Fruit trees planted in Malawi thanks to aluminium recycling

A FRUIT tree will be planted in Malawi for every tonne of aluminium drinks cans and foil recycled in Ribble Valley over the next two years.
Ribble Valley Borough Council has signed up to a scheme launched by aluminium recycling organisation Alupro and British charity Ripple Africa, aimed at tackling de-forestation and establishing new fruit drying and juicing businesses.

Ribble Valley Borough Council's waste management officer, Peter McGeorge, said: "As recycling aluminium is 20 times more efficient than making it from the raw material, bauxite, recycling drinks cans and foil saves large amounts of energy and thanks to this scheme will also contribute towards planting 85,000 trees in rural Malawi.

"The potential for this scheme to make a real difference to building a sustainable future in Malawi is enormous. At the moment, the only fruit trees in the area are imported in small numbers from South Africa, so combining a good source of fruit tree stock with training at Ripple Africa's demonstration nursery is going to help a lot of people.

"All Ribble Valley residents have to do to ensure this happens is recycle their aluminium drinks cans and clean foil containers. The more aluminium that is recycled, the more fruit trees will be planted."

About half the new trees will be grown from seed in 75 existing nurseries and the remainder produced in new greenhouses at Ripple Africa's base on Lake Malawi, before being sold to individuals and small community businesses.

Ribble Valley residents can recycle their aluminium in their blue wheelie bin or, if they are not yet part of the council's three-stream waste collection scheme, at their nearest Household Waste Disposal Centre.

Further details are available at www.ribblevalley.co.uk