Birmingham has been chosen as the first city in the UK to launch an innovative workplace recycling scheme called Every Can Counts.
The scheme is designed to get workers to help to recycle the millions of drinks cans that are estimated to be consumed away from home every year.
Advantage West Midlands waste policy manager Tim Baldwin said: “We want Birmingham to lead the way in workplace recycling.
“Businesses can cut their waste management costs and their CO2 emissions by encouraging staff to recycle drinks cans.
“They can also use Every Can Counts to improve their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies, which are increasingly important, particularly for businesses involved with competitive tendering where proof of commitment to recycling and sustainability is becoming almost mandatory in some sectors.”
The Every Can Counts programme links businesses with recycling service collectors and supports workplace recycling by providing a range of branded resources such as posters, screensavers and can collection containers.
The scheme is funded by the organisations representing the major drinks can manufacturers – Beverage Can Makers Europe and UK Canmakers – together with WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and the aluminium and steel packaging producers and reprocessors.
Every Can Counts programme manager Jane Carver said: “Every Can Counts makes workplace recycling simple and cost effective. It’s an easy way to help employees take care of the environment and contribute to profitability. We estimate that the West Midlands could recycle an extra 230million drinks cans a year, saving energy and valuable natural resources, if businesses introduced workplace can recycling schemes.
“The Government expects the West Midlands to be a zero waste region by 2020. It needs Birmingham’s help to achieve that ambition.”
n For more details, visit the Every Can Counts website at www.everycancounts/startnow or call 0845 722 7722.
