Council’s Malawi promise

RECYCLERS in the Vale of Glamorgan have been turning their tinfoil into trees.

The Vale council has become the first in Wales to sign up to a scheme which promises to grow fruit trees in Malawi.

The scheme aims to grow a fruit tree in the African country for every ton of aluminium drinks cans and foil recycled over the next two years.

The more Vale residents recycle, the more trees will be grown, with an overall target of 85,000 trees.

Recycling aluminium is good for the environment, because it is 20 times more efficient than making it from the raw material, bauxite.

Vale residents can recycle their aluminium cans at the kerbside by using the council’s free collection service which also enables them to recycle paper, glass, clean plastic and cardboard.

The initiative is being run by not-for-profit organisation Alupro, in partnership with British charity Ripple Africa. The scheme will help to tackle de-forestation and establish new businesses for fruit drying and juicing in Malawi.

About half the new trees – producing guava and paw paw fruits – will be grown from seed in 75 existing nurseries.

Ruth Meeke, of Alupro, said: “This is a very exciting development for the area, tackling three of the main problems people face – poverty, nutrition and deforestation.

“Growing high-value trees means that they will not be chopped down for firewood, which is a major cause of deforestation, leading to poor soil and crop failure.”

Councillor Rob Curtis, the Vale’s cabinet member for visible services, said: “All people have to do to make sure this all happens is to recycle all their aluminium drinks cans using the council’s free kerbside collection service and their foil in the special banks at our bring sites.”