Cllr Tom Murray, left, with Rick Hindley and Kristel Suijkerbuijk
A scheme has been launched to help Leeds become greener as aerosols are the latest items which can be put in green bins for recycling.
The spray cans are the newest addition to a long list of products that can be recycled after being collected from homes across the city and their inclusion is a topical start to this week’s national Recycle Week.
Cllr Tom Murray, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environmental services, got the scheme off to a good start by placing a collection of aerosol cans in a green bin against the backdrop of a refuse truck with advertising for the initiative.
Also taking part in the launch at the Unilever plant in Seacroft were Rick Hindley, executive director from Alupro, the Aluminium packaging recycling organisation, and Kristel Suijkerbuijk, Unilever’s sustainability manager for deodorants.
Empty aerosol cans used for products such as deodorants, air fresheners and furniture polish can now be sent for recycling alongside other aluminium and steel products like food and drinks cans.
Householders should ensure that the aerosol cans are completely empty before putting them in green bins. They should also take care not to pierce or crush the cans and easily-removable plastic parts, such as the lid, should be taken off.
Many of the aerosols the council plans to collect will have been filled at Unilever’s factory in Coal Road, Seacroft, which is Europe’s largest aerosol factory and makes leading deodorant brands Sure, Dove, Impulse and Lynx.
Cllr Tom Murray, executive member for environmental services, said:
“This is an excellent addition to the range of items Leeds residents can now put in their green bins. It is also cost-effective as the aerosols can be sent for recycling alongside food and drinks cans for no extra charge.
“Aluminium and steel used in aerosols can be repeatedly recycled without losing quality, so this is a very effective way to help reduce landfill and cut the city’s carbon footprint. It will certainly help towards our commitment to making sure that by 2020 Leeds is recycling half of its rubbish.”
Rick Hindley, executive director from Alupro, said:
“Metal food and drink cans are already are familiar sight in most household recycling bins, but it’s great to see that Leeds is now collecting aerosols too. More than 580 million of these containers are used each year in the UK, so there is huge potential to save energy and resources by recycling them.
“People have aerosols lying around all over the house – under the kitchen sink, in the bathroom, or on a dusty, long-forgotten shelf in the garage. Once they are empty they can all be recycled.”
Matt Close, vice president of marketing for Unilever, said:
"We are delighted to be working with Alupro and Leeds City Council on this groundbreaking initiative. Recycling empty deodorant cans is just one small action which households can take to help the environment. This project makes it easier than ever before for households in Leeds to take a small action to make a big difference.
"As the largest manufacturer of deodorants in the UK, we take our responsibilities to the environment very seriously, and our ongoing commitment to reduce our packaging waste footprint is no exception. This partnership is an important step forward in achieving our target of doubling the size of our business while reducing our overall environmental impact."
Alupro has teamed up with a range of leading manufacturers and retailers to launch a national campaign aimed at encouraging local authorities to launch aerosol collections in their areas.
The campaign is backed by Unilever, the British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA) and steel packaging recycler Corus. Other programme partners include the major aluminium foil container manufacturers Coppice Alupack, Jena and Nicholl Food Packaging.
More information on aerosol recycling is available at www.alupro.org.uk
Notes to editors:
• Consumer research conducted by NOP Omnibus for Alupro in August 2009 found that 58% of respondents think that buying goods with recyclable packaging is ‘very important’. 45% of those surveyed believed aerosols to be recyclable. 84% of people surveyed would recycle aerosols if facilities existed in their area. Full details on the consumer research are available from Alupro: tel: 01527 597757 or email: info@alupro.org.uk
• Alupro is managing a collaboration between the aluminium and steel packaging recycling industry, materials re-processors and the leading names in manufacturing and marketing of aerosols and aluminium foil containers.
• The scheme provides advice and support for councils who want to start a new collection programme for aerosols and/or foil containers, learn more about how to handle the materials and find markets in which to sell the recycled metals.
• Programme partners:
- Aluminium Packaging and Recycling Organisation (Alupro): a not-for-profit organisation working with local authorities and other collection partners to increase recycling rates. www.alupro.org.uk
- British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association (BAMA): the UK trade association for the aerosol industry. www.bama.co.uk
- Corus: one of Europe’s largest steel producers with manufacturing and recycling operations in the UK. www.corusgroup.com
- Coppice Alupack: Specialists in the manufacture of aluminium foil containers for the food manufacturing, processing and bakery industries. www.coppicealupack.com
- Jena: a leading supplier of foil platters and containers to UK cash and carries and retailers. www.jena-uk.com
- Nicholl Food Packaging: manufacturers of traditional and smoothwall foil containers for all sectors of the food industry.
- Unilever: one of the country’s leading consumer goods companies, with brands including Lynx, Dove and Sure. www.unilever.co.uk
For media enquiries please contact:
Donna Cox, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 224 3335
e-mail: donna.cox@leeds.gov.uk
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