Aerosols added to recycling service
Expanding the Forest of Dean District Council's recycling service could result in a million aerosols being saved from landfill. The move, which allows residents to recycle their empty aerosols with immediate effect, has come about due to a change in the reprocessor used by the council for the recycling of its aluminium and steel cans.
Aerosols can be recycled either as part of the fortnightly kerbside collection service or deposited alongside the food and drinks cans in the dedicated banks at the Council's recycling sites.
The aerosols will go on to be recast and made into new cans, car parts or even washing machines.
Councillor Martin Quaile, portfolio holder for the environment at the Forest of Dean District Council said: 'Aluminium and steel are endlessly recyclable without loss of quality to the material. It is estimated that every UK household will use 27 aerosols each year meaning that close to a million could be recycled in the Forest of Dean.' He added: 'we are still over a year away from moving to a fortnightly refuse service but in order to make the transition as smooth as possible, we need to help and encourage householders to reduce the amount of rubbish in their bin now. It is excellent that residents are being given the opportunity to recycle more.'
Only empty aerosols should be recycled. Plastic lids should be removed but nozzles can be left on. Aerosols should not be crushed or pierced.
Every time an aerosol is recycled, valuable raw materials, energy and carbon emissions are saved. Recycling a tonne of steel aerosols saves 1.5 tonnes of iron ore and reduces CO2 emissions by 80% (compared with manufacturing steel from its raw materials), while recycling the same weight of aluminium saves nine tonnes of C02 emissions and four tonnes of bauxite - the raw material from which aluminium is made.
Anyone requiring a recycling box or wishing to find out more, should contact the Forest of Dean District Council on 01594 810000.
28 January 2011