to ensure that items like foil trays and aerosols made using aluminium are also made eligible for collection as part of council recycling schemes.
The annual average for aluminium recycling currently sits at around 51 per cent, which shows that there is a long way to go before the 97 per cent potential proportion is reached.
This is not just about eco-friendliness. It is estimated that aluminium worth £50 million is being mixed in with general waste and sent to landfill, showing that there is a significant cost associated with poor recycling habits and inadequate collection options.
Rolling out a deposit system, where people can claim back cash for recycling aluminium packaging, is seen as one option for tackling this. Expanding the list of core materials and collectables is another part of this strategy that could deliver impressive results if implemented.
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