Metal recycling in the spotlight as campaign hots up

Councillors Diane Docherty and Iain McLaren.

February 16, 2018 – Residents of West Dunbartonshire are being reminded that almost all metal packaging used around the home can be recycled – leading to huge environmental and financial benefits.

As part of the Council’s new recycling campaign, the focus this week is on metal and reminding people that drinks cans, food tins, empty aerosols, metal screw tops and even household foil can all be endlessly recycled. Simply put them in your blue bin, after rinsing off any food residue.

With more than 55 million metal cans, foil trays and aerosols used every year in West Dunbartonshire, the aim is to make sure every last one makes it into a blue household recycling bin.

If all of the metal packaging used in West Dunbartonshire homes each year was collected for recycling, it would save around 1492 tonnes of carbon dioxide ─ the equivalent to taking  317 cars off local streets for a year.

Used metal packaging can be recycled into new products at a far lower cost to the environment than making them from raw materials. Making drinks cans from recycled metal saves up to 95% of the energy and greenhouse gas emissions needed to make both aluminium and steel from raw materials. And every time metal passes through the recycling loop, the benefits are repeated.

West Dunbartonshire Council’s Convener of Regeneration, Infrastructure and Economic Development, Councillor Iain McLaren said: “Our new recycling campaign has a widespread focus on changing the way we think about recycling and making it something we all do without even thinking about it. Anyone who doesn’t recycle can become a recycling champion with just a few simple changes. Metal is a great example of the benefits that recycling can bring. It’s a material that can be recycled time after time, saving money for the Council and impacting much less on the environment.”

Diane Docherty, Vice Convener of Regeneration, Infrastructure and Economic Development, added: “Every can recycled saves enough energy to run a TV for four hours. So a small action like putting your empty soup tin into your blue bin can make a big difference. We are very grateful to our residents who recycle and we now need to reach those who maybe aren’t as engaged. The rewards for recycling are massive and each and every one of us will benefit.”

To highlight how all recyclable items go through a process to be re-used, the Council’s new campaign includes the slogan “We Wanna Do It All Again,” as if spoken by the items themselves.

All the information on recycling in West Dunbartonshire is available at www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/recycle