Hillingdon adds glass to bagged recyclables collection

From December 1, glass jars and bottles will be collected as part of a co-mingled collection in clear plastic bags which includes cardboard, paper, plastic bottles and cans. The borough operates a weekly collection for both dry recyclables and residual waste and fortnightly for green waste.

” The bags that we are issuing from now on will be thicker to take account of the fact that residents will be recycling their glass bottles and jars “
– Duncan Jones, Hillingdon borough council

The glass service forms part of a new seven year contract which the west London borough has signed with Grundon Waste Management, to extend an existing contract for the disposal of mixed dry recyclables to include the glass. The contract includes an option for three annual extensions.

Hillingdon’s original five year contract with Grundon, which ended in July 2006, was for the receipt and processing of 8,000 tonnes a year of mixed dry recyclables, at the company’s Tanhouse Farm MRF at Colnbrook, near Slough. The bagged dry mixed recyclables, excluding glass, were collected from households by Hillingdon’s in-house waste division.

The new contract for 13,500–15,000 tonnes per annum has seen Grundon investing 250,000 on the installation of new equipment into the existing MRF building to separate out the glass. The equipment operates after a final plastic pick with remaining paper, cardboard and glass conveyor delivered into an enclosed air–knife unit. Within this unit, blow and suction nozzles work together to spread and separate light and heavy materials.

The lighter paper and cardboard is pneumatically conveyed to an air/product separator feeding the existing baling system. The heavier materials such as glass, falls through the air knife to a storage bunker. The recovered glass is then transported to Day Aggregates at Brentford where it is crushed and ground into sand.

Not wanted

The council has warned its residents that Pyrex and glass from windows, cars and mirrors is still not accepted in its recycling collections.

Councillor Sandra Jenkins, cabinet member for environment, said: “We are pleased to be extending the household recycling collection service to include everyday glass food containers.

Council officers have estimated that its residents produce around 5,000 tonnes of waste glass every year and recovering this will increase the borough's recycling rate – it achieved 27% in 2004/05, with a target of 21% target.

Duncan Jones, waste development manager for Hillingdon, said: “In response to residents concerns, the bags that we are issuing from now on will be thicker to take account of the fact that residents will be recycling their glass bottles and jars. As bag technology continues to develop waste division officers will keep under permanent review the bags we use with a view to making further improvements.”

Neil Grundon, development director for Grundon Waste Management commented: “The practical collection and sorting system is both cost effective and efficient – saving local council tax payers lots of money because there is no need for specialised vehicles. At the same time it’s easy for people to use and if it’s easy to use more people will use it, increasing recycling rates – and saving local council tax payers lots more money.”