Can Recycling
SOCIETY BENEFITS
Recycling creates jobsECONOMY BENEFITS
Reduced landfill costs. £1 spent of steel packaging saves £3 of food going to waste.ENVIROMENTAL BENEFITS
Recycling 1Kg of aluminium cans will save about 8Kg of bauxite, 4 Kg of chemical products and 14 kilowatt hours of electricity. Recycling 1Kg of steel cans will save about 1.5Kg of iron ore, 0.5Kg of coal. Recycling steel also saves around 75% of the energy and 40% of the water that virgin material uses.Advice
All your drinks & food cans will either be made from steel or aluminium. Both are highly recyclable and both have distinct advantages both economic and in environmental terms. They can also be recycled over and over again without virgin material being required.
Most recycling collection points and kerbside collection schemes will collect cans as aluminium is an expensive material which pays for its own collection and recycling.
Other Sustainable Considerations
If you do want to recycle your cans then consider putting the empty cans aside to be washed after your dishes. This has two benefits:
• Extra water (and energy) is not being used.
• Washing stops an environmental problem arising from solving another i.e. stopping rats and wasps from feeding on the leftovers.
We would also recommend using a dish-washing brush to clean cans as they contain sharp edges when opened. Once they have naturally dried (again to avoid the sharp edges) you should then put them into the separate recycling box away from the exploring hands of children.
