Friday 19th April 2024
Our aluminium collection scheme to amass vast numbers of discarded and quality used cans is extraordinarily successful, evidenced by our statistics.
Since October '22 we have returned in the region of 5500 kg of cans to recycling.
Convert this to can numbers, taking the average at 14g/can, this equates to 390,000 units!
And as a by-product, we have accumulated a total of £4634.85. Arguably a record for a UK litter-picking group. 🤔
Regarding the glitch in our income from EMR, I hope my pressure on management has convinced them that our cans are worth the going rate and we won't be fobbed off by anything less. £££
Robin Francis
LPWRM Treasurer
Our aluminium collection scheme to amass vast numbers of discarded and quality used cans is extraordinarily successful, evidenced by our statistics.
Since October '22 we have returned in the region of 5500 kg of cans to recycling.
Convert this to can numbers, taking the average at 14g/can, this equates to 390,000 units!
And as a by-product, we have accumulated a total of £4634.85. Arguably a record for a UK litter-picking group. 🤔
Regarding the glitch in our income from EMR, I hope my pressure on management has convinced them that our cans are worth the going rate and we won't be fobbed off by anything less. £££
Robin Francis
LPWRM Treasurer
Friday 16th February 2024
From the germ of an idea in September 2022 to a reliable revenue stream in 2024; this is the story of our cans-for-cash initiative.
The return of aluminium cans in a closed loop is the logical, green alternative to the heavy carbon footprint of using raw materials. We have tapped into this exciting project and to date(16/02/2024) we have delivered to our chosen recycler – EMR in Ashford, Kent – 4768 kg of, almost exclusively, crushed aluminium cans which has netted us £4083! The market rate fluctuates dependent on supply and demand, dropping off towards the year end but recovering in early Spring.
Without the continued efforts of our energetic can collectors on litter picking tasks and servicing our can suppliers, plus the ongoing support of sales outlets, this achievement would have been impossible.
Thank you to everyone involved and may we look forward to another successful year!
Robin Francis
LPWRM Treasurer
From the germ of an idea in September 2022 to a reliable revenue stream in 2024; this is the story of our cans-for-cash initiative.
The return of aluminium cans in a closed loop is the logical, green alternative to the heavy carbon footprint of using raw materials. We have tapped into this exciting project and to date(16/02/2024) we have delivered to our chosen recycler – EMR in Ashford, Kent – 4768 kg of, almost exclusively, crushed aluminium cans which has netted us £4083! The market rate fluctuates dependent on supply and demand, dropping off towards the year end but recovering in early Spring.
Without the continued efforts of our energetic can collectors on litter picking tasks and servicing our can suppliers, plus the ongoing support of sales outlets, this achievement would have been impossible.
Thank you to everyone involved and may we look forward to another successful year!
Robin Francis
LPWRM Treasurer
Monday 9th October 2023
This is my car/trailer loaded up with 24 bags of cans destined for EMR, Ashford tomorrow. Today, however, we crashed through the £3000 ceiling, completely exceeding my wildest expectations of one year of independent funding. £3035.95 to be exact, with a further £90 -£100 tomorrow.
I'm not saying it's been easy.....all the collecting and crushing takes a lot of your time and effort. But it's all been worth it and you can all give yourselves a massive pat on the back. Thank you all for your conTINued support with our ali initiative. Here's to another successful 12 months.🎈🎉🎊
Robin Francis
LPWRM Treasuerer
This is my car/trailer loaded up with 24 bags of cans destined for EMR, Ashford tomorrow. Today, however, we crashed through the £3000 ceiling, completely exceeding my wildest expectations of one year of independent funding. £3035.95 to be exact, with a further £90 -£100 tomorrow.
I'm not saying it's been easy.....all the collecting and crushing takes a lot of your time and effort. But it's all been worth it and you can all give yourselves a massive pat on the back. Thank you all for your conTINued support with our ali initiative. Here's to another successful 12 months.🎈🎉🎊
Robin Francis
LPWRM Treasuerer
Tuesday 20th June 2023
Another epic milestone in our aluminium recycling campaign achieved today. ♻️
On the 31st visit to EMR today we've racked up the amazing total of £2000.45!
Never in my wildest dreams did I believe this possible in around 8 months. It's testament to the continued efforts of us all, including our stakeholders in pubs, clubs, cafés etc; not forgetting private individuals supporting our recycling endeavours.
Brilliant work, everyone. ❤️ 🙌🙌
Robin Francis.
Treasurer
Another epic milestone in our aluminium recycling campaign achieved today. ♻️
On the 31st visit to EMR today we've racked up the amazing total of £2000.45!
Never in my wildest dreams did I believe this possible in around 8 months. It's testament to the continued efforts of us all, including our stakeholders in pubs, clubs, cafés etc; not forgetting private individuals supporting our recycling endeavours.
Brilliant work, everyone. ❤️ 🙌🙌
Robin Francis.
Treasurer
Tuesday 2nd May 2023
Time for an update on our can collection campaign. But before I amaze you with statistics I want to offer everyone involved my sincere thanks for keeping up the pressure in foraging for cans, collecting cans and crushing cans and for getting them to me. #EveryCanCounts. Also, full marks to all the drinks can outlets and individuals that support our litter picking activities by putting aside their empty cans for collection. 👏👏
Now for the stats:-
Number of deliveries to EMR in Ashford .....23
Weight of cans........1621kg
Approx. number of cans....112,000
Value of cans.....£1480.45
Total sales.....£1563.45 ( This includes a few batteries, some brass and frag feed collected by Paul, mainly in the shape of nitrous oxide cylinders.
So, my second target of £1500 has been smashed well and truly and we are on our way to our first million!
If any budding inventors out there can design and build an industrial can crusher, please let me know.
Well done everyone ♻️
Robin Francis
Treasurer
Time for an update on our can collection campaign. But before I amaze you with statistics I want to offer everyone involved my sincere thanks for keeping up the pressure in foraging for cans, collecting cans and crushing cans and for getting them to me. #EveryCanCounts. Also, full marks to all the drinks can outlets and individuals that support our litter picking activities by putting aside their empty cans for collection. 👏👏
Now for the stats:-
Number of deliveries to EMR in Ashford .....23
Weight of cans........1621kg
Approx. number of cans....112,000
Value of cans.....£1480.45
Total sales.....£1563.45 ( This includes a few batteries, some brass and frag feed collected by Paul, mainly in the shape of nitrous oxide cylinders.
So, my second target of £1500 has been smashed well and truly and we are on our way to our first million!
If any budding inventors out there can design and build an industrial can crusher, please let me know.
Well done everyone ♻️
Robin Francis
Treasurer
The Humble Drinks Can by Robin Francis
Can Collection Box and Cans Picked Up on a Litter Pick.
.NOx Cylinders Dismantled and Other NOx Rubbish Collected While Litter Picking.
Our Haul being Weighed and Some of the Bags Collected.
We are all familiar with the humble drinks can, but do we all know where it started life?
It’s origin is in the far north of Australia around Weipa in Queensland, or Guinea in West Africa, or Guyana, Suriname or Brazil in South America where it exists as bauxite ore. This is the largest naturally existing mineral in the world. Mined from just beneath the surface, this ore is then transported halfway around the world.
Aluminium smelting has become unviable in the U.K. so we have to import our domestic requirements. Since it takes 4 tonnes of bauxite to produce 1 tonne of refined aluminium using vast amounts of energy, it obviously pays to recycle existing material. And this is where LPWRM enters the scene.
We are currently collecting used beverage cans (UBCs) not just from our litter picking activities, but also from local drinks purveyors such as pubs, clubs, cafés etc. who have kindly agreed to assist us. Not forgetting the small army of individuals who have signed up to help!
The UBCs are then crushed to save space and then sold on to a local metal recycling facility.
The revenue generated is used to finance our running expenses. To date (5/12/22) we have sold 237kg of cans which equates to approximately 14,000 units.
The cans pictured above will be back on the shelf within around 60 days after being shredded, baled, checked magnetically, smelted, rolled to a hair’s breadth, reformed and repainted. All this uses a fraction of the energy used to create cans from virgin aluminium. And the cans are infinitely recyclable!
If the above has inspired you to join our campaign, please feel free to email our treasurer at [email protected] to discover the whys and wherefores of becoming a can collector.
It’s origin is in the far north of Australia around Weipa in Queensland, or Guinea in West Africa, or Guyana, Suriname or Brazil in South America where it exists as bauxite ore. This is the largest naturally existing mineral in the world. Mined from just beneath the surface, this ore is then transported halfway around the world.
Aluminium smelting has become unviable in the U.K. so we have to import our domestic requirements. Since it takes 4 tonnes of bauxite to produce 1 tonne of refined aluminium using vast amounts of energy, it obviously pays to recycle existing material. And this is where LPWRM enters the scene.
We are currently collecting used beverage cans (UBCs) not just from our litter picking activities, but also from local drinks purveyors such as pubs, clubs, cafés etc. who have kindly agreed to assist us. Not forgetting the small army of individuals who have signed up to help!
The UBCs are then crushed to save space and then sold on to a local metal recycling facility.
The revenue generated is used to finance our running expenses. To date (5/12/22) we have sold 237kg of cans which equates to approximately 14,000 units.
The cans pictured above will be back on the shelf within around 60 days after being shredded, baled, checked magnetically, smelted, rolled to a hair’s breadth, reformed and repainted. All this uses a fraction of the energy used to create cans from virgin aluminium. And the cans are infinitely recyclable!
If the above has inspired you to join our campaign, please feel free to email our treasurer at [email protected] to discover the whys and wherefores of becoming a can collector.
March 2023
Since my last article on the “birth” of the aluminium can and its renaissance via recycling, the campaign to raise funds for Litter Picking Watch Romney Marsh (LPWRM) has gone from strength to strength; indeed, an exponential expansion.
Cans are sourced from our regular organised and individual litter picks as well as our valued and considerable donations from a wide range of local pubs, clubs, cafés, sports venues, etc. Watch members have also established collection networks involving their neighbours and friends.
In addition to the 20+ original sources of cans in Lydd, New Romney, Ivychurch, St. Mary’s Bay, Greatstone, Littlestone and Dymchurch, my Eastern Front ‘agent’ in Hythe has identified a further 9 potential can donors.
We are fortunate to have a close working relationship with EveryCanCounts.co.uk which supplies us with boxes and bags and EMR Recycling in Ashford where our cans are converted into cash. I am delighted to announce that we have delivered a total of ONE TONNE of rolled aluminium to EMR and raised over £1000 since October 2022. This has enabled us to purchase litter picking grabbers and bag rings, hi-viz
clothing, corporate uniform, four litter picking trollies from Helping Hands with separate compartments for general rubbish and recycling and facilitated maintenance on our equipment trailer.
This is an ongoing project for which LPWRM members can be justifiably proud.
Robin Francis
Treasurer.
If the above has inspired you to join our campaign, please feel free to email our treasurer at [email protected] to discover the whys and wherefores of becoming a can collector.
Monday 16th January 2023.
Another visit to our metal recycling centre (my seventh) with my car rammed full of ali can bags. A record weight of 73 kg earning us a record divi of £62. That's a total of £116.50 this year alone! Another bonus is the return to the earlier price of £850/MT.
Robin Francis
Another visit to our metal recycling centre (my seventh) with my car rammed full of ali can bags. A record weight of 73 kg earning us a record divi of £62. That's a total of £116.50 this year alone! Another bonus is the return to the earlier price of £850/MT.
Robin Francis
Tuesday 10th January 2023
Yesterday I made my sixth visit to EMR in Ashford and sold 72 kg of ali cans for £54.50, accumulating a total of £325.45 since my initial visit on 10th October last year. Total weight is 383kg; taking the average can weight as 16g, this equates to approx. 23,000cans!
This breaks down to an 80/20 split, empties from pubs, clubs, cafés, individuals/ tossed litter recovered from streets, parks, ditches etc.
Not bad for an enterprise started 4 months ago! Couldn't have been achieved without the outstanding effort of all you participants beavering away. I applaud you all and wish you a very happy 2023. Robin Francis
Yesterday I made my sixth visit to EMR in Ashford and sold 72 kg of ali cans for £54.50, accumulating a total of £325.45 since my initial visit on 10th October last year. Total weight is 383kg; taking the average can weight as 16g, this equates to approx. 23,000cans!
This breaks down to an 80/20 split, empties from pubs, clubs, cafés, individuals/ tossed litter recovered from streets, parks, ditches etc.
Not bad for an enterprise started 4 months ago! Couldn't have been achieved without the outstanding effort of all you participants beavering away. I applaud you all and wish you a very happy 2023. Robin Francis