A NEW campaign is urging the people of Oxford to make their metals matter after research showed residents do not always recycle their rubbish.

Every resident uses an estimated 79 cans, aerosols, aluminium trays and wrapping foils in their homes every year – all of which can be recycled at a lower cost than making them new.

But research by the city council shows not all residents are aware their metal packaging has the potential to be recycled endlessly, meaning less items are recycled in general.

The council has now teamed up with the metal packaging manufacturing industry and recyclers to launch the MetalMatters campaign to raise awareness of the importance of recycling.

Councillor John Tanner, executive board member for cleaner, greener Oxford, said: "We’re calling on residents to make their metals matter by recycling them.

"Recycling metal packaging will not only stop it from being wastefully incinerated, it will stop more metals from needlessly being dug out of the earth.

"Every can recycled saves enough energy to run a TV for four hours, so a small action like putting your empty bean tin in the recycling bag, box or bin can make a big difference."

The process of recycling involves melting the metal before it is cast into ingots, which are sent on for manufacturing.

The recycled metal is then used to produce all sorts of everyday items like cameras, irons, iPods and kettles as well as food tins and cans.

The research shows if all the metal packaging used in Oxford each year was recycled it would save around 2,151 tonnes of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of taking more than 457 cars off the road for a year.

The campaign is being jointly funded by MetalMatters, an industry partnership comprising the UK’s leading producers, users and recyclers of metal packaging, and Oxford City Council.

MetalMatters is run by the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) on behalf of the funding partners.

Rick Hindley, executive director of Alupro, said: "It is great to be able to work in partnership with Oxford City Council to promote the recycling of metal packaging in Oxford.

"The MetalMatters programme has delivered significant increases in the volumes of metal packaging collected for recycling in other parts of the UK, so we’re aiming to repeat – and hopefully better this – in Oxford."

For more information about recycling in Oxford visit: oxford.gov.uk/recycling.

For more information on the project visit: metalmatters.org.uk.