Essex rolls out digital campaign to boost metal packaging recycling. Essex County Council has launched a digital communications campaign targeting more than 600,000 households to increase recycling of metal packaging. Delivered by Alupro, the MetalMatters initiative says it will use social media to improve understanding of what can be recycled at the kerbside.
The campaign, which launched on 2 March, covers items including food and drink cans, foil, aerosols, screw tops, trays and tubes. Funded by the metal packaging industry, MetalMatters has run in more than 100 local authority areas since 2012, reaching over 6.3 million households. According to Alupro, these campaigns result in an increase in metal capture rates average of between 9-12 per cent, with some authorities seeing increases of 25 per cent within months.
Packaging firm Pact Group has invested in Plan B Circular, the UK textile-to-textile polyester recycler behind Project Re:claim, its joint venture with the Salvation Army Trading Company (SATCoL). The deal aims to scale polyester recycling ahead of EU legislation expected in 2028.
Sixteen international partners led by Danish Technological Institute have launched InFACT, a project to turn household flexible plastic waste such as crisp packets, coffee bags and meat films into new packaging, including food packaging. Less than 15 per cent of this material is currently recycled.