APTUS offers free “Return to Recycle” route for its customers
In a world of plastic products, it is concerning that so little of this is recycled. Over 300 million tonnes of plastic packaging is produced each year and as little as 21% is even recycled or at best incinerated. This simply cannot be sustained for the good of our planet or aquatic environments. How often have you noticed that when returning from a shopping trip that once the items are removed from its packaging that you often have more plastic waste than you do actual items you bought?
Despite being a relatively new name in the carp tackle market Aptus have started to make their presence felt especially in its environmentally minded approach to supplying their items in sustainable packaging and also donating 1% of its total sales revenue annually to “One Percent For Water” which is directly targeted towards projects that affect real change and benefit UK waterways.
In an industry first, the forward-thinking company contacted the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme (ANLRS) with a proposal to offer all its customers a postage paid route to return old line, braid and other smaller plastic tackle items that would otherwise often end up in landfill to them so that they can be recycled via the ANLRS and their UK recycling partner.
So how does it work?
Any Aptus customer with an online account can download a pre-paid label from their website when placing an order and use this to send old line, small plastic tackle items and even the single use packaging (SUP) that so many companies supply tackle items in. The company are encouraging their customers to use the sustainable packaging that their order is delivered in to return these plastic items for recycling. It is not just items sold by Aptus that can be returned via this scheme so line and tackle items from any manufacturer can be sent back knowing that they will be recycled. The freepost label can be attached to any package up to 350mm x 250mm x 25mm (Royal Mail Large Letter) and weigh up to 250g, which doesn’t sound much, but is ample for what is going to be in the packages. It is simply then a case of sticking the postage paid label to the package and drop it into the Post Box. Once returned to the ANLRS the items will be sorted as required and everything, including the packaging, will be sent to be recycled via ReWorked, who currently take all the line and plastic spools collected by the ANLRS.
Jack Sherrin, Aptus Managing Director, commented
“We want to create real solutions to the biggest threats our waters face. One of those threats is plastic pollution, including fishing line, tackle items and packaging. We are pleased to announce we’ve chosen the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme as our recycling partner for our new Return to Recycle scheme. We believe the onus for environmental responsibility – including providing customers with access to recycling – lies with us as the manufacturer, so we’ve made recycling plastic tackle waste as easy and accessible to our customers as possible. But it must be acknowledged that an industry wide approach is needed to make a meaningful difference. The ANLRS is ideally positioned to facilitate a monumental step forward for environmental responsibility in our industry, and I would encourage any angling business that has not done so already, to contact the ANLRS and take that step forward today.“
Viv Shears, Co-Founder of the ANLRS added
“When Jack at Aptus got in contact with his idea it felt like a landmark moment for not only anglers but also the tackle industry. The amount of plastics used for packaging in the angling industry is huge and creating a route to ensure some of this is recycled is a brilliant first step in the need to minimise the impact of plastics from angling activities including tackle purchases.
We, at the ANLRS, would like to think other companies would follow suit in supporting us with similar schemes as well as financially. After all, when it comes to environmental issues like plastics, it is not a case of being the innovator or having exclusive rights to a solution, it is about everyone doing as much as is possible on their part to help reduce the problem. A joined-up industry wide approach will make a far bigger difference and achieve greater results in the long term so our doors are open should anyone want to talk.”
In addition to their Return to Recycle scheme, Aptus have also pledged an annual donation to the ANLRS to support the scheme in making line and plastic recycling easy for both freshwater and saltwater anglers of all disciplines.
For more details contact:
Viv Shears (ANLRS) Tel 07843 306661 Email [email protected]
Website www.anglers-nlrs.co.uk
Jack Sherrin (Aptus) Tel 0330 320 2040 Email [email protected]
Website www.aptustackle.com
