MetalMatters, the industry-supported campaign that encourages households to recycle their cans, foil, empty aerosols, trays, tubes and metal screw tops, has been rolled out by West Devon Borough Council.
As part of continued efforts to improve kerbside recycling rates, the initiative will see residents across the region receive an informative leaflet posted directly through their letterbox. Targeting more than 26,000 homes across the borough, the campaign aims to raise widespread awareness of how best to recycle used metal packaging.
Since its launch in 2012, MetalMatters has been adopted by hundreds of local authorities across the UK. Designed to support kerbside recycling schemes, MetalMatters can be run by any local authority, either region-wide, by collection round or even by demographic targeting.
Commenting on the announcement, Cllr Lynn Daniel, Lead Member for Environment at West Devon Borough Council, said: “Our goal is to increase recycling rates and reduce waste by identifying environmentally responsible ways to meet the needs of our local communities.
“MetalMatters will allow us to engage with residents across West Devon, encouraging them to think about their recycling habits and how best to dispose of their metal packaging. Metal is endlessly recyclable, so it’s one of the most sustainable materials that we have.”
Cllr Mandy Ewings, Leader of West Devon Borough Council, added: “Many residents are already committed to recycling and reducing waste, which is great news, but we can do more. It’s worth remembering that every aluminium can you recycle saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours – so putting your metal packaging into your recycling container can make a big difference.”
Tom Giddings, Executive Director of Alupro, concluded: “For more than a decade, our MetalMatters programme has been educating the public about the benefits and importance of recycling metal packaging. We’re confident that the introduction of this campaign will help to drive an increase in recycling rates and households taking positive action across West Devon.
“For us, the most important message is that metal is highly recyclable, meaning the quality and properties of the metal will be unchanged during the recycling process. Making a few small changes can add up to a big environmental impact.”
Funded by the metal packaging industry, MetalMatters aims to educate householders about the benefits of metal packaging and encourages them to adopt best practice recycling behaviours. For more information about MetalMatters, visit: www.metalmatters.org.uk.