MetalMatters to the rescue for cash-strapped councils
The recent report produced by the Chartered Institution of Waste Management (CIWM) and consultancy firm Ricardo AEA , ‘Waste on the Front Line – Challenges and Innovations’, has warned that recycling rates could start falling because of cuts to council communications budgets.
Local authorities struggling to finance communication campaigns can turn to MetalMatters! The cost-effective programme is proven to raise awareness about metal packaging recycling, motivating residents to get involved and recycle more – whilst paying for itself in a matter of months.
Thanks to the value of the additional metal packaging collected, each MetalMatters campaign delivers excellent ROI, increasing the volume of metal packaging in the household recycling stream, and positively impacting overall recycling rates.
MetalMatters is a proven and affordable way for councils to deliver effective messaging to residents about recycling and can be targeted at every household or to specific rounds or groups. It is based on two leaflet drops, typically delivered 8 weeks apart, to inform and then remind householders about what and how to recycle, and explains what happens to metal packaging in the recycling process.
In addition to the leaflets MetalMatters offers Councils an extensive choice of communications materials including vehicle livery, advertisements, schools materials, social media posts and roadshow activity.
Rick Hindley, Executive Director of project managers, Alupro, says: “The MetalMatters programme is continuing its support for local authority kerbside collections, providing a very cost-effective way to keep recycling at the front of residents’ minds. MetalMatters is the largest industry-funded recycling communications campaign in the United Kingdom and has been commended by central and devolved governments for its contribution to driving up and sustaining metal capture rates.”
He adds: “Partnerships really are the key to delivering services while cutting costs. MetalMatters can help local authorities deliver professional communications campaigns, bolstering recycling rates and delivering excellent value for money. It’s vital that we keep reminding and encouraging people to recycle. We have made excellent progress over recent years, and through cross-sector collaboration we can keep building on that momentum.”
The programme is funded by a partnership of metal packaging manufacturers, fillers and reprocessors and is delivered on their behalf by the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro), working in partnership with local authorities and their waste collection partners.
Recycling officers are encouraged to explore the case studies to see how the MetalMatters campaign has directly targeted more than 2.7 million households to boost recycling.