Materials

Ecosurety supports MetalMatters as campaigns launch in Bristol and South Staffs

Residents in Bristol and South Staffordshire are the latest to receive targeted messaging about recycling metal products as part of the MetalMatters programme, with help from compliance scheme Ecosurety.

Ecosurety supports MetalMatters as campaigns launch in Bristol and South Staffs
Alupro Executive Director Rick Hindley and Ecosurety Managing Director James Piper
The latest campaign delivered by the behaviour change programme, which is backed by the metal packaging industry, recyclers and fillers, was introduced to Bristol City Council and its arms-length Bristol Waste Company last week (6 September).

It will see 197,000 households in Bristol provided with two sets of leaflets to inform and reminds residents about what and how to recycle, and explain what happens to metal packaging when it is recycled.

Bristol-based Ecosurety has introduced the campaign as part of a support packaging, and speaking last week the company’s Managing Director James Piper said: “We have seen collaborations between local authorities and waste management companies drive large increases in metal capture rates.  

“The partnership approach, pioneered by MetalMatters, has great synergies with our ethos at Ecosurety, we are delighted to have initiated and supported the deployment of the programme in our home city of Bristol and look forward to seeing the impact of the campaign.

“We are excited to be working with Alupro to increase future funding for MetalMatters through our innovative Circularety platform, which will mean members are able to see their money transparently invested to realise a tangible increase in metal recycling.”

South Staffordshire launches campaign

In South Staffordshire the campaign, also launched last week, will reach 46,00 households. Research carried out by the council has found that 54 million items of metal packaging are used in the district every year, and that recycling all the metal packaging used in South Staffordshire each year would save around 1,476 tonnes of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of taking more than 314 cars off the road for a year.

Ecosurety supports MetalMatters as campaigns launch in Bristol and South Staffs
Nicola Jones from Tata Steel, Andy Harnett from Biffa Municipal Ltd, and Councillor Mary Bond, Cabinet Member for Community Services at South Staffordshire Council
To date, MetalMatters campaigns have been delivered to 81 local authorities across the UK, directly targeting over 5.3 million homes.

MetalMatters is funded by the metals industry and is delivered on their behalf by Alupro, with support from local authorities and their waste collection partners.

Rick Hindley, Executive Director of Alupro, said “We are delighted to welcome Ecosurety to our committed group of funding partners for the MetalMatters programme. Their support illustrates the growing realisation from obligated companies that behaviour change programmes have a key role to play in boosting recycling performance.  

“The additional contribution will allow us to expand the programme into even more local authority areas. We are currently identifying new opportunities to deploy MetalMatters with local authorities and waste management companies for our 2018 programme and will be beginning our recruitment drive at the RWM exhibition and the LARAC conference over the coming months.”

Tata Steel increases MetalMatters support

Other organisations to support the campaign recently include compliance scheme Valpak and M&S.

Last month, Alupro announced that Tata Steel has also increased its support for the programme

Europe’s second largest steel producer, Tata is the largest supplier and recycler of steel used in packaging sold onto the UK market, with products including food cans and aerosols.

Tata Steel’s Packaging Recycling Education Manager Nicola Jones said: “MetalMatters is a great example of industry and local authorities working together to engage local communities, increase recycling rates for metal packaging and reducing its product carbon footprint.

“We recognise that local authorities are under huge financial pressures which is impacting on their ability to deliver communications programmes essential for boosting recycling rates. The proven MetalMatters programme delivers impressive improvements in metal packaging recycling rates every time it is deployed. We will be encouraging our packaging customers to get involved.”

Hindley added: “We are delighted that Tata Steel has committed to increase their support for MetalMatters. The additional contribution will allow us to expand the programme into even more local authority areas – we are currently identifying new opportunities to deploy the programme with local authorities and waste management companies for our 2018 schedule.”

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