pressrelease

Contact: Cherry Hamson
Tel: 01527 597757

May 26th, 2005

ALUMINIUM TARGETS ACHIEVED

The Environment Agency has confirmed to Alupro that aluminium targets were not missed in 2004, as has been reported by some commentators on the published data, since sufficient PRNs were available to meet business obligations. The shortage which caused PRN prices to rise to around £70 a tonne towards the end of the year was mainly caused by contracts which required 2004 tonnage to be carried over to 2005.

Final figures show that 34,905 PRN tonnes were available to meet an obligation of 34,371 tonnes. But 1121 tonnes had been contracted for 2005, leaving a shortfall of 587 tonnes for 2004 obligation.

"It has taken a while to establish with our reprocessor members and the Agency the reasons for the lower-than-expected 2004 figures" says Alupro chief executive Paul Martin "but it is now clear that forward contracts, and the export of co-mingled collection tonnage, had an impact on the number of PRNs and PERNs issued last year.

"We have asked Defra to take steps to tighten the regulatory framework in which the UK's market-driven system operates, and to ensure that data is published in a way which does not require further interpretation."

The effect of high PRN prices at the end of last year has carried through to 2005, with some indication that both buyers and sellers are holding back from commitment. "Having discussed the situation with both UK reprocessor and exporter members, there is every reason to think that there will be sufficient PRNs to meet 2005 targets" said Paul, who added that investment in increasing packaging recycling by Alupro and its individual member companies continues to grow.

Alupro's main focus is on the domestic waste stream, since 95% of aluminium tonnage is consumer packaging. This week saw the launch of the new Trees for Africa campaign with TV presenter, and patron of Tree Aid, John Craven. John's enthusiasm for the environmental common sense of recycling aluminium both to save energy, and now to grow trees in the sub-Saharan drylands of West Africa was communicated with great effect in interviews for 39 radio stations, including Radio 2, reaching nearly 20m listeners.

More than 250 local authorities have already signed up to the national campaign which will see 50,000 trees planted in the UK and Africa, and the backing of major brands and retailers is being arranged for a series of initiatives which carry through to September 2006.

"The campaign promotes all consumer recycling, with aluminium tonnage the mechanism for achieving the tree-planting" says Paul. "Its purpose is to make recycling indisputably worthwhile to the general public, and so easy that there's no good reason not to do it. John Craven got those messages across with great clarity, and his personal knowledge of the reality of life in West Africa, and the impact of trees on the village communities involved, gave the interviews a credibility which took recycling out of 'waste management' and into an appeal for action.

"The campaign, which is part-funded by PRN revenues, is exactly what we need to start to turn the UK into a nation of enthusiastic recyclers, and to help industry meet its targets."

The Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) represents the leading UK aluminium packaging producers and reprocessors.

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