Sefton Council named Winner of the 'BAMA Can Do Awards'

THE British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association (BAMA) has announced Sefton Council as the national winner of 'The BAMA Can Do Awards 2012' for running the best recycling communication campaign that includes empty aerosols.

BAMA is the leading trade association for the aerosols sector and the Can Do Awards, celebrate and reward local authorities who show exemplary practice in communicating to householders the benefits of recycling aerosols. Sefton Council was nominated for the award by Palm Recycling Ltd with whom they partnered for the communications campaign.  Judges praised Sefton's campaign in its entirety, but highlighted the Public/Private partnership underpinning the activity between Palm Recycling and Sefton Borough Council. The campaign boosted capture rates of metal packaging recycling as well as significantly increasing the percentage split of cans collected at the kerbside (a remarkable 50% increase was recorded).

The presentation was made in Crosby, Merseyside by Chief Executive of BAMA, Dr John Morris, to representatives from Sefton Council including Cabinet Member, Councillor Ian Moncur (Children, Schools, Families and Leisure). Sefton Council was awarded the covetable prize of a £1200 changeable graphic display system for three recycling vehicles, donated by BAMA's prize sponsor, Epic Media Group. These customised graphics will act as advertisements on the vehicles for a 3 year period. The Council also received an engraved trophy and a framed certificate.

The BAMA Can Do Awards form part of a long-term and highly successful campaign initiated by BAMA. Since 2001 the proportion of local authorities which include empty aerosols for recycling has significantly improved, from approximately 7% to over 87% now. 

Dr John Morris of BAMA, explains:- "Aerosols are usually made of high grade, recyclable metal so we have been encouraging local authorities to ensure that they collect empty aerosols as this can make an important contribution to sustainability.  The 'Can Do Awards' are just one of the ways we have been encouraging more aerosol recycling. Recycling success depends on communicating to local residents and local authorities working together. The partnership of Sefton Council and Palm Recycling demonstrated a good mix of promotional and editorial work as well as face-to-face contact through a series of road-shows. Their 'recycle more things more often' has captured the consumers attention and by promoting recycling household metals such as aerosols, they have increased their recycling rates significantly."

Research shows that many consumers are still not aware that they can recycle their empty aerosols with their other metal recyclables. Dr Morris explained:- "BAMA's long-standing campaign has helped encourage over four-fifths of all local authorities to recycle empty aerosols from households. Our aim is to encourage the remaining Councils to follow suit. The 'Can Do Awards' are a way of highlighting best practice in a really positive way as once an authority has opted to accept empty aerosols for recycling, success depends on communicating this to householders.  We are immensely grateful to Kevin Murton and his team at Epic Media Group for so generously providing the prize once again this year. Communicating via messages on recycling vehicles is a powerful means of getting the message across as Sefton's campaign demonstrated. Epic's generous prize will enable an additional three vehicles to help spread the empty aerosol recycling message." ...continued...