West Devon Borough Council has launched a new campaign promoting the recycling of metal packaging.

In a bid to improve kerbside recycling rates, the council encouraged its residents to recycle their metal packaging including food and drinks cans, aluminium wrapping foil and foil trays, as well as empty aerosols and metal screw tops.

Spearheaded by the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro), the MetalMatters programme will have leaflets distributed to all households within the council area to communicate the widespread benefits of metal packaging recycling.

The campaign will target over 26,000 households across the borough. Since its launch in 2012, more than 121 local authorities have adopted MetalMatters, with recycling rates improving as a result.

Cllr Lynn Daniel, Lead Member for Environment, said: “Our goal is to drive recycling rates up and reduce waste by identifying environmentally responsible ways to meet the needs of our local communities.

“MetalMatters will allow us to engage with residents across West Devon, encouraging them to think about their recycling habits and how best to dispose of their metal packaging. Metal is endlessly recyclable, so it’s one of the most sustainable materials that we have.”

Cllr Mandy Ewings, Leader of West Devon Borough Council, said: “Many residents are already committed to recycling and reducing waste, which is great news, but we can do more.

“It’s worth remembering that every aluminium can you recycle saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours – so a small action like putting your empty drinks can into your recycling container can make a big difference.”

Tom Giddings, Executive Director of Alupro, added: “For more than a decade, our MetalMatters programme has been educating the public about the benefits and importance of recycling metal packaging. We’re confident that the introduction of this campaign will help to drive an increase in recycling rates and households taking positive action across West Devon.

“For us, the most important message is that metal is infinitely recyclable, meaning the quality and properties of the metal will be unchanged during the recycling process. Making a few small changes can add up to a big environmental impact.”

Funded by the metal packaging industry, MetalMatters aims to educate householders about the benefits of metal packaging and encourage them to recycle.

Designed to support kerbside recycling schemes, MetalMatters can be run by any local authority, either region-wide, by collection round or even by demographic targeting.