Aluminium packaging recycling on the up in the UK

Europe – The UK’€™s recycling rate for aluminium drinks cans climbed from 70% in 2016 to 72% the following year while the rate for all aluminium packaging edged a single percentage point higher to 51%.

Data also reveal that 92% of the aluminium packaging collected for recycling in the UK is recycled within Europe. ‘This demonstrates that there is more than sufficient capacity within the EU to recycle the aluminium packaging recovered for recycling in the UK,’ according to Alupro, the industry-funded, not-for-profit organisation representing the UK aluminium packaging industry and working to fulfill its recycling obligations.

‘Given widespread concerns regarding where our kerbside recycling ends up, and whether it is actually recycled, we believe the 92% statistic will give people the confidence that when they recycle aluminium packaging, it really is recycled – and close to home,’ comments Alupro’s executive director Rick Hindley.

The organisation manages several programmes funded by metal packaging manufacturers, reprocessors and leading brands.

MetalMatters focuses on improving metal capture rates in local authority recycling schemes while Every Can Counts supports organisations wanting to enable people to recycle the beverage cans used outside the home.