Top 50 Indie Chartman Group has introduced aluminium can recycling facilities at its award-winning flagship Winning Post site at Haldon Hill on the A38 outside Exeter, in a pilot scheme for the forecourt sector.

Chartman director Clive Sheppard said it had introduced three recycling bins to encourage more recycling on forecourts.

He added: “We hope to scale this up to all eight Chartman sites after Christmas, and then in turn, through the PRA, the whole forecourt industry, thereby making a significant contribution to recycling activity.”

The recycling scheme has been organised by Every Can Counts, which is sponsored by the metal industry and drinks companies including Red Bull and AG Barr. It aims to promote drinks can recycling and has set up a national programme.

Jonathan Easthope, brand manager of Every Can Counts, explained that its research showed that 44% of drinks cans were consumed outside the home, but in many cases where people wanted to recycle their cans there were no facilities.

Every Can Counts saw there was a need for recycling facilities at forecourts and partnered with the PRA to locate a forward-thinking forecourt company to trial the programme. Chartman was the first PRA member to express an interest.

Easthope explained: “Every Can Counts understands that making recycling work for the petrol forecourt industry should be a collaborative process, as well as be quick and easy to implement.

“Every Can Counts has helped Chartman by working with its current recycling and waste contractor in place and has introduced drinks cans recycling bins at the Winning Post forecourt and provided communications materials such as posters and table talkers for the petrol station. The bins and communications materials were introduced at the beginning of November.

“The programme will help to make refuse areas tidier and more attractive on the petrol forecourt and ensures that the recycling message is clear enough for people to understand and use.

“Practically, the scheme also helps petrol forecourts to meet Waste Regulations that are now in force across the UK requiring businesses to separate recyclable material from other waste. Visible recycling also demonstrates to employees, customers and suppliers the message that you are serious about doing your bit for the environment.”

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