MetalMatters campaign hits West Devon, promoting aluminium recycling

The demand for recycled aluminium has been growing steadily during the last decade. Many aluminium producers now offer green aluminium products, which contain more recycled aluminium content and are produced using clean energy. West Devon Borough Council has recently introduced MetalMatters, an industry-supported campaign focused on encouraging households to recycle a variety of metal items, including aluminium cans, foil, empty aerosols, trays, tubes, and metal screw tops. This initiative is part of the ongoing efforts to enhance kerbside recycling rates in the region.

Cllr Mandy Ewings, Leader of West Devon Borough Council, said, “Many residents are already committed to recycling and reducing waste, which is great news, but we can do more. It’s worth remembering that every aluminium can you recycle saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours – so putting your metal packaging into your recycling container can make a big difference.”

To reach more than 26,000 homes throughout the borough, residents will receive informative leaflets directly delivered to their letterboxes. This campaign aims to create widespread awareness about the optimal methods for recycling used metal packaging.

Since its inception in 2012, MetalMatters has been embraced by numerous local authorities across the UK. This campaign is designed to bolster kerbside recycling schemes. It can be implemented by any local authority, whether on a region-wide basis, by collection round, or through targeted outreach based on demographics.

“Our goal is to increase recycling rates and reduce waste by identifying environmentally responsible ways to meet the needs of our local communities. MetalMatters will allow us to engage with residents across West Devon, encouraging them to think about their recycling habits and how best to dispose of their metal packaging. Metal is endlessly recyclable, so it’s one of the most sustainable materials that we have,” said Cllr Lynn Daniel, Lead Member for Environment at West Devon Borough Council.

To know more about how the recycled sector of the aluminium industry will perform in the coming years ahead, grab AL Circle’s recently curated report, “Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2024.”

Tom Giddings, Executive Director of Alupro, concluded, “For more than a decade, our MetalMatters programme has been educating the public about the benefits and importance of recycling metal packaging. We’re confident that the introduction of this campaign will help to drive an increase in recycling rates and households taking positive action across West Devon. For us, the most important message is that metal is highly recyclable, meaning the quality and properties of the metal will be unchanged during the recycling process. Making a few small changes can add up to a big environmental impact.”