This ambitious project had been launched thanks to the famous coffee brand Nespresso in order to raise awareness among individuals about the need to recycle aluminium present in everyday objects. The message was well received but it is necessary to study the costs of such a sector to know whether it is profitable.
A major commitment to the environment
Municipalities that wished to participate in this Metal project were able to observe that the increase in aluminium recycled by individuals was 30%. A raw material that will subsequently be transformed to create new objects, the benefit for the planet is very important because it prevents this highly sought-after metal from being thrown away by accident or through simple ignorance.
The cost of setting up recycling centers was amortized by the sale of the recycled aluminium, which amounts to hundreds of tonnes each year. The operation is therefore a clear success because it helps establish more ecological habits and generate some income for the engaged local authorities. Individuals feel concerned by this new type of recycling and the results, which are still modest, nonetheless exceed the initial estimates.
Le soutien d’Eco Emballages
In order to encourage local authorities to take part in this action, the organization Eco Emballages pays them for each tonne recovered. This initiative makes it possible to equip accordingly because beyond the immediately visible aluminium, the purchase of specialized machines capable of extracting the fine aluminium particles from waste was indispensable for intelligent recycling.
Eco Emballages’ contribution is several hundred euros for each tonne of aluminium recovered. This financial support allows many municipalities to participate in this nationally launched program.
It is highly likely that the number of recycling centers of this type will increase in the future with a forecast of 25 centers for the year 2016. Achieving a higher percentage of recycled metal in 2017 with a generalization of this approach is also eagerly awaited by the organizers of this Métal project.