UK – steel can recycling continues to grow

Corus Steel Packaging Recycling, the UK‘‘s centre of technical and communications expertise on the collection and recycling of steel packaging, has published its latest annual PRN report. The report, entitled Success in Recycling includes examples of local authorities, waste management companies and community recycling organisations that Corus supported during the year.



Corus provides this investment as a result of income derived from the sale of Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs). Packaging chain companies are obliged to hold PRNs as evidence that their legal responsibility to recover and recycle quantified tonnages of packaging has been fulfilled. PRNs are sold by accredited recycling operators like Corus either to an obligated company or to a Compliance Scheme acting on their behalf.



As well as individual examples of PRN investment, the report also highlights some of the key developments in steel packaging recycling in 2003 including:



in 2003, Corus assisted 44 local authorities with their recycling activities this investment has resulted in the collection of steel cans from an additional 1.5 million households – An additional 14,000 tonnes of steel packaging was recycled in the UK, bringing the annual total to an all time high of 304,000 tonnes Corus CanRoute system recovered 21,122 tonnes of steel through the collection of 500 million steel cans ^ a 61% increase on 2002 2003 also saw a marked growth in magnetic extraction of steel cans directly from domestic waste the overall UK recycling rate for steel packaging increased from 42% in 2002 to 44.5% reflecting its actual and potential recycling performance, steel has been given a higher 2008 recycling target (54%) than aluminium (32%) as part of new UK recycling targets set by the Government to achieve 50% metals recycling in 2008