
Aluminium package recycling rates have once again reached record-breaking levels, according to Q3 figures issued by the Environment Agency in November, and appear to be on course to exceed their annual objective.

In the third quarter of 2021, 39,974 tonnes of aluminium packaging were collected for recycling, which recorded a surge of 15 percent Y-o-Y from 34,700 tonnes in the previous year. From January to September, the total amount of aluminium packaging collected for recycling was 121,277 tonnes. For the same period last year, 111, 754 tonnes of aluminium packaging were collected, an increase of 9 percent in 2021.
With a net yearly need of 134,243 tonnes and a carry-in of 8,326 tonnes, all indicators point to a record-breaking recycling rate for 2021, even though three months of the year, including the busy Christmas season, remains.
According to the Q3 report, the total amount of aluminium packaging collected in 2021 through kerbside, carry and on-the-go was 28,601 tonnes, an increase of 11 percent from 2020. On the other hand, energy from waste (EFW) recovered tonnage in 2021 closed at 11,052 tonnes and in 2020 it was 8,463 tonnes, registering an increase of 8 percent.
“The UK’s PRN data for Q3 shows another strong year-on-year increase among separately collected aluminium packaging, other local protocol fractions and aluminium packaging recovered from IBA. It’s incredible to see that we’ve nearly hit targets for 2021 with three months of the year left to go,” said Tom Giddings, general manager of Alupro.
“While many were suggesting that the high recycling rates experienced in 2020 were a short-term trend, coming as a direct result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, it’s reassuring to see that record volumes have continued into 2021 and show no signs of slowing. As we move into Q4, assuming volumes remain high, we could see recycling rates surpass 70% for all aluminium packaging and more than 80% for aluminium beverage cans before the end of the year – a huge achievement for the industry,” added Tom Giddings.
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