Aluminium packaging on track to meet recycling targets in 2012

The aluminium packaging sector is on course to reach its 2012 recycling targets and should achieve the increased targets for 2017, according to Rick Hindley, chief executive of the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro).

Addressing an audience at the organisation's annual seminar in Birmingham yesterday, Hindley predicted that in 2012 the aluminium sector would reach its target.

"Recently released data for the third quarter shows that there is underlying growth of around 2% overall compared to last year, with the 100% packaging category up by around 5%," he said.

Talking to edie, Hindley said that while the new packaging targets were ambitious, they would "complement Alupro's own."

Hindley told delegates at the seminar that in order to achieve the new targets, Alupro members and their partners would focus efforts on increasing the kerbside collection of aluminium, and other metal packaging.

He aslo said it was vital to ensure that aluminium packaging recovered from residual waste through energy from waste plants (EFW) and other treatment technologies count towards the officially reported recycling performance.

He said:" We estimate that to reach the new targets, a further 19,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging will need to be recovered. Our business plan shows that the majority of this material will have to come from improving capture rates from kerbside collections and by officially recognising the aluminium that is recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA).

"To achieve this we are working on establishing a new protocol to formally account for the aluminium packaging that is already being recovered, and will continue to be recovered, as new waste treatment plants come on stream. It is essential that we are able to officially account material towards the targets, as they do in every other country in Europe."

Hindley went on to outline Alupro's long-term vision for aluminium packaging recycling explaining its vision was to go beyond the 2017 targets and achieve a total recycling rate of 70% of aluminium packaging by 2020.