Alupro, organiser of the industry-led initiative, describes the figure as an “unprecedented success”, and says MetalMatters has: “Significantly increased the metals capture rate in each campaign.”
The results, which are based on analysis of four MetalMatters campaigns that concluded in 2012, are also said to show that the programme has helped expand the range of metals collected at the kerbside: 13 of the partner local authorities expanded their recycling schemes to include foil trays, household foil, aerosols and metal caps and closures, Alupro says.
Alupro executive director Rick Hindley says: “Our plans for MetalMatters were shaped by the 2010 pilot scheme, which produced hard evidence to show that the industry’s approach resulted in demonstrable successes.”
Hindley says Alupro built on the experience gained in the first year of the initiative.
“I am delighted that MetalMatters continues to deliver a strong return on investment,” he says. “It makes a difference within local communities and drives up local recycling rates.”
A key success of MetalMatters is said to be its development of a model that is cost effective for individual local authorities and waste partnerships.
In the south of England, Alupro says the campaign cost per household across the 12 districts of the Kent Waste Partnership was 19 pence; while in the Portsmouth city area the revenue generated by the additional metals captured will recover the financial outlay within 12 months.
MetalMatters is jointly funded by an industry partnership comprising the Ardagh Group, Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME), British Aerosol Manufacturers Association (BAMA), Coca Cola Enterprises Ltd, Coppice Alupack, i2r Packaging Solutions, ITS, Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA), Nicholl Food Packaging, Novelis UK Ltd, Tata Steel, Unilever, Wrapex and Wrap Film Systems Ltd.
