Birmingham City Council and paper recycler Smurfit Kappa
Recycling have scooped a prestigious European award in recognition of the
impact of a recent campaign to encourage more of the public and businesses
to take part in paper and cardboard recycling.
The Be Part of Birmingham's Paper Chain campaign, a joint initiative between
the Council, Smurfit Kappa Recycling and WRAP, won the best information and
education category at the 2011 European Recovered Paper Council Awards in
Brussels last night.
The award acknowledged the significant impact of a special campaign
targeting over 93,000 homes in areas of the city where paper recycling rates
are generally lower than elsewhere.
As well as a media campaign to promote the recycling, a series of adverts
were produced on bill boards, vehicles and in local libraries, while
promotional material was sent directly to every home in the target areas.
The campaign not only encouraged people to recycle more, but also explained
how paper is recycled locally at Smurfit Kappa's paper mill in Nechells, and
what the benefits of this are. Birmingham provides the feedstock for the
paper mill and Smurfit Kappa contributes to the local economy providing
employment for 130 people and many more in the city in ancillary roles. The
mill provides a constant, reliable outlet for the City's collected paper and
its proximity ensures carbon emissions are kept to a minimum.
Managing Director of Smurfit Kappa Recycling, Simon Weston, said: "We have a
long history of working with the council and the local community to increase
the amount of local material we recycle and are particularly proud of what
has been achieved through this partnership project in terms of awareness and
increased tonnages."
Since the partnership between Smurfit Kappa Recycling and Birmingham City
Council was first formed in 1993 the amount of paper recovered from the
waste stream for recycling has increased from 750 tonnes to around 40,000
tonnes today. This is the equivalent of 73.5 kg of paper per household per
year, compared to an average of just 53.62 kg across other cities in the
country.
Cllr Timothy Huxtable, Cabinet Member for Transport, Environment and
Regeneration, said: "I am delighted to see the innovative work officers and
members have put into promoting recycling recognised in this way, and would
also like to say a big thank you to every member of the public who is
working with us to drive recycling rates every higher."