Recycling campaign launched in London

A metal packaging industry-led programme designed to increase at-home recycling has been launched across south London.

The MetalMatters recycling programme has been rolled out across 365,000 households in a move to boost collection levels for metal packaging at kerbsides in the capital.

The six-week campaign is the first of its kind to launch in London and will involve two leaflet drops delivered to all households across the four boroughs in the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) – Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton.

This will be supported with outdoor advertising on buses, trams and collection vehicles to remind people that all metal packaging can be recycled and reused endlessly. The campaign will be supported by local activities organised by each of the boroughs.

The South London campaign is being jointly funded by MetalMatters, an industry partnership comprising the UK’s leading producers, users and recyclers of metal packaging, Recycle for London and recycling company Viridor. This is the first campaign to receive a direct financial contribution from a waste management contractor.

Councillor Derek Osbourne, chair of the South London Waste Partnership Joint Committee, said:

“People in South London are keen to do their bit for the environment, and the campaign is a great way for us to encourage them to recycle household items such as food and drink cans and aerosols more often.”

Rick Hindley, executive director of MetalMatters project managers Alupro, added: “The South London campaign is a great way to kick-off MetalMatters in 2013. We are delighted to be working with Recycle for London, and that Viridor have agreed to come on board and make a significant financial contribution to the campaign; it makes it a true partnership programme. We are looking forward to seeing the impact the MetalMatters campaign has on metal packaging capture rates.”

This is the first MetalMatters campaign to launch in 2013 and follows five other projects that ran across the UK in 2012.

Pictured from left to right: Rick Hindley, Alupro; Mike Stafford, Viridor; Cllr Derek Osborne, SLWP chair and Rachel Lewis, chair, SLWP management group.