Every year we use 13 billion steel and aluminium cans which, end to end, would stretch to the moon three times.

If the 4.8 billion cans used annually in the UK were recycled they would be worth around £38 million. Recycling an aluminium can saves 95% of the energy it would take to make a new one. Aluminium has the highest value of any recyclable packaging material and can be recycled indefinitely.

We use 35 tonnes of aluminium foil each year to wrap food but recycle just 12%. Try and minimise or cut out your use of foil (and cling film); if you must use it, re-use it and then wash and recycle. Start a tinfoil collection box at work or school.

Despite the fact that aluminium recycles so efficiently, one of Europe’s last major wild spaces, the Dimmugljufur canyon in Iceland, home to the pink-footed goose and harbour seal, as well as hundreds of other plant, fish and animal species, is being destroyed to make way for a vast hydro-electric plant in the Karahnjukar area. The rivers and waterfalls that cut through this uninhabitable wilderness hold huge hydropower potential for energy hungry industries and one of the hungriest of the lot is - you’ve guessed it - aluminium!

The Karahnjukar plant is to power a giant aluminium smelter at Reydafjordur built and run by Alcoa, who, amongst other things, manufacture Bacofoil and millions of fizzy drink cans. The project will affect 3,000 square km (an area twice the size of London) of Europe’s second largest remaining wilderness. The effect on the indigenous wildlife will be devastating.

So please, consider the effect that we humans are having by needless consumption and by not recycling. Please help to save what remains of our precious natural environment by Reducing, Re-using and Recycling.