FAQs

If you cannot find the answer to your question in this section, please email enquiries@ace-uk.co.uk

What are cartons made from?

Cartons are made, on average, from 75% wood fibre in the form of paperboard. A thin layer of plastic (polyethylene) is also required to ensure the carton is water-tight. An even thinner layer of aluminium can also be used to help protect the carton’s contents over long periods. Plastic (mainly low density polyethylene and polypropylene) is used in closures and, as with all the other materials in the carton, is recyclable.

Why do the cartons need aluminium and polyethylene layers?

Very fine aluminium foil serves as a barrier to light, aromas, and oxygen, which enables the contents to last for months without preservatives or refrigeration. The polyethylene acts as a water-tight barrier. It is this resource-efficient combination that allows paperboard – a natural, renewable resource – to be used as the main material.

Where does the wood fibre come from that goes into my carton?

Sweden and Finland provide the vast majority of wood used to produce paperboard for beverage cartons in Europe. The rest comes from the Baltics, South America, Russia (although this is decreasing) and other countries, such as the UK. All of the wood is traceable to legal and acceptable sources.

Where can I recycle my cartons?

ACE UK has worked hard to ensure that almost 90% of local authorities collect cartons. At the moment the majority of these are through bring banks but a growing number (one in three local authorities) now offer kerbside collection and we are pursuing this further. Use our interactive map to find your nearest beverage carton recycling facilities.

Do I have to remove the caps before recycling?

No. The caps can be left on. They will be removed in the recycling process. However, it’s helpful to wash and then squash your carton. The washing helps reduce contamination and squashing helps with space efficiency.

Where do the collected cartons go?

Beverage cartons collected for recycling in the UK are currently being sent to Sweden, Spain or Italy for reprocessing until a new reprocessing plant for cartons has been established in this country. However, due to the high proportion of renewable energy used in these paper mills, this is still a carbon-efficient way to recycle UK cartons.

Is there a UK mill that could be used?

The Smith Anderson mill in Fife used to be able to recycle all cartons collected in the UK, but it had to close in 2006 due largely to the effects of significantly increased energy costs on their main paper recycling business.

Since the closure of Smith Anderson, we have guaranteed that the collection and recycling of all post-consumer beverage cartons has continued uninterrupted. This is the most important thing in helping residents across the UK to recycle as much of their packaging as possible.

Is there a waxy coating on your cartons? Does that make them difficult to recycle?

No, there is no wax in cartons and they are not difficult to recycle. There are various modern mills in Europe that easily recycle cartons. Unfortunately, the technology/equipment in most UK mills cannot at present cope with large volumes of cartons. We are continuing to trial carton recycling at a number of UK facilities and hope to have a UK recycling capacity soon.