The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment says “The drinks carton is possibly the last remaining item in the domestic waste stream that is worth recovering from landfill” but it's hard to find anywhere to recycle these cartons. We probably all buy some products in cartons – a lot of organic milk is packaged this way, as are most fruit juices. Cartons have a lot of advantages – for example they are light and can be delivered packed flat to the drinks producer. The problem for recycling is that they are made from a mixture of materials (paperboard, polyethylene, and in some cases aluminium foil) which need to be separated out.
The technology does exist, however, and is essentially quite simple – the cartons are pulped with water, separating out the fibre which can then be recovered to make new paper products. The non fibre content can also be recovered. Many European countries achieve high recycling rates (between 65 – 70% in Germany and Belgium, for instance).
Last year a survey of local authorities in the UK showed that:
7% already collect cartons
29% are interested in collecting cartons
48% may be interested in future – Ealing is in this category
If you would like to be able to recycle drinks cartons, write to Ealing Council to let them know. If you want, you can find a sample letter on the Innocent Drinks website ( www.innocentdrinks.co.uk )
Meanwhile, it is possible to post cartons to the recycling plant in Scotland, but you have to pay for postage (a Freepost scheme, sponsored by Friends of the Earth, had a tremendous response but it is now finished) You can download a label from www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk The logo on the label acts as an identifier to the paper mill to ensure that the collected cartons go straight to the pulper without opening the box.
The nearest collecting site to Ealing is in Richmond, at the Sainsbury's store off Lower Richmond Road (near North Sheen Station). You could save up your cartons until the weather improves and incorporate carton recycling with a walk or bike ride in Richmond Park!
For further information on drinks cartons and recycling visit www.drinkscartons.com or contact Samantha Edgar, Environment Officer, Tetra Pak Ltd, Bedwell Road, Cross Lanes, Wrexham LL13 0UT tel 0870 442 6019