The programme has covered 31 local authorities and, according Rick Hindley, executive director of the scheme’s programme managers Alupro, MetalMatters has been aided by the combination of the public and private sector. The programme is designed boost metal packaging recycling and communicates the benefits to the public.
Hindley said: “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. After a year of refining the programme to suit a range of local collection systems and circumstances, and building on our experiences, I am delighted that MetalMatters continues to deliver a strong return on investment. It makes a difference within local communities and drives up local recycling rates.”
Speaking to Packaging News, he added: “The scheme does stack up financially and the waste management sector benefits from additional material. MetalMatters will cover its costs in less than a year.”
According to Alupro, the cost per household of the campaign in the 12 districts of the Kent Waste Partnership was 19p. Aberdeen City Council reported an increase of 14% in the level of metal in dry recycling collections.
“In the next 12 months we will be looking at refreshing the communication to maintain the levels of capture rates,” said Hindley.
