Can-do attitude will improve recycling

AS our eating habits change, more and more of our food comes wrapped in various forms of aluminium. For instance, more than 90 million aluminium trays are used each day in Ireland, a staggering figure by any standards.

Trays in different shapes and sizes are used in takeaways, prepacked meals and confectionery. But, despite aluminium being one of the most valuable recyclable materials, the can recycling rate is only 50%, while the overall aluminium recycling rate stands at around 30%.

In poorer times in Ireland, aluminium was recycled and was very much in demand by Travellers and collectors of scrap. Today, we’re using much more aluminium, but the tendency is to just throw things away.

To improve on this record, Repak and the European Aluminium Association (EAA) are calling on takeaway devotees to wash out their takeaway trays and place them in recycling bin or aluminium bring banks.

They are also urging people to recycle their other aluminium food trays which are used for tarts, pies and such foods. In an effort to highlight the need to recycle trays, Repak has distributed counter top recycling reminders to all Chinese, Indian and other takeaways restaurants throughout the country.

According to the EAA’s Maarten Labberton, aluminium cans and foils can be recycled endlessly and new drinks cans could be back on the shelf as quickly as 60 days after they have been collected for recycling.

“Recycling cans results in a 95% energy saving and it saves extremely valuable natural resources. One tonne of recycled aluminium replaces the production of one tonne of primary metal, thus reducing the carbon footprint substantially,” he said.

“Simply washing out and placing your used food trays into the recycling bin or can bank will reduce landfill, use less natural resources and save on waste bills.

“We are also calling for people to remember other aluminium materials that can be recycled such as tomato puree tubes and aluminium foil,” said Mr Labberton.

Statistics show that in Ireland we are dumping about €3 million worth of aluminium every year, all which could be given to a charity, such as Rehab, which collects aluminium. During annual Recycling Week, Repak chief executive Andrew Hetherington said Ireland compared well internationally on our recycling rates for aluminium cans, but not for other aluminium packaging.

This year, there was a focus on one material a day to highlight the extra packaging types that people can recycle.

Last year, a packaging recycling rate of 64% was recorded, but the only way to increase this rate further is to target the items that people have not readily being recycling, including aluminium trays and foils.

“Frequently, people are simply unaware of the wide range of items they could be recycling,” said Mr Hetherington.

Overall household packaging recycling is still only at about 43% compared with a commercial packaging recycling rate of more than 80%.

For the first time, Repak has given an excellence award in its annual prize-giving. The top award went to Tesco which aims to be the first Irish retailer to reach 100% recycling of packaging and store waste by 2010. The move will see more than 24,000 tonnes recycled each year.

H J Heinz was presented with the best prevention initiative award thanks to the launch of three packaging prevention initiatives. Weights of plastic trays were reduced, corrugated cases were replaced with shrink-wrap and plastic drums were replaced with returnable containers.

These initiatives resulted in savings of 67 tonnes of plastic and 42 tonnes of cardboard.

Louth County Council was honoured as Repak Local Authority of the Year and Cork County Council was awarded local initiative of the year for its Bandon Civic Amenity Site.

O’Reilly’s Centra Foodmarket, Bunclody, Co Wexford, managed to recycle 77% of its waste in 2006 reducing its waste management bill by 42% which made it a worthy winner of the best practice award in the independent retail sector.

The best practice accolade in the hospitality sector was presented to Fitzgerald’s Woodland House Hotel, in Adare, Co Limerick.