This milestone represents a 12-fold increase on 2006 levels and follows sustained, close co-operation between ACE UK and its members – Tetra Pak, Elopak and SIG Combibloc – and local authorities and consumer groups, according to ACE UK. When ACE UK’s own bring-bank system is included, 89% of local authorities collect cartons for recycling.

ACE UK is one of the organisations behind the UK’s only carton recycling facility, due to open this summer.  The plant, based at the Sonoco Alcore paper mill near Halifax, West Yorkshire, will be capable of recycling 25,000 tonnes of used beverage cartons annually, creating a domestic market for beverage cartons.

Ceredigion County Council has become the 203rd local authority, out of 406 nationally, to make it easier for residents to recycle cartons by adding them to its kerbside collection scheme.

Councillor Alun Williams, Cabinet member for Transport, Waste and Carbon Management, said: “Ceredigion County Council is always looking for ways to improve its recycling rate and our efforts are greatly assisted by the active participation of Ceredigion residents. We’re delighted that on 1 April we were able to start collecting cartons along with other recyclable material and helped push coverage of kerbside collections by local authorities to over 50% in the UK.”

“In the year that the UK’s only dedicated recycling facility for cartons is scheduled to open, we are extremely pleased that our strategy to increase kerbside collection and make it easier for residents to recycle cartons is also paying dividends”, added Richard Hands, chief executive of ACE UK.