ALUMINIUM FACTS   Recycling an aluminium can takes only five per cent of the energy needed to make a new one There is plenty of aluminium in the earth's crust - it's the third most abundant metal - but it's so expensive to extract that using recycled aluminium is cheaper. Extracting aluminium uses a process called electrolysis which uses large amounts of electricity running up big bills It takes just two months to turn a used aluminium can into a new can and get the new can back on the shelf in a shop Aluminium can be recycled over and over again and still be as good as new Aluminium is not magnetic so it's easy to separate from steel which is magnetic Aluminium needs to be crushed and baled with machinery before it can be recycled An average of 113,200 aluminium cans are recycled around the world every minute Aluminum is one of the metals used to build New York's Empire State Building Cars, bicycles, aeroplanes and buildings are all made partly from aluminium because it is both strong and lightweight. Recycling centres such as Crow make money by selling crushed and baled used aluminium to recycling plants. The price changes depending on global demand for aluminium. Sometimes it drops so low it isn't worth selling any until the price goes up again.

Scrapstore Development Worker Lauren Dunn We're here and we're open. The Crow Recycling Scrapstore is open Mondays to Thursdays. We're selling budget art and craft materials 9.30am to 3.30pm Mondays to Thursdays. Bargains on offer include fabric for £1.50 a metre, sheets of paper from 2p each new balls of wool £1 each and part used balls from 25p each. It's a membership shop costing £10 a year to join. We are asking people to wear facemasks while shopping. Because the rooms are quite small only one household at a time can shop in the upstairs rooms. For more information visit our Scrapstore web page, e mail crow@talktalkbusiness.net or ring us on 02476552444.

When customers send us documents for destruction or recycling removing plastic wallets is part of the service we provide. Sadly they're really difficult to recycle requiring high temperatures and a complex process. They're made of polypropylene which is possible to recycle in theory but in practice it doesn't happen very much. Here at Crow we haven't found anywhere that can take them. So instead if they don't contain any text, as these ones above don't, we give them away for reuse. Most people want to use them for their original purpose storing documents. There are a few other uses for them too. Here are some few ideas. Protecting printed out recipe sheets from spills and splashes in the kitchen Craft packs for kids for journeys or long waits - the ones open on one side are particularly useful for this and can take stickers, fake feathers, magazines and coloured paper. Toddler no mess finger painting. Put the paint inside, tape up the top and they can paint by running fingers on the outside of the plastic Toddler sensory toy. Fill with gel such as hand sanistiser and small beads, tape up and let the toddler play. Labelling storage boxes. Tape one on the side of the storage box and then it's easy to drop in a new label when the contents change Any more ideas please leave a comment. Thanks.    

If there's one thing the pandemic underlined at Crow it's how important we are to our volunteers. Our volunteers are returning gradually now we have reopened the warehouse with socially distanced measures in place. It's a staggered start working gradually up to our usual numbers to ensure our measures to keep everyone safe are working properly. As a general rule our volunteers don't chat about why they like volunteering here - they just get on with the job. But during the pandemic they, their relatives and their carers told us how important volunteering at Crow is. It has been a tough time for our volunteers. Most have a disability and some live in supported housing with help from carers. The pandemic took away the regular routine of helping out at Crow. Some had close relatives who were shielding. Those volunteers missed out on the visits and visiting they were used to. Some helped out from home. All were keen to come back as we made plans to reopen. At Crow we have taken a number of steps to make sure we are still here in the future for our volunteers. We closed temporarily at the height of lockdown and are no longer open Friday mornings - we're open Monday to Thursday now.  A discretionary grant from Coventry City Council has done much to help as well. So we're open to provide work placements for our volunteers by selling animal bedding, collecting and destroying confidential documents, collecting non confidential paper and processing cans for recycling.  

Crow Recycling including the Scrapstore is having a summer shutdown in August. The shutdown begins at 4pm on Thursday August 13 and ends at 9am on Tuesday September 1. Extra bags will be handed out to customers who need them for confidential and non confidential waste. At Crow there are only two full time staff. The rest of the work is done by volunteers and part time staff. Crow can't operate with just one full time staff member while the other is on annual leave. So Crow has a shutdown to allow both to take their annual leave. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Crow Recycling delivery van For the next few weeks Crow will be open Mondays to Thursdays but not Fridays. Crow's usual opening hours include Friday mornings but for the moment Crow will be closed all day on Fridays. The decision was taken by the charity's trustees in response to Coronavirus pressures. The impact of the pandemic has created a tough environment for small charities. The decision to close on Friday mornings as well as Friday afternoons is aimed at securing Crow's future. Our volunteers need us more than ever. Closing Friday mornings will help us make sure we can continue to provide our volunteers with work placements.  

CROW Recycling is now fully re-open and appointments are no longer required for Scrapstore visits within the opening hours of 9.30-3.30 Monday to Thursday and 9.30-12.30 on Fridays. However, as opening hours are subject to change based on demand for CROW's services, we reccomend phoning our office on 02476552444 before you visit. In order to maintain social distancing, only one household will be permitted upstairs to the Scrapstore at a time, and masks are encouraged. Scrapstore membership costs £10 per year. We look forward to seeing you soon!

At Crow Recycling we supply shredded paper packaging to help your mail order products arrive at the customer’s address in one piece. Crow Recycling’s shredded paper provides a cost effective and biodegradable alternative to plastic packaging helping make sure products don’t get damaged on the way. At Crow Recycling our machinery shreds and compressed used white office paper to create 30 kg bales. The paper is ideal for packaging everything from car parts to lighting products. Once at the destination the paper can be composted, used again as packaging or used for animal bedding.  The bales cost £8.60 including VAT and delivery in Coventry or Warwickshire. £8.60 is also the cost on collection from our warehouse in Hillfields, Coventry. For costs including delivery further afield contact Crow Recycling on 02476552444 or crow@talktalkbusiness.net. Crow Recycling is a registered charity providing work placements for disabled people. The packaging you buy is shredded and baled by disabled volunteers picking up work and life skills at our warehouse.

Do you need a one off waste paper collection? We can collection confidential documents from Coventry, Warwickshire and neighbouring counties for secure disposal. Collections of non confidential paper for recycling are also available. We can Crow Recycling we can also make regular collections or customers can bring their waste to us. Confidential waste is shredded at our warehouse in Orchard Housse, Sparkbrook Street, Hillfields, Coventry. Non confidential paper is sorted at our warehouse so it is ready to recycle off our premises. Crow Recycling is a registered charity. We provide a commercial service collecting and disposing of waste paper to help fund work placements for disabled people. For more information ring us on 02476552444 or e mail us at crow@talktalkbusiness.net.  

Crow will be open again on Wednesday July 1 after a temporary closure. Crow will open again on Wednesday July 1 for collections of waste paper and cans and delivery of shredded paper packaging and animal bedding. During the Crow closure the e mail address crow@talktalkbusiness.net will be checked regularly. The telephone may not be answered so e mail is the best way to get in touch. The Scrapstore is open for visits by appointment. To make an appointment to shop e mail Crow on crow@talktalkbusiness.net. Scrapstore members who are familiar with Scrapstore stock can e mail orders then visit the Scrapstore to pay and collect. The Scrapstore is a member only shop with a £10 annual membership fee. More information here.