Date published: 14 July 2026
Residents are being urged to ‘foil in love with recycling’ as part of a new campaign.
An estimated 11.2 million aluminium foil trays are used by households across the district every year, but many still end up in the black bin even though aluminium can be recycled again and again.
Wychavon is aiming to change that by joining forces with Worcestershire-based aluminium packaging recycling organisation Alupro.
The campaign will use a mix of advertising messages to remind households aluminium foil can now be recycled in their green bin at the kerbside. This will include eye-catching posters on collection vehicles, advertising on petrol pumps, railway stations and on social media.
Pictured: Cllr Emma Stokes, Wychavon's Executive Board Member for Resources, Investment and Innovation with Julie Meeks, Administration Manager for Alupro.
All types of aluminium foil can be recycled, including kitchen foil, takeaway trays, meat trays, pie cases and even yoghurt pot lids. Foil should be reasonably clean - it doesn’t have to be spotless - and scrunched into a ball before being put in the green bin.
Some items appear to be foil but are, in fact, metallic plastic, such as crisp packets, pet food pouches, baby food pouches and foil-lined chocolate and sweet wrappers. Residents are advised to perform the scrunch test to check whether something is foil. If an item holds its shape, then it can go in the green bin. If it springs back, put it in the black bin or check whether it can be recycled through a supermarket soft plastics recycling scheme.
Cllr Emma Stokes, Wychavon’s Executive Board Member for Resources, Investment and Innovation, said: “Wychavon residents are already enthusiastic recyclers, and this campaign will help them capture even more valuable material that might otherwise end up in the black bin. We also shouldn’t forget other types of aluminium like empty aerosols and drinks cans, which are often overlooked. By working together, we can rescue more of this precious metal from the bin and put it into the recycling system where it belongs.”
Tom Giddings, Executive Director from Alupro, added: “Aluminium is an amazing material that never degrades in quality when recycled, meaning it can be recycled again and again. Unfortunately, about 30% of all aluminium produced in the UK is lost as it doesn’t end up in recycling bins. That’s something we need to change and campaigns like this are a great way to get that message out to residents.”