Waste & Resources Action Programme

WRAP Good Practice GuideAre you collecting foil and aerosols with your mixed cans?

Residents are keen to recycle as wide a range of materials from the kerbside as possible, and aluminium is a priority material because of the energy and carbon savings achieved through recycling.

A survey1 carried out in August 2009 for Alupro (the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation) found that around 85% of people who were not able to recycle aerosols and foil would recycle both if facilities were available. This good practice guide aims to raise awareness about what local authorities can, and are doing, to meet this demand by collecting both clean foil and empty aerosols.

The inclusion of foil and aerosols in collections alongside mixed food and beverage cans is often a simple step and can help satisfy residents’ demands for more materials to be collected for recycling. Health and safety and contamination concerns can be overcome through working closely with those organisations that collect and/or process recyclables for you.

Why collect aerosols and foil? Collection and reprocessing of used aluminium from local authorities provides valuable recycling feedstocks to the manufacturing industry (and its customers) because:n it is 100% recyclable;n when recycled, it is as good quality as virgin material; andn the recycling process uses 95% less energy than producing virgin aluminium, resulting in a much lower carbon footprint. Of the waste aluminium packaging found in UK homes, foil and aerosols are often not included in local authority collection schemes despite these materials being recyclable. In actual fact these materials can, and are being easily recycled by many local authorities.

2009 Data from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and Alupro shows:

For those authorities that don’t currently collect aerosols and foil (but do collect mixed cans) this presents a potentially valuable opportunity.

In a recent survey of householders

carried out by Alupro - only

39% thought that aerosols could

be recycled while 70% knew that

foil could be recycled.

Source LAs that collect mixed cans, foil and aerosols 174 WRAP LAs that collect mixed cans and foil 197 Alupro LAs that collect mixed cans and aerosols 273 Alupro

1 A GfK NOP UK market research agency survey

How are they collected? Foil and aerosols (both aluminium and steel) can be collected via kerbside collection services and from bring banks and household waste recycling centres. They are collected as part of both kerbside sort and co-mingled collections. Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) sort materials at the kerbside, using its fleet of stillage vehicles to separate mixed metal packaging (including foil and aerosols) from other recyclables. Fenland District Council collects recyclables fully co-mingled using standard refuse collection vehicles, with both empty aerosols and clean foil accepted. These materials are then segregated at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

For many local authorities, these materials are added to a collection at no extra cost as they can be collected using their current vehicles, and do not take up significant capacity.

Other local authorities choose to introduce new materials alongside other changes in their service, when the changes would be easier to promote and more competitive quotes can be received, such as:n when re-tendering for a change in disposal point for recyclables;n when modifying kerbside collection vehicles; orn during re-negotiations with waste collection contractors.

Local authorities that want to collect foil and aerosols co-mingled with other recyclables must ensure that their MRF is capable (and willing) to take them. For example, Fenland District Council added these materials in 2006 once its MRF had made the necessary adaptations. Once the MRF receives the recyclate, the steel fraction is removed with an over-band magnet. The mixed aluminium is removed using an eddy-current separator, which repels this material from the conveyor belt and diverts it through a different channel.

Those local authorities that sort recyclables at kerbside often collect steel and aluminium packaging in the same compartment. This is then separated into either two or three material streams before being sent for reprocessing. Foil is typically sorted from the aluminium cans by hand. Clear communications regarding foil (such as always referring to ‘clean foil’ only) will help to reduce any contamination.

The perception of a risk of explosion is one reason why some local authorities are reluctant to collect aerosols. Two simple measures which minimise this risk are to ask householders to ensure that aerosols are completely empty before putting them out for collection and ensuring that they remain mixed with other cans. Research undertaken by the British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA) demonstrated the risks to be negligible at the levels that these materials are collected as long as the guidance above is followed. Reprocessors too typically do not want aerosols presented separately, and prefer to handle them in relatively small numbers mixed with other cans.

The recycling processOnce separated and baled, the mixed aluminium packaging is sent to a reprocessor. Reprocessors will screen the aluminium for contamination a final time, and may then remove any coatings before it is sent to a furnace to be remelted.

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We encourage residents to think about the rooms of the home that they can recycle from. For aerosols, the bathroom is an important source for deodorants and hairsprays. The kitchen is an important source for foil as well as food and beverage cans. We provide ongoing information through council newsletters to remind residents of the range of materials that they can recycle.

Clare Melser Recycling Services Officer, SMBC

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In the furnace, the blend of the metal is checked against customer requirements, before it is cast into ingots. In a closed loop system these ingots are then rolled into thin aluminium sheet to be used to create new beverage cans. Mixed aluminium packaging may also be remelted with other aluminium scraps for use in a wide variety of applications.

Foil is a slightly different alloy than that used in food and beverage or aerosols. It is increasingly recycled into the automotive industry, where it can be cast into a range of new products, such as cylinder heads. The lightweight properties of aluminium make it ideal for this application, where reduced weight can lead to significant energy savings over the lifetime of the vehicle.

Steel packaging (food, beverage and aerosols) is also 100% recyclable, and once collected and sorted is recycled into a wide range of new products and packaging, such as new steel cans for packaging, cars, construction materials and a wide range of other steel applications.

What are the benefits?The high energy costs for producing aluminium from raw materials means that there are high prices paid for clean streams of post-consumer aluminium. This material commands the highest price per tonne for kerbside collected recyclate. Small amounts of aluminium therefore yield reasonable cost savings for those authorities that have a revenue sharing agreement with their MRF or aggregation centre.

For example, when Fenland District Council introduced foil and aerosols to its collection, there was no extra gate fee charged (per tonne) by its MRF. As the extra collection costs are often negligible (these materials are unlikely to overload vehicles) this represents a low cost expansion of existing recycling services. It also saves on disposal costs as this material is diverted from landfill.

Mixed Metal Packaging

Mixed AluminiumPackaging

SteelReprocessor

SteelProducts

Beveragecans andaerosols

Foil

Remelt& Rolling

Remelt& Rolling

FurnaceAluminiumApplicatione.g Automotive

New cans or other

applicationsConsumer

ConsumerNew cans/aerosols

Removal of Steel

Or

The sorting route

All foil can be recycled, such as foil trays and pie cases, dairy lids

and chocolate and household wrapping foil.

Waste & Resources Action Programme

www.wrap.org.uk/alucollections

The Old Academy21 Horse FairBanbury, OxonOX16 0AH

Tel: 01295 819 900Fax: 01295 819 911E-mail: info@wrap.org.uk

Helpline freephone0808 100 2040

September 2009

Printed on 75% recycledcontent paper

While steps have been taken to ensure its accuracy, the authors cannot accept responsibility or be held liable to any person for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with this information being inaccurate, incomplete or misleading. This material is copyrighted. It may be reproduced free of charge subject to the material being accurate and not used in a misleading context. The source of the material must be identified and the copyright status acknowledged. This material must not be used to endorse or used to suggest WRAP’s endorsement of a commercial product or service. For more detail, please refer to our Terms & Conditions on our website - www.wrap.org.uk

Another benefit to the collection of aerosols and foil is expanding the range of materials that residents can collect at the kerbside. Residents are always keen to recycle as many items from their household as possible, and the addition of foil and aerosols expands this range to include common household waste items.

Support with local authority communications is available from WRAP. Please visit our website for further information: www.wrap.org.uk/LA

Communications with residentsLocal authorities that have added foil and aerosols to their collections recognise the need to provide updated communications materials to residents. In order to keep costs to a minimum, the addition of these extra materials is typically publicised during a scheduled communications event. Examples include using:n collection calendars (and supporting literature);n websites / contact centres;n bin stickers;n local press; andn door-stepping events (if pre-planned).

However, as with all other recyclables, continual communication with residents is important to keep yields high and contamination to a minimum.

There are some key points to remember when collecting these materials:n Make sure residents know how to present both the foil and aerosols for collection.n For aerosols - plastic lids should be removed and aerosols fully emptied but not squashed.n For aluminium foil - all foil can be recycled, such as foil trays and pie cases, dairy lids and chocolate and household wrapping foil. Metallised plastic film such as crisp packets will spring back when scrunched in the hand and should not be presented for recycling.

Summary

Adding foil and aerosols to a collection should be undertaken in close consultation with the organisations that will collect and process the material. These organisations will provide details of how the materials should be presented and stored to ensure that there is minimal health and safety risk and that the benefits of recycling can be optimised.

Aluminium is a valuable recyclate, with average prices paid for baled cans currently being around £560 per tonne and foil being £90 per tonne2. Current prices paid for aluminium recyclate can be viewed on WRAP’s Market Knowledge Portal: www.wrap.org.uk/metals

For information on how to find your local recycling site and about recycling aluminium, you may find it useful to visit: www.alupro.org.uk

2 Sources: WRAP Material Pricing Report and www.letsrecycle.com. Valid for year to July 2009.

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