Bath & North East Somerset Council has joined a national initiative aimed at improving the recycling of post-consumer aerosols. The project is funded by Alupro through the Aerosol Recycling Initiative (UKARI) and facilitated by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK.
As part of the programme, kerbside waste composition data has been collected from households across the region to establish a material baseline, including capture, sorting and recycling volumes of aerosol containers.
Following the data collection phase, a targeted communications campaign has been implemented to educate residents and encourage correct recycling practices.
Further sampling will assess the impact of these communications, with a follow-up audit planned in six months to evaluate long-term effects.
Data from this trial will be combined with insights from other local authority pilots conducted earlier this year to provide a representative picture of aerosol waste and recycling behaviours across the UK.
Tom Giddings, executive director of Alupro, said: “We’re delighted that Bath & North East Somerset Council is taking part in our initiative to understand collection volumes and examine the role of communications in driving positive change. Once complete, the project will help to inform national thinking when it comes to increasing aerosol recycling rates.”
Tom Merry, Commercialisation & Innovations Manager at SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, added: “In a post-DRS world, new targets under upcoming EPR legislation will require 50% of aluminium packaging (excluding beverage cans) to be collected for recycling. It’s therefore imperative that we maximise the recycling rates of aerosols, by establishing a baseline and improving public understanding. We’re pleased to be working with Alupro to drive forward this initiative and aim to share best practice with the sector through our research findings.”
Councillor Mark Elliott, Cabinet Member for Resources at Bath & North East Somerset Council, commented: “We are really pleased to be one of four local authorities taking part in these trials. We have already achieved a 60% recycling rate in 2024/25, and partnering with Alupro and SUEZ on this initiative to give residents clear advice on how to recycle aerosols should help to increase the number of empty aerosols placed in household recycling green boxes.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council joins national aerosol recycling project
