Reminder to recycle bottles and cans during Euro 2012

As the Euro 2012 football championship kicks off, many people will be gripped with cup fever and be planning parties and get togethers to watch the matches.   As such, residents are being reminded to recycle their empty cans and bottles in the kerbside box at home or at their local recycling centre. 

To help encourage fans to do their bit, the organisers are leading by example with the football shirts used for Euro 2012 made from 96 per cent recycled polyester (made from old plastic bottles).  Thanks to use of recycled content, the manufacturing processes behind the kit have been made 30 per cent more energy-efficient. 

Here are some key facts on the Euro 2012 kits: 

• 13 recycled bottles are used to make each kit
• The shirts are 96 per cent recycled polyester
• 115 million bottles have been used since 2010 – this is enough to reach halfway around the world. 

If every household in Shropshire recycled just five empty drinks cans during Euro 2012 this would result in an additional 14 tonnes of metal recycling.   This may seem relatively small in weight, but it represents potentially 670,000 empty drinks cans from the Shropshire Council area alone. 

Not only would this reduce waste to landfill, but for every extra tonne of cans people recycle it would save the need for a tonne of new steel to be manufactured.  Therefore saving 1.5 tonnes of iron ore, 0.5 tonnes of coke and 40% of the water required in its production and also enough energy to power a light bulb for 10 hours. 

Mike Owen, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for waste management, said:

“Major events such as these can result in additional household waste, in particular cans and bottles, and so we would urge everyone to make sure they reduce, reuse and recycle to help reduce the amount of rubbish which has to go to landfill.”