Valpak, the largest packaging waste compliance scheme, is expected to be involved in an initiative by the Peterborough Recycling Cell Partnership which aims to collect glass from 60,000 households in and adjacent to the Peterborough local authority area. Berrymans’ work will be in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, serving more than 1,000 households.
The Peterborough kerbside scheme will also include other authorities involved in the partnership: Wellingborough, East Northamptonshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, South Holland and South Kesteven.
Valpak director of operations Steve Gough said the project illustrated how Valpak can work in partnership with local communities. He said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with the Peterborough Cell to boost recycling glass within the UK.”
A total of 10,000 boxes will be allocated for collection of glass from each authority.
Valpak is already linked to some kerbside collection schemes in London and bottle banks in Huddersfield but its tie up with Peterborough will be the first time the scheme has helped implement kerbside collection of any material on a large scale. The Huddersfield programme is carried out through Valpak's recycle-more-glass scheme.
Aggregates
Valpak will be helping to fund the promotional and education work needed and is likely to play a part in sending some of the mixed glass it hopes to collect each month for aggregates making. Valpak is anxious to grow the collection of glass for recycling as it needs glass PRNs now and in the future.
The scheme is a result of Valpak's long-standing relationships with the Peterborough Cell, and is funded by 1.08m from DEFRA's Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund. It should be up and running this November.
Waste and recycling officer at Peterborough City Council, Jen Robertson said the authority already had a dry recyclables kerbside scheme and this would be a first for glass.
Plastic bags
The scheme in Kingston upon Thames will trial for three months and will see the collection of mixed glass in heavy-duty re-usable plastic bags.
Councillor Bamford, executive member for the environment, said the scheme would be particularly useful to residents who find it hard to carry glass to recycling sites.
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