Council metals recycling campaign shortlisted

A campaign by Orkney Islands Council to boost metals recycling rates in the county has been shortlisted for a national award.

The Council’s 'MetalMatters' campaign has been shortlisted in the ‘Campaign of the Year (Up to £10k) category of the MRW National Recycling Awards.

The awards aim to recognise and celebrate best practice and innovation in recycling and waste management across the UK.

Orkney’s ‘MetalMatters’ campaign was aimed at promoting a new wider range of metals householders could recycle in Orkney, and encouraging uptake.

It saw the amount of metals deposited at the Council’s Household Waste and Recycling Centres increase by 44.5% (by weight) between Sept 2017 and January 2019, while metal put out for kerbside collections increased by 19.4% in the same period.

The campaign was run jointly with not-for-profit organisation Alupro, who work to fulfil the aluminium packaging industry’s obligation to meet, and exceed, recycling targets for aluminium packaging.

Councillor Graham Sinclair is chair of the Council’s Development and Infrastructure Committee: “It’s gratifying to see the work of our waste team and our community being recognised in this way.

"The increases we’ve seen in metal packaging recycling has not only offset the costs of providing waste disposal services to the tune of £4,500 per annum over the period – it has also helped divert valuable finite resources from incineration.

"I would once again thank the residents of Orkney – we couldn’t have achieved these results without them.”

Rick Hindley, executive director of Alupro, said: “Working together the Council, Alupro and the local community in Orkney have changed behaviour for the better, helping reduce demand for newly extracted metal and the associated environmental costs – despite the logistical pressures that come with being a remote island location.”

The 'MetalMatters' campaign was launched during National Recycle Week in September 2017.

The campaign targeted over 11,000 households over a 12 week period, with a budget of £6,625 (around 60p per household) for leaflets, vehicle livery and promotional outdoor banners. With the income brought by increased recycling, and the landfill costs averted, the campaign paid for itself in just under 17 months.

Winners will be announced on 27 June.

Find out more about the awards on the MRW website. 

Read more about Orkney's MetalMatters campaign on the Alupro website.