Aluminium packaging shows “significant growth” in Q2 PRN figures

Figures from the National Packaging Waste Database have shown almost 50 per cent growth in aluminium packaging tonnage recycled since last year.

In the second quarter of 2010, aluminium total waste accepted or exported for recovery or recycling tonnages were reported at 13,826, but by Q2 of 2011, this had risen to 18,235 tonnes.

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Alupro executive director Rick Hindley said: “These figures are quite encouraging. It is really significant growth of almost 5,000 tonnes. We had a difficult year in 2009, but there was nothing that would have had an impact in 2010.

“The can market has grown significantly this year, and a steel line was converted to aluminium so feeding more cans into the market to be recycled. I’d estimate that 85 to 90 per cent of cans on the market are now aluminium. But there has also been an increase in collection and in terms of tonnages, more is being recycled.”

He added that PRN prices remained low (£5 to £8 on scrap-ex), but the high price of scrap was driving more collection of aluminium cans. Aluminium cans are currently trading in the region of £960 to £1,125, according to last week’s scrap-ex weekly price report.

However, wood PRN tonnages saw a huge drop. In the second quarter of 2010, 202,047 were reported, but this has dropped to 161,718 in Q2 2011.

Wood Recycling Association secretary Peter Butt said: “The figures seem to be down because the price of PRNs has gone down and down. A number of our members are saying that it isn’t worth wood recyclers renewing accreditation as the prices are so low.”

Wood PRNs are currently trading in the region of £1.55 to £1.85 on scrap-ex.