02/05/2008

Stockport Council Launches Recycling Campaign to Provide Fruit Trees for Africa

Stockport Council has pledged its support for a new recycling campaign which will also help provide fruit trees for Africa.

Not-for-profit organisation, Alupro has set up the scheme, Fruit Trees for Malawi, to encourage the recycling of aluminium. For every tonne of aluminium collected by Stockport residents, a fruit tree will be donated to the African country. The Council hopes as many people as possible will take part to help Alupro reach their target of 85,000 trees.

Recycling aluminium also helps to save energy as it is 20 times more efficient than making it from the raw material.

A spokesperson for Stockport Council said: “This is a very exciting development for Malawi, tackling three of the main problems people face: poverty, nutrition and de-forestation. Growing high-value trees means that they will not be chopped for firewood which is a major cause of de-forestation, leading to poor soil, crop failure – and then more woodland cleared to grow food. All people have to do to make sure this all happens is to recycle every single aluminium drinks can they can get their hands on. The great thing to remember is that the more aluminium cans you recycle, the more fruit trees will be grown.”

Resource packs have been sent to schools in the borough explaining more about the scheme and people living and working in Stockport can do their bit by making sure all aluminium cans are placed in recycling boxes or taken to one of the 120 recycling sites within the borough. All the aluminium cans collected in Stockport are separated and sent to Novelis; an aluminium recycling plant in Warrington where they are recycled in to more drinks cans.

To find out more about the campaign please call Alupro on 0845 722 7722 or look at the website www.alupro.org.uk

Pictured above: Some of the Recycling Team.