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When it comes to recycling, metal really matters!

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When it comes to recycling, metal is hard to beat. That’s because it’s 100% recyclable – every last bit can be turned into something else. And it’s a cycle that can go on for ever.

The food or drink cans you recycle at home could end up being transformed into any one of a wide number of new products, from a designer watch or an iPod, to a washing machine or even a new bus!

Every time metal is recycled it saves energy, cuts greenhouse gas emissions and saves on landfill space – so it’s good news for the planet.

Best of all it doesn’t take a lot of effort on your part to make a big difference. All you need to do is drop your cans, aerosols, tins, foil and metal bottle tops and jar lids in your recycling container – not the rubbish bin. It’s as easy as that!

So by recycling your waste metal packaging at home, you can reduce your carbon footprint and prevent valuable materials ending up in landfill. The more of us that recycle, the more the benefits will add up.

How is waste metal transformed?

The empty can you recycle today could be back on the supermarket shelf as another can in as little as six weeks!

From your household recycling collection the cans, foil, empty aerosols, metal bottle tops and jar lids you save are taken to a local reprocessing site.

Metal packaging is usually made of either aluminium or steel. At the materials recycling facility the latest technology is used to separate the different metals before they are baled and sent for reprocessing. The process involves melting the metal. It is then cast into ingots which are sent on for manufacturing. The recycled metal is then used to produce all sorts of everyday items like cameras, irons and kettles as well as more food tins and cans.

That’s why it’s so important to do your bit – every piece of metal packaging you recycle will be used again and again for years to come. And every time it’s recycled we save energy, cut emissions – and cut down on landfill cost, and space.

What can I recycle?

All metal is 100% recyclable.

If you live in the boroughs of Croydon, Kingston, Merton or Sutton, you can place all of these metal materials in your recycling bin:

Please make sure your aerosols are empty and foil trays / food tins have been rinsed before adding these items to your recycling. Don’t worry about removing labels and just pop the lid inside, if there is one.

For details of your local council’s collection service, please visit: