Aluminium Can (and Foil) Recycling Programmes

Aluminium is rare in that it doesn’t reduce in quality once recycled. So it’s really easy to pass it onto industry, who love to buy it up, as obviously it costs them a lot less. So councils and communities can start programs to recycle aluminium cans (and clean foil) and raise money for public services or local projects.

A study by Keep Britain Tidy found that 80% of littered bottles and nearly 5% of littered cans, contain remains of tiny small mammals (shrews, bank voles and wood mice). Littered cans also attract snails, and can harm inquisitive wildlife (like hedgehogs) along with cutting pet paws and children’s feet.

How aluminium can and foil recycling works

Unlike paper fibres that shorten and plastics that downcycle, aluminium goes round the loop repeatedly, so  businesses always want it, to melt into new sheets to make drinks cans to industrial materials.

Making aluminium from ore takes a huge amount of energy, and yet saves around 95% of energy by recycling. It also means fewer lorries hauling residual rubbish and less litter.

How to recycle aluminium cans and foil

You don’t need to crush cans, but do fully remove lids or pop ring-pulls back over the holes, to stop wildlife getting trapped. And rinse cans before popping in recycling bins. Also ensure foil and foil trays are clean and scrunched into a tennis ball (tiny bits get lost in screening machines). Just bin foil with greasy or baked-on food. You can also recycle clean yoghurt aluminium pot lids.

How councils can help can recycling

Invest in quality can recycling bins. These are colour-coded and can be used alongside other recycling bins for glass, cardboard and plastic bottles. The cost is more than offset, by not having to send staff out to pick up litter.

Studies have found that people are most likely to use recycling bins when they are brightly-coloured with circular holes, placed by other recycling and waste bins. Ensure they are covered for windy weather.

Report litter to Fix My Street, and reports (with photos) are sent to local councils. Once complaints are made public (especially by several people), often the council acts. No matter who dropped it, councils have legal duty to remove litter on public land.

For private land, they can serve Litter Abatement Orders (and if landowners don’t comply, they can issue fines or clean the litter, and send them the bill).

Most councils have kerbside recycling, but they (and offices) can help more by having recycling bins near vending machines and in break rooms or by picnic benches. Always place recycling bins next to general waste bins, so people can deposit waste of every type. And empty them regularly (ensure they also have lids, especially in England’s rainy weather).

What to do with ‘aluminium lookalikes’

A few cans are steel, and some ‘shiny packs’ are made with plastic. Most people are not going to get out a magnet, and nearly all drinks cans are aluminium.

• For industry, you can use ‘the magnet test’ to see if a material is aluminium or steel (has a magnet pull).
• Crisp packets often have plastic film, so recycle them at supermarket bag bins.
• Aluminium is shiny, light, and it keeps its shape when you scrunch it. If it springs back like a crisp packet, it probably isn’t foil.
• Aerosol cans are pressurised but most councils accept empty ones (for half-empty ones, take them hazardous waste at your local council). Same for any containers with white spirit, paint or engine oil.

Boycott beers/ciders in plastic can holders

Many brands (including Stella Artois) now have switched to cardboard, so others can too. Some supermarkets have banned the sale of these lethal can holders, which are invisible in water, and often get trapped around wildfowl necks or beaks.

If you see any littered on the street, rip up the holes, and place them in a secure (not open) bin.

Alupro (make money for your community)

Because recycled aluminium is cheaper but of the same quality, companies love to buy it up. Order a free starter pack from ALUPRO which will also tell you how to make money for your community, by selling collected cans to scrap metal merchants.

You’ll need proof of ID to receive a cheque or bank transfer (they can’t pay cash by law). Most require 5kg or more to accept delivery (this is around 325 cans).