Recycling boost in Birmingham

In partnership with Smurfit Kappa Recycling, Birmingham City Council encouraged its residents to make recycling their resolution in 2008. If recycling levels for paper and card are shown to be higher than they were in January 2007, Smurfit Kappa will donate money to charity.

Commercial Manager for Smurfit Kappa Recycling in Birmingham, Dave Cowing (pictured, left, with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Randal Brew), said: "With the festive period accounting for three million tonnes of the UK's annual waste, we are keen to ensure that as much as possible is diverted from landfill sites and into our paper mill where it can be recycled into packaging materials to protect new products on their journey from factory or farm to homes."

Festive waste, such as gift catalogues, Christmas cards, envelopes, wrapping paper and mince pie boxes, are among the paper and card items that residents were encouraged to recycle through recycling banks and the Council's kerbside collection scheme. After collection, this "mixed paper" grade material is transported directly to the local Smurfit Kappa paper mill where it is recycled. It is estimated that 40,000 tonnes of paper and card from kerbside collections and paper banks will pass through Smurfit Kappa's doors in 2007/08.

The results of this initiative will be announced later this month. If residents have been successful in recycling more, Smurfit Kappa Recycling will make a donation to the Lord Mayor of Birmingham's Charities, which include the Birmingham Scout Association, Birmingham Guide Association, Edward's Trust and St Mary's Hospice.