The 20-page guide on recycled glass – or cullet – intends to increase the availability of good quality glass for use in closed-loop recycling, such as jar and bottle manufacturing, and coincides with WRAP's existing support for local authorities through information and support on the design, operation and performance of collection schemes.
Marcus Gover, WRAP market development programme director, said: “This will realise the best value for the cullet that is collected, as well as offer the greatest environmental benefits. Glass is infinitely recyclable, but quality must be high for it to be kept in the recycling loop and reused again in the same way; bottles to new bottles, for example.”
Mixed
The guide also draws attention to the fact that an increasing proportion of the 2.7 million tonnes of cullet collected each year is mixed-colour, which often cannot be sorted and recycled back into glass bottles but is used for alternative means such as aggregate in construction work.
As a result of this increase in mixed-colour collection, WRAP claims that high quality glass is in short supply and therefore the price of colour-separated glass has risen.
Mr Gover added: “While there is an associated cost with colour separation, this can partly be offset by the increased price paid by glass reprocessors.”
The energy impacts have also been highlighted, with recycled glass using 25% less energy per tonne compared to raw materials. WRAP claimed that anecdotal evidence suggested that local authorities are fielding more enquiries from residents about what happens to materials collected for recycling and having to explain how they can be reused.
“Boosting glass quality can benefit local authorities financially as it helps them to meet their targets for recycling and diversion from landfill – as well as enhancing their reputations in the eyes of their eco-conscious council tax payers,” said Mr Gover.
Subscribe for free