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Aluminium Scrap and Recycling Rates Hit Milestone in UK

Stacks of recycled aluminium blocksWith the recycling agenda being pushed further every year, we are finally starting to see the results that various campaigns such as MetalMatters and Every Can Counts set out to achieve. Aluminium in particular, has seen a boost in recycling rates with a variety of milestones being met across a number of sectors. So, in this article, Hill Metal Recycling will cover all of the important breakthroughs in aluminium recycling performance over the last year.

Aluminium Cans

After compiling data from a huge number of sources, the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has reported that aluminium can recycling experienced a breakthrough in 2016, with an impressive 70% recycling rate. This report is mirrored by the National Packaging Waste Database who suggested that roughly seven out of ten aluminium drink cans sold in the UK were being recycled.

Alupro stated that, as aluminium beverage cans constitute the majority of the 180,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging that is produced, their 70% recycling rate is an extremely important achievement for recycling initiatives in general. This demonstrates, above all, that we are taking positives steps towards a greener future. On top of this, this progress indicates that the European metal packaging sector’s ambition of reaching and exceeding an 80% metal packaging recycling rate by 2020, is very achievable.

Keep Pushing

When asked about the recycling rate performance, Alupro exec director, Rick Hindley, had the following to say: “We are obviously very pleased that aluminium packaging recycling rates continue to increase year on year and it’s particularly nice to reach a new 70% milestone for beverage cans.”

However, Alupro don’t want to rest on their laurels, stating that if recycling performance is going to continue to grow, then we cannot let it be “compromised by a lack of ambition.” This simply means that, when setting targets, recycling initiatives should be more aggressive in a bid to drive funding in aluminium can recycling.

Jaguar Land Rover’s Aluminium Milestone

Elsewhere, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have been doing their bit towards the aluminium recycling effort. After the close of the Jaguar XE’s first full year of sales, JLR have reported that over half a million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been saved through their closed-loop aluminium recycling process.

Closed-loop aluminium recycling is fairly simple. Scrap aluminium is melted down and cast into ingots, fabricated and then rolled into sheets. Upon completion, the aluminium is sent to manufacturers for further manipulation, before the scraps are sent back to the original factory and melted down once more. As a result, no aluminium is wasted, as the process is looped!

It is these sorts of astute processes which can help those aluminium recycling performance targets become a reality.

Hill Metal Recycling are the metal recycling experts, with services spanning scrap metal, copper, lead, brass, zinc, aluminium, steel and stainless steel recycling along with cable recycling, scrap metal collection and scrap car collection and depollution. We’re open to public, trade and businesses and offer the best scrap prices in Essex. If you’re looking for an easy in and easy out drop-off recycling service, you can always count on the friendly professionals at HMR. Contact one of our friendly team today for more information.