New figures have revealed that UK local authorities collecting beverage cartons for recycling from kerbside has reached 66%.
The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE ) UK said it was a 16-fold increase on 2006 levels when only 4% of councils collected cartons at kerbside and follows sustained, close co-operation between ACE UK, local authorities and consumer groups.
According to ACE UK, the percentage does not include its own bring-bank system and when combined, the figure is expected to reach 92% of UK local authorities collecting cartons for recycling.
The cartons thus collected by the local authorities will be recycled at ACE UK and Sonoco Alcore’s joint venture facility located in Stainland, West Yorkshire. The facility can recycle about 25,000 tonnes of cartons sorted from household and commercial waste streams.
Presently, the recycling plant receives 35% of cartons collected by local authorities and bring-bank schemes.
ACE UK says that beverage cartons can be easily recycled with the help of a simple pulping process. The paperboard and non-fibre layers can be separated and turned into new materials.
On the other hand, the wood fibres can be also be used to produce new high-strength paper products including cores and tubes for consumer and industrial applications and the polymer and foil layers can be used to make items such as garden furniture, children’s play mats, and construction materials.
ACE UK CEO Richard Hands said: “It is great news that South Hams District Council is now collecting beverage cartons at kerbside, taking us to the 66% milestone, which represents two in every three households in the UK.
“Our members – Tetra Pak, Elopak and SIG Combibloc – are extremely pleased that their strategy to increase kerbside collection and make it easier for residents to recycle cartons is paying dividends.”
