Environment

The Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has emphasised that the availability of recycled aluminium is good, despite some organisations stockpiling material.

Alupro communications director Cherry Hamson said that it appears that some waste management companies and local authorities are "hanging onto aluminium waiting for the price to come back".

The price of aluminium has halved in recent weeks from £900 to £450, but Hamson is confident that the prices will return.

She emphasised that the drop in price of aluminium reflects a fall in prices across all recycled material markets.

This month steel prices fell to £0/tonne caused by a massive decline for steel products in the construction and automotive industries, Corus told Packaging News.

Corus had been paying £10/tonne for scrap steel, which is used in packaging, at the end of October, a figure that was already hugely depressed after falling from £95/tonne at the start of October. In May it was paying £235/tonne for the material.