Somerset residents urged to recycle metal packaging

Somerset Council, in partnership with waste management contractor SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, has launched a new campaign to encourage the recycling of metal packaging.

With the goal of boosting kerbside recycling rates, the initiative aims to get households across the county to recycle items such as food and drink cans, aluminium foil and trays, empty aerosol cans, and metal screw tops.

Led by the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro), the ‘MetalMatters’ campaign will employ a mix of digital and social media outreach, as well as radio and bus advertising, to highlight the benefits of recycling metal packaging.

The six-week campaign, starting in February, aims to engage the county’s 270,000 households. Since its inception in 2012, the MetalMatters initiative has been adopted by over 128 local authorities, contributing to improved recycling rates.

Cllr Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s Executive Member for Transport and Waste Services, said, “People in Somerset are already great at recycling, but we can all do even more. MetalMatters gives us a chance to engage residents, raise awareness about their recycling habits, and show them how to properly recycle items like food and drink cans, foil trays, aerosols, and metal bottle caps. Recycling a single aluminium can saves enough energy to power a TV for three hours – together, we can make a real difference.”

Tom Giddings, Executive Director of Alupro, stated, “For over a decade, MetalMatters has been educating the public on the importance of recycling metal packaging. We’re confident that this campaign will inspire Somerset households to take action. The key message is that metal is infinitely recyclable, meaning it can be reused without losing its quality. Small changes in our habits can have a significant environmental impact.”

Mathew Canning, Contract Director at SUEZ, added, “We’re excited to support this campaign. Recycling metals not only conserves energy and reduces waste, but it also ensures that valuable materials are reused indefinitely. By placing metals in the recycling bin, we contribute to sustainability and help drive a more circular economy. We look forward to seeing the campaign’s impact across Somerset.”

Nicola Jones, Steel Packaging Recycling Manager at Tata Steel UK, a sponsor of the MetalMatters campaign, remarked, “It’s been wonderful attending the launch of MetalMatters in Somerset. At Tata Steel, we’re proud to sponsor this important initiative. Recycling all metal packaging is vital for achieving high recycling rates, and campaigns like this are key to making it happen.”

Funded by the metal packaging industry, MetalMatters aims to raise awareness about the value of metal packaging and encourage households to recycle. The program is designed to support kerbside recycling efforts and can be tailored to suit various local authorities, either region-wide, by collection round, or through demographic targeting.