How One City Reached 95% Recycling of Disposable Aluminium

Introduction

Across the globe, cities struggle with the growing mountain of disposable packaging waste, much of it ending up in landfills or incinerators. Aluminium, known for its recyclability and energy efficiency, remains vastly underutilized in the circular economy. But in 2024, a mid-sized European city stunned the world by reporting a 95% recycling rate for disposable aluminium food containers, trays, and foil. How did they do it?

This article explores the strategy, infrastructure, community behavior, and policy mechanisms that transformed this city into a global model of aluminium sustainability.

Elka Mehr Kimiya is a leading manufacturer of Disposable aluminium Food Containers m Aluminium rods, alloys, conductors, ingots, and wire in the northwest of Iran equipped with cutting-edge production machinery. Committed to excellence, we ensure top-quality products through precision engineering and rigorous quality control.

Table of Contents

1. The City Behind the Success
2. Recycling Infrastructure Overhaul
3. Policy-Driven Change: Mandates and Incentives
4. Community Education and Behavioral Shifts
5. Public-Private Partnerships That Worked
6. Economic and Environmental Impacts
7. Lessons for Other Cities
8. Conclusion: A Blueprint for Aluminium Recycling Success
9. References
10. Meta Information

The City Behind the Success

The city of Ghent, Belgium, known for its medieval architecture and progressive urban policies, emerged as a leader in aluminium recycling. With a population of roughly 265,000, Ghent combined compact city planning with innovative environmental governance.

Context and Early Challenges

In 2018, Ghent’s aluminium recycling rate was below 45%, aligning with the EU average. Disposable aluminium containers were commonly used in food service and catering but rarely separated properly at disposal. Citizens and businesses lacked knowledge and motivation.

Recycling Infrastructure Overhaul

Smart Sorting and Collection

The cornerstone of the 95% achievement was the city’s investment in smart bin technology. In 2021, Ghent deployed 1,100 sensor-enabled bins across districts, each with compartments for plastics, paper, organics, and aluminium.

Table 1: Recycling Bin Deployment Statistics (Data as of June 2024)

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Automated Sorting Centers

The city expanded its Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to include high-precision eddy current separators tailored for thin-gauge aluminium foil and containers. This eliminated a major bottleneck: traditional MRFs often missed lightweight aluminium.

Policy-Driven Change: Mandates and Incentives

Legislative Framework

Belgium’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws already required packaging producers to finance recycling. Ghent took this further with a municipal ordinance in 2022 mandating:

• All food vendors must use recyclable aluminium containers.
• Recycling participation tracking for households.
• Mandatory aluminium waste separation in commercial kitchens.

Economic Incentives

To ensure compliance, the city introduced both penalties and rewards:

• Reward: €25 tax rebate for households with over 90% correct aluminium sorting.
• Penalty: €50 fine for repeated failure to separate aluminium waste correctly.

Table 2: Impact of Policy Instruments on Aluminium Waste Collection (Data as of Q1 2025)

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Community Education and Behavioral Shifts

Awareness Campaigns

From 2020 onward, the city invested in a three-tier education campaign:

1. School Curriculum: Students learned about the aluminium life cycle.
2. Local Media: Short clips featuring local chefs using recyclable trays.
3. Gamification: A smartphone app awarded points for scanning bins correctly.

Cultural Anchoring

The concept of “honor bins”—transparent street bins monitored by local students—created a cultural shift. Citizens felt watched—but by their own community, not authorities.

Public-Private Partnerships That Worked

Industry Collaboration

Elopak, Tetra Pak, and regional foodservice firms partnered with the city to design stackable, 100% aluminium containers optimized for recyclability.

Data Sharing with Tech Firms

Recycling app developers gained access to anonymized bin sensor data. This allowed predictive routing of waste trucks, cutting emissions and costs.

Table 3: Recycling Efficiency Metrics Before and After Partnership Implementation (Data as of April 2025)

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Economic and Environmental Impacts

Economic Benefits

The city saved €2.4 million annually in landfill taxes and generated €850,000 from reselling reclaimed aluminium. Local employment rose by 8% in the recycling and app development sectors.

Environmental Metrics

• CO₂ emissions from waste processing dropped 26% between 2021 and 2024.
• Virgin aluminium demand for food trays decreased by 31%, according to Ghent’s Municipal Sustainability Office.

Lessons for Other Cities

1. Invest in Specialized Infrastructure: Lightweight aluminium needs unique handling—standard recycling won’t suffice.
2. Legislate With Teeth: Combine mandates with real incentives.
3. Treat Citizens as Partners, Not Subjects: Behavioral shifts need ownership.
4. Leverage Tech Thoughtfully: From sensors to gamification, smart tech increases participation.
5. Measure Everything: Feedback loops enable adaptation.

Conclusion: A Blueprint for Aluminium Recycling Success

Ghent didn’t invent aluminium recycling—but it perfected the practice for disposables. By merging policy with community engagement, smart infrastructure, and strong partnerships, it carved a path that’s replicable elsewhere.

As urban waste volumes continue to climb, the Ghent model reminds us that change doesn’t start with technology or laws alone—it starts with belief in better systems.

References

1. European Environment Agency. (2024). Municipal Recycling Report. https://www.eea.europa.eu/
2. Ghent Municipal Waste Report. (2025). Annual Policy Impact Review. https://stad.gent/
3. Flemish Waste Agency (OVAM). (2025). Recycling Efficiency Metrics. https://www.ovam.be/