Aluminium recyclers are anticipating a surge in the amount of foil trays and wraps set to be received following the Christmas period, but it is still unclear if the bulk of material is recycled.
It is estimated that as much as 4,500 tonnes of aluminium foil is used every Christmas, in items such as single use cooking trays, mince pie casings and turkeys wrappings.
Piles of foil trays could be seen in retailers across the UK, in the build up to the Christmas period. Shoppers entering shops such as Argos in West London as well as supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s were presented with huge stacks of trays for sale.
But, according to environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth, as little as 12% of the material is recycled in the UK, and the group has urged the public to avoid using the material altogether.
No recycling figures for foil are available on the Alupro website although figures for cans are given.
According to one Midlands based non ferrous scrap merchant, post consumer aluminium foil can be problematic as it is low value, can often be of poor quality, and there is little demand for the material in the UK.
He said that “The quality of the post consumer material we usually get is terrible and the material has such a low value and it is very light, so can be difficult to move on.”
And, speaking to letsrecycle.com waste minimisation expert Mr Alan McInnes, vice chairman of the South Wessex Waste Minimisation Group, questioned the need for single use food trays and called on packaging producers to do more to reduce their burden on the environment.
He said that “It is a complete waste when you can have a glass or metal tray that has between five and ten year’s life. For many people it is convenience that leads them to buy these goods, but almost everyone has the equipment they would need not to have to use these in their home. The companies which produce these definitely need to do more to encourage recycling.”
Aluminium scrap reprocessor Alutrade is one of the UK facilities which currently processes post consumer aluminium foil. Alutrade shreds the material to remove contamination, where it is then smelted and rolled back into new foil.
