Two factors hit the glass industry – competition for cullet from aggregate producers and insufficient collection capacity.
The data from British Glass, which is the glass industry trade association, shows that the recycling of used container glass back into bottle and jar making increased by just 3.5% between 2000 and 2001, as opposed to a 14% rise from 1999 to 2000.
The figures are based on the weight of container glass re-used in glass making last year. In 2001, 587,000 tonnes were used, 3.5% more than the 2000 figure of around 560,000 tonnes. In 1999, just 499,000 tonnes were used.
Glasspac, the packaging promotions arm of British Glass, blamed the slowdown in increased usage on competition from the aggregates industry and the failure to increase glass collection. Glasspac chairman Andy Hartley said: “Because the total amount of collection has only gone up a small amount, users have started to vie for the amount of glass available.”
“Some of the glass that might have gone into the container industry has gone into alternatives such as aggregates.”
Competition
Diversion to aggregates meant some glass makers in 2001 took in less cullet than in previous years. However, as long as collection goes up in future, diversion should become less of a problem, Mr Hartley said.
“We could complain about the amount of glass going into aggregates but we couldn't honestly do that because we know that longer term, the UK is going to have a larger market for glass,” he added. “By 2008, we will have reached a point where there is more green glass than the container industry would be able to use and so there will have to be a viable end use for the extra green.”
“There is enough glass in the waste stream for all of us to be happy. It's just collecting it that's the issue.”
Collection
The need to increase collection of glass was endorsed by compliance scheme Valpak. In a statement, it commented: “Remelt and all of the alternative end markets being developed by Remade Groups, WRAP and others need more collected material and more must be done to secure growth in collection to feed these processes.”
But in the short-term, Glasspac spokesman Michael Bennett said that container cullet should go into container making: “In the long term, we definitely see a use for aggregates, but at the moment, that glass could be used in closed loop recycling, delivering a long-term environmental benefit.”
Glasspac also revealed that jars and bottles made in the UK last year contained a greater percentage of recycled cullet than previously – cullet made up 35% of container glass produced in 2001, compared to 33% in 2000.
Glass makers are concerned to meet the requirements of the European Packaging Waste Directive, which are expected to set targets at around 60% recycling. Originally due for 2006, they are now expected in the UK by 2008.
“We need about a 5% increase year-on-year to meet the targets. We have to meet them. This is not something that we don't do if we don't feel like it.”
Glasspac estimates that around 200 million must be invested in collection infrastructure, promotion and education in order to reach these targets. While glass plants would pay for themselves, the majority must come from government funding to local authorities, Mr Hartley said, because glass businesses are not allowed to get involved in direct collection.
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