Under the new contract the council hopes to increase the number of bottle banks but because of high density housing, including tenement blocks, the contractors and the city are to pay special attention to any noise issues generated by existing and proposed banks.
Some of the material will be processed at the cullet treatment plant in Knottingley, Yorkshire operated by Berryman sister company, Reuse UK, and supplied to Berryman customer Rockware Glass. Material will also go to the United Glass plant in Alloa.
Edinburgh was one of the first cities in the UK to have a bottle bank scheme, and recycles about 25% of the glass consumed by households.
Councillor Brian Fallon, executive member for the environment, City of Edinburgh Council said: “We look forward to working with Berryman and Alloa Community Enterprises in the forthcoming months, and are examining the possibility of expanding our already wide network of glass banks to benefit the residents of Edinburgh.
“One of our main challenges in Edinburgh is to provide the right recycling facilities to the many residents who live in tenement flats – which is 60% of the population. Because of the high density, we have to be careful of noise issues. And people who lack space in their flat sometimes have difficulty finding storage room for their recyclable items prior to taking them to the recycling bank. But we hope that by further enhancing our services more people will be encouraged to do their bit for the environment.”
Tony Cassidy, general manager, of Alloa Community Enterprises said: “We were impressed by the City of Edinburgh Council's desire to increase the tonnage of glass collected and are delighted to be working with Berrymans on their first contract in Scotland.
“Glass has become an important commodity in the recycling market place and it's essential to have the right infrastructure in place to meet the market demand and at the same time protect the environment.”
Berryman, which is thought to be the UK’s largest specialist glass collection company, will collect from about 70 sites. Mick Keogh, managing director of Berryman, said: “We look forward to working closely with Edinburgh to increase and improve sites, as well as encouraging residents to recycle more through educational and community initiatives.”
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