Swapping cans for trees

Carlisle recycling initiative aims to grow trees in Africa

Carlisle residents who recycle their tin cans and foil will be helping to grow 100 fruit trees in Africa.

Over the next two years, one tree will be planted for every tonne of aluminium drinks cans and foil recycled. As residents currently recycle around 100 tonnes of aluminium cans a year, around 100 trees are expected to be planted in Malawi but Carlisle City Council is urging residents to increase their recycling rate even further.

Around 45,000 householders can recycle tin cans from their kerbside using Greenboxes supplied by the City Council. Tin foil can be recycled at Asda; Union Lane car park, Brampton; Bousteads Grassing Household Waste Recycling Centre; Townhead car park, Dalston; Longtown Community Centre; Morrisons and Tescos, Warwick Road.

Recycling aluminium is 20 times more efficient than making it from the raw material, bauxite, so getting the recycling habit saves massive amounts of energy, and now will also help reach the target of growing 85,000 trees in rural Malawi.

The initiative is being run by not for profit organisation Alupro in partnership with British charity Ripple Africa in a bid to tackle de-forestation, improve nutrition and, as crop volumes improve, establish new businesses for fruit drying and juicing.

Councillor Ray Bloxham, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Infrastructure said:

The more aluminium cans and foil Carlisle residents recycle, the more fruit trees will be grown in Africa. The city currently has one of the UK's best recycling rates and I'm sure this scheme will act as another reason to recycle even more.

Currently the only improved fruit trees in the area - such as mango, orange and lemon - are imported in very small numbers from South Africa, so combining a source of good fruit tree stock with training at Ripple Africa's demonstration nursery is going to help a lot of people.