Recycling Other Materials
Cans
In 2000 nearly £30 million was thrown away in the form of empty aluminium cans. Used aluminium cans are valuable as they can be recycled time and time again without loss of quality. Up to 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminium ore is saved by recycling. There are a number of methods for recycling your cans:Kerbside Recycling Box
Place your metal cans in your kerbside recycling box for collectionPublic Can Banks
Most public can recycling banks will accept aluminium cans, steel cans and food cans. Empty food cans should be washed and squashed before going into the can bank. See the lists at the end of the factsheet for your nearest can-bank.Local Charities
Butterwick Hospice at Bishop Auckland collect aluminium and steel cans (and clean foil) at their Woodhouse Lane site in Bishop Auckland. When their store is full, volunteers from the Hospice take the cans and foil to the local merchant in St. Helens Auckland. All proceeds go towards the running of the Hospice. Tel: 01388 603003.Local Metal Merchants
An alternative method of recycling cans is to collect them and take them to a scrap metal dealer (providing you can find suitable storage and transport facilities). It is better to separate aluminium cans from steel ones (steel is magnetic, aluminium is not). The two metals will usually need to be separated before they can be recycled. You will get more money for just aluminium cans than you will for a mixture of aluminium and steel cans.Local metal merchants that may accept aluminium cans
(Information supplied by Alupro - the national Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation)
Always phone the metal dealers beforehand to check details - most dealers will insist that Aluminium cans are separated from steel cans.
Durham
Shepard (Durham) LtdScrap Centre Marshall Works
Durham City
County Durham
DH1 2HX
Tel: 0191 3865707
Payment fluctuates at around 35-45p per kilogram and 40 pence per kilogram if it is over 50KG.
More details can be obtained from ALUPRO (Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation). Tel: 0845 7227722 Email: info@alupro.co.uk
Paper
Most of the existing paper banks in County Durham are for paper, junk mail, (remove plastic windows and sleeves) newspapers and magazines (see Household Waste Recycling Sites for details).The Butterwick Hospice also has several newspaper recycling banks. All the proceeds from these banks go directly to the Hospice. These are located at:
- Elm Rd Working Men’s Club car park, Shildon
- Woodhouse Lane Swimming Baths Car Park, Bishop Auckland
- Wards Garage, beside A689, Frosterly
- ASDA, Bishop Auckland
