The UK is finally to get its first beverage carton recycling facility, thanks to an agreement signed by the Alliance for Beverage Cartons & the Environment (ACE) UK and paper and packaging producer, Sonoco Alcore.
The plant, at Sonoco Alcore’s facility in Halifax, West Yorkshire, will be operational from 2013 and capable of recycling 25,000 tonnes of cartons sorted from household and commercial waste streams by local authorities and their waste management contractors.
Previously beverage cartons collected by UK local authorities and ACE UK (formed by Tetra Pak, Sig Combibloc and Elopak) have been shipped for reprocessing in mills in mainland Europe – notably to one site in Italy.
Taking into account all of the UK collection hubs, the new Halifax facility is predicted therefore to make average annual savings of 41,378 road miles, which is an average annual saving of 178 tonnes of CO2. Along with savings of 110,400 annual rail miles there will also be further savings of 110 tonnes of CO2 – a total saving of about 288 tonnes of CO2.
If the plant were to run at the full 25,000-tonne capacity, it has the potential to reduce landfill taxes and gate fees (average) by £3.4m based on landfill tax for 2012 and £3.6m for 2013.
“This decision underlines the firm commitment of our members to constantly improve the environmental performance of their beverage cartons,” says ACE UK chief executive Richard Hands.
“The already low carbon footprint will become even lower; valuable materials will go back into the UK economy; and local authorities can meet the expectations of many householders that their waste should be reprocessed in this country.
“We are confident that by the end of Year 1 (December 2013) a further ten local authorities will have started collecting cartons in their kerbside service.”
According to ACE UK, collection coverage for beverage cartons is already high, with 89% of households able to recycle cartons – either through kerbside collection or through the industry’s own bring-bank system – compared to just 20% in 2006.
Kerbside coverage in the UK has increased tenfold from 4% of local authorities in 2006 to 43% in 2012.
Adam Wood, vice president industrial converting, Sonoco Alcore Europe, comments: “This partnership provides us with the fibre we need to produce our engineered tubes and cores, and we are looking forward to receiving a growing stream of cartons.
“Additionally, as an integrated manufacturer, it is important for us to know our material sources and we know ACE UK members are committed to sourcing from responsibly managed forests.”
Kerbside collection of cartons Beverage cartons will be reprocessed in Sonoco's new facility in the north of England
