The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) and Sonoco Europe have signed an agreement which provides a UK-wide recycling solution for paper containers with metal ends, through ACE UK’s Bring Bank collection scheme.
Consumers will now be able to recycle their paper containers, including Pringles tubes, alongside food and drink cartons at 334 recycling points throughout the UK. With 26% coverage located in 100 local authorities across the UK, the Bring Bank scheme offers consumers a simple and effective way to recycle used paper container products. Bring Banks are the large bins at recycling points found in locations such as supermarkets and retail centre car parks, household recycling centres and other public locations. Consumers can find the locations of the Bring Banks using this interactive map
Helen Potter, sustainability commercial lead for Kellogg’s owned Pringles says: “We know that people want to recycle their Pringles tubes. Including a solution for Pringles in the Bring Banks scheme will allow our consumers to return them to be recycled into something new and is an important interim solution as we work towards the development of our new tube. At Kellogg, we’re committed to making all of our packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable by the end of 2025. This is another important step on this journey.”
Material collected from the Bring Banks is sent to ACE UK’s Stainland recycling facility in West Yorkshire, which is run by Sonoco Alcore. Fibre from the recycled cartons is fed directly into Sonoco Alcore’s paper mill on the same site, to be turned into industrial coreboard.
“Consumers are increasingly aware of the need for more sustainable choices, which is the drive for many brands and retailers to increase the recyclability of their packaging,” says Peter Görlitz, sustainability manager at Sonoco Consumer Products Europe. “This two-year agreement with the food and drink carton experts from ACE UK, reflects our global initiative to commit to a continuous improvement on sustainability. We are constantly striving to enhance our capabilities in paper-based packaging with the required functional barrier properties to help extend the shelf life, whilst providing our customers in Europe with a recycling solution they can have full confidence in.”
Commenting on the agreement, Richard Hands, CEO of ACE UK said, “ACE UK has been successfully running the industry’s recycling programme for the last 15 years, driving significant increases in carton recycling as part of its role as the UK’s food and drink carton industry trade body. We have worked closely with local authorities and waste management companies so that today 93% of local authorities collect food and drink cartons for recycling through either Bring Banks or kerbside collection. Whilst our primary focus remains on increasing carton recycling, our Bring Bank network and the expertise and experience we have developed will deliver an immediate solution for Sonoco Europe’s paper containers with metal ends, helping to create a step change in recycling for these products.”
