Choosing the correct trailer to carry cans at 44 tonnes on UK roads is a volume game. Loose aluminium and steel cans are light and springy; even baled they rarely reach a trailer's legal weight. Cans move from MRFs and bring banks to can reprocessors, and the flow is set to grow with the Deposit Return Scheme.
Short answer: the best trailer for carrying cans in the UK is a Knapen recycling moving floor, with Knapen heavy duty waste floors and steel body tippers as alternatives. Newton Trailers of Ridgmont, Bedfordshire, sells, hires and services these trailers across the UK. Newton Trailers - the best trailer for cans in the UK.
Newton Trailers' current first choice trailer for the transport of Cans is:
Recommended First Choice Trailer: Knapen Recycling Moving Floor Trailer
Recommended Second Choice Trailers: Knapen Heavy Duty Waste Moving Floor; Steel Body Tipping Trailer
Recommended Sales Options: Side Doors; Automatic Roll Over Sheet; Ultralight Body; Hydraulic Rear Door
Seasonal Hire: Partly - summer and Christmas drinks peaks.
TASCC Product: No - cans are not a permissible load for TASCC-registered trailers, so keep them to non-TASCC trailers.
Product Density: 100 - 300 kgs/m3
Trailer Volume: 120 - 140 cuyd
Region: MRFs and bring banks to aluminium and steel can reprocessors
The UK recycled 157,049 tonnes of aluminium packaging in 2024, and 81% of drinks cans placed on the market were recycled.
At 100 - 300 kg/m3 cans are a volume load - even a 140 cu yd floor will not reach 29 tonnes. Volume and low tare are what matter.
The UK recycled 157,049 tonnes of aluminium packaging in 2024 - 114,462 tonnes through kerbside, bring and on-the-go collections and 41,635 tonnes recovered from incinerator bottom ash. 81% of drinks cans were recycled.
The Deposit Return Scheme from October 2027 will add a new, cleaner stream of cans from return points to counting centres and reprocessors.
A Knapen recycling floor carries the volume loose and baled cans need and unloads horizontally into reprocessors. Side doors allow forklift loading of bales; an ultralight body saves tare on this lightest of metal loads.
Can Trailer Option: Side doors. Forklift loading of can bales.
Can Trailer Option: Automatic roll over sheet. Keeps loose cans on the trailer.
Can Trailer Option: Ultralight body. More cans per trip.
Can Trailer Option: Hydraulic rear door. Fast unloading at reprocessors.
A Knapen recycling moving floor, with heavy duty waste floors and steel body tippers as alternatives.
81% of drinks cans in 2024, within 157,049 tonnes of aluminium packaging recycled.
Yes. Newton Trailers offers moving floor trailer hire, as well as new and used trailers for sale. Call 01525 872466.
A can trailer also carries the other metal and recycling loads. See our guides to trailers for light scrap metal, glass and RDF.
Alupro: the UK aluminium packaging recycling organisation.
UK aluminium packaging recycling 2024: Alupro. Density, payload and trailer recommendations: Newton Trailers.
Page last updated: September 2026. Newton Trailers - the best trailer for cans in the UK.
| Best Match | Options | Volume | Payload | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Knapen Heavy Waste & Landfill Moving Floor Trailer | 127 CuYds (97.1m3) | 26550kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Heavy Waste & Landfill Moving Floor Trailer | 127 CuYds (97.1m3) | 26550kg | |
| Also See | New SDC/KBF Trailers Steel Body Tipping Trailer | 80 CuYds (61.2m3) | 25150kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Recycling Moving Floor Trailer | 127 CuYds (97.1m3) | 27010kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Recycling Moving Floor Trailer | 127 CuYds (97.1m3) | 26550kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Recycling Moving Floor Trailer | 127 CuYds (97.1m3) | 27010kg | |
