Food and Drinks Carton Recycling
Last updated | 11/06/2008
New scheme allows householders can recycle drinks cartons
Perth & Kinross Council, in conjunction with Tetra Pak Ltd and ACE UK (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment), is launching a new drinks carton recycling scheme to give residents the opportunity to recycle even more of their household waste.
Each year, UK drinks carton manufacturers produce approximately 55,000 tonnes of paper-based cartons for milk, juice, sauces and other liquid foods/drinks.
This equates to around 2.3kg of cartons per household which could be recycled instead of thrown in the waste bin and sent to landfill. In response, the Council is working with the carton industry to establish carton collection points at key Recycling Centres and Points for residents to take their empty cartons to be recycled.
Recycling containers for cartons are now available at:
- Tesco, Crieff Road
- Tesco, Edinburgh Road
- Asda, Dunkeld Road
- Friarton Recycling Centre, Perth
Once collected they are taken away to be baled and transported to a recycling mill. They can be recycled into a number of different products, ranging from plasterboard liner to high-strength paper bags and envelopes.
Councillor Alan Grant, Environment Committee Convener, said: “Cartons are high on the public’s ‘want to recycle’ agenda because they are now used for the packing of many different foodstuffs and drinks. Most households use them every week and see them going into their general waste bin.
"The Council is always looking to extend the number or materials that can be recycled in Perth and Kinross and I am delighted to see the start of this trial in partnership with Tetra Pak Ltd and ACE UK.”
Since April last year, the UK carton industry has made £1.5million available to help local authorities interested in starting up carton collection schemes in their area. There are already approximately 100 district areas collecting cartons, which will result in a national network of coverage during the next 18 months.
For more information please contact The Environment Service Helpline on 01738 476476, email recycle@pkc.gov.uk or visit www.pkc.gov.uk/recycling
For more information on drinks carton recycling, visit www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk.
