Earlier in the year studies revealed that the United Kingdom was lagging behind many of its European counterparts when it comes to recycling and waste management. This has led to a large number of government schemes and campaigns aimed at reducing waste and increasing the rates of recycling. These measures have been somewhat successful as the recycling rates in the United Kingdom have increased dramatically, mostly due to the efforts of local councils which were pressured to get their citizens to be greener. Although the rates for some things have increased the United Kingdom is still behind when it comes to certain types of recycling. A recent study found that the United Kingdom is below the European average when it comes to the recycling of steel.
The recycling of steel and other scrap metals has been down over the last year, mostly due to the poor economy which has led to many people not buying new cars or remodeling their homes, which are the two biggest contributors to the scrap steel recycling industry. The Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging did a study which found that the United Kingdom recycles about eight percent less than the European average. This put the United Kingdom as the twenty first of twenty nine possible countries. The figures by the AEPSP show that nearly four million tonnes of CO2 have been saved with the recycling of steel.
This study shows that even though the United Kingdom has made great strides over the past two years they still need to do more to reach the European standard.
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