Recycling and limiting deforestation

As part of its new tree-planting programme, the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has released school resources to encourage children to see the links between energy saving through recycling and limiting deforestation. The campaign focuses on a sustainable fruit-tree-growing project in Malawi that increases in scope as more aluminium cans and foil are recycled in the UK.

Alupro's previous tree-planting campaigns resulted in the growth of 100,000 trees in Burkina Faso, West Africa, and helped to increase aluminium recycling in the UK by 47 per cent between 2003 and 2006. The new campaign, operated by the small British charity, Ripple Africa, goes even further, by introducing community nurseries in Malawi and training local people to graft improved fruit varieties onto local stock.

Back in the UK, school pupils will learn about the principles of sustainable development. They will be encouraged to recycle more cans and foil, as a fruit tree will be planted for every tonne of aluminium recycled.

Teachers can also win a trip to visit schools in Malawi by making a video showing what helping the environment means in their school. The winners will help further the cultural exchange by taking part in a video about Malawi's environmental story, which will be shown to schoolchildren in the UK.