A COMMUNITY group is asking recyclers in Dorset to take their efforts to the next level.

Dorset Reclaim, which has depots across Dorset, is asking residents to save all their clean foil and take it to the yellow foil recycling banks around the county to boost recycling rates and raise funds for the group.

Ray Tovey, project manager at Dorset Reclaim, said: "Recycling foil and other aluminium packaging is easy – just rinse any items like foil trays and take all of your recycling to one of the recycling banks sited in the county.

"Remember - items like crisp packets look like aluminium but are actually plastic - if you’re not sure, take the scrunch test.

"Just scrunch the packet up in your fist and if it springs back, it cannot be recycled, if it stays scrunched it is!"

Ray added: "Recycling aluminium and other metal packaging delivers big environmental benefits – metal packaging can be recycled again and again with no loss of quality, saving over 95 per cent of the energy used to make it from raw material.

"We can all do ‘our bit’ in Dorset by recycling clean foil in the banks sited in the county.”

Locations of the yellow foil recycling banks include Southill car park in Radipole Lane, Weymouth, Morrisons in Dorchester Road, Weymouth, Turberville Court car park in Bere Regis, North Beach car park in Swanage, Streche Road car park in Wareham, the D'Urberville Centre in Collier Road, Wool and the Fairfield Market car park in Dorchester.

Dorset Reclaim volunteers, including those with learning disabilities, help process aluminium foil to raise funds.

The foil recycling banks are emptied regularly by the group, who then sort and compact the aluminium before it is sold for recycling.

The recycling project is going from strength to strength and all contributions of recycled aluminium foil, no matter how large or small, will be gratefully received.

However, it is important the group has good quality clean foil so the recycling project can continue.

Once the aluminium has been processed, the foil is melted down and is re-used to make items such as engine parts, offering a very efficient way of saving energy and natural resources.

The foil recycling project has been supported by The Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) and was set up with the help of the Dorset Waste Partnership.

Chairman of the Dorset Waste Partnership joint committee Cllr Anthony Alford said: "Dorset Reclaim took over the county's foil recycling banks nearly two years ago and have helped recycle over 2,294 tonnes of foil which would otherwise not have been recycled.

"I would like to thank everyone who use the foil recycling banks in the county."

To contact Dorset Reclaim call 01202 773384.