RECAP News
15/08/2007 - Treemendous transformation of drink cans into trees!
Aluminium cans recycled in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will be transformed into fruit trees for a local area and in Africa.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough waste chiefs are launching their ‘Trees for Cans’ campaign in partnership with Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) for the third year in a row.
Under the ‘Trees for Cans’ scheme, for every tonne of recycled aluminium from the area, a tree will be planted both locally and abroad.
Alupro has been working with Local Authorities to increase the amount of aluminium packaging that is recycled in the UK whilst supporting international charity Tree Aid to rebuild woodlands in Africa and help tackle the problems of poverty and de-nutrition.
Last year, the campaign saw more than 100,000 trees planted in UK and in Burkina Faso and this year, the people of Malawi can benefit from fruit trees being planted in their area.
The scheme means that people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough can turn their drink cans into ways of improving the local environment and helping the people of Malawi. It is the third time the scheme has been run and last year Cambridgeshire and Peterborough residents helped recycling over 500 tonnes of aluminium – that’s the equivalent of over 30 million drinks cans, and enough aluminium to build 200 of the famous Battle of Britain Spitfire aircraft – just like the one in the new display at Duxford Imperial War Museum.
However, waste chiefs are asking people to help beat our previous record by recycling more cans and help Alupro reach their target of planting 85,000 fruit trees in Malawi. Aluminium cans are one of the items most people associate with recycling and in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough collection is available through the kerbside bins and boxes, making recycling easier.
Recycling aluminium requires only 5% of the energy and produces only 5% of the CO2 emissions as compared with primary production and reduces the waste going to landfill. Aluminium can be recycled indefinitely, as reprocessing does not damage its structure. Aluminium is also the most cost-effective material to recycle.
Victor Perez, Cambridgeshire County Council Waste Campaigns Officer, said: “It is a great opportunity to see the benefits of recycling go beyond our local environment and help prevent climate change. I would like to encourage residents to make sure all food and drink cans go in the recycling bin or box so that less waste goes into landfill, less resources are depleted and less emissions are generated whilst more trees are planted in the county and in Africa.”
For further information call on 0845 045 5207 or contact Alupro on 0845 7227722 or visit the website on www.alupro.org.uk
View all recycling news
