Everyone who recycles aluminium drinks cans and foil in Shrewsbury & Atcham is helping grow fruit trees in Malawi. Latest figures show that in the past year we have all contributed to growing 88 grafted orange trees for families in rural Malawi, and the more we recycle, the more fruit trees will be grown.
On a recent visit to the project Cherry Hamson, of sponsoring not for profit metal recycling organisation Alupro, photographed the first seedlings growing in special nurseries started by British charity Ripple Africa. “The plant label acknowledging the contribution made by people in Shrewsbury & Atcahm will be given to local community orchards when the trees are planted out” says Cherry. “This was an idea from one of the Ripple team, who said how great it would be if people in the rural Malawian villages felt a connection to the communities in the UK which had helped them so much be providing the fruit trees.”
The first grafted trees have now been produced by trainees learning their new horticultural skills at the project, and are being cared for at Ripple Africa’s base on the shores of Lake Malawi, where they will be subject to trials for disease and drought resistance.
As well as providing a greenhouse, training and materials, Alupro is making sure that a fruit tree is grown to maturity for every tonne of aluminium drinks cans and foil recycled in the UK. This is to encourage everyone to recycle, by demonstrating how saving energy saved through recycling is linked to environmental challenges in Africa. Recycling aluminium is 20 times more efficient than making it from the raw material bauxite.
Cllr Judith Williams, Portfolio Holder for recycling & horticulture in Shrewsbury, says “We are delighted that after just one year, our efforts in recycling Aluminium have been responsible for giving nearly a hundred fruit trees to the project. I hope people keep up recycling their drinks cans and tin foil, which will deliver environmental benefits to Shrewsbury & Atcham but also help to help build a sustainable future for these communities in Malawi.”
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