Manchester's cans turned into trees for Africa

Dozens of trees are being planted in a deforested African nation - because of drinks cans collected by Manchester residents.

Manchester City Council signed up to the Alupro charity's Fruit Trees for Malawi campaign last July.

The charity has promised to grow one fruit tree in the impoverished country for every tonne of aluminium drinks cans and foil recycled in the UK until July 2009.

The City Council collected around 80 tonnes of aluminium between last July, when the project started, and last December - amounting to 80 fruit trees being planted in the African nation.

Alupro is running the campaign in partnership with British charity Ripple Africa in a bid to tackle de-forestation, which has been a major problem in Malawi. The initiative is also aimed at improving nutrition and establishing new agricultural businesses in the southern African nation.

The campaign is also aimed at encouraging UK residents to recycle aluminium, which takes only five per cent of the energy needed to make cans and foil from the raw material.

Councillor Eddy Newman, Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: "This is a very worthwhile campaign, and I am pleased to see that recycling work we do here in Manchester is going to help people in Malawi.

"I hope this campaign will encourage Manchester residents to recycle their aluminium drinks cans and foil."

Media contact:

Conrad Astley tel, 0161 234 4027