Industry offers guidance on glass recycling collections
Guidance offering best practice for the collection and recycling of household glass has been launched this month in a joint partnership between Friends of Glass and Recycle Now.
The Glass Recycling Resource Pack provides local authorities with the latest information and guidance to increase quality and quantity of the material captured.
The guide includes an FAQ section which officers can use to address residents’ queries, such as the end destination for recycled glass including in containers or as an aggregate replacement.
It also clarifies that while glass bottles and jars should be rinsed out for ‘hygienic’ purposes, it is ‘not essential’ to the recycling process.
Friends of Glass is a pan-European glass packaging industry group, whose members include British Glass and glass manufacturers including Beatson Clark, Allied Glass and encirc.
Rebecca Cocking, spokesperson for Friends of Glass and head of container affairs at British Glass explained that householders are still ‘commonly confused’ about what can and cannot be recycled.
She said “Most glass packaging is consumed in the home so encouraging householders to always recycle all of their bottles and jars is really important, whether that’s at the kerbside or at glass banks. This new Guide gives relevant, up to date information about glass recycling in one place so those charged with creating consumer communications campaigns aimed at increasing recycling, have all they need at their fingertips.”
Alice Harlock, spokesperson for Recycle Now, added: “This new glass recycling guide is part of Recycle Now’s’ ongoing strategy to provide local authorities with the resources they need to keep raising the bar on household recycling. Increasing glass packaging recycling is an important element in helping the UK achieve the Government’s target of a 50% recycling rate by 2020.”
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West Norfolk residents get recycling cash incentive
Householders in the borough of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk have been offered a chance to win £500 in vouchers every month for recycling – as part of a rewards scheme set up in May 2016.
West Norfolk Recycling Rewards – which is open to all households in the borough – will give residents the chance to win vouchers for themselves and donations for local charities in a bid to increase the council’s recycling rate.
The scheme, which has been rolled out by other local authorities, will be available to residents once they activate their account and begin earning ‘Green Points’ for their recycling efforts. In addition, each householder is placed in one of five communities, which will compete to earn extra Green Points.
Councillor Brian Long, leader of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk and Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We want this scheme to motivate residents to do the right thing and recycle everything they can, so it’s great to see the efforts of those that go the extra mile get rewarded.”
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Pupils cycle to reduce waste
Pupils at an East London school have been ‘pedalling’ surplus fruit and vegetables as part of a campaign to boost fitness and reduce food waste.
The initiative sees the children from Valence School in Dagenham cycle on specially modified bikes, generating the power needed for the food processors to convert the leftovers into smoothies.
The activity is a part of the wider Waste less, Live More campaign, run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and supported by Lidl UK as part of their broader donation of carrier bag charge proceeds towards charity work. Around 40,000 people have signed up to take part across the UK.
On the Dagenham project, which also forms part of the East London Waste Authority’s Recycle for Your Community campaign, Emily Holt, Keep Britain Tidy’s Education and Engagement Officer, said: “We have 90 pupils from three classes who, in addition to making healthy smoothies, will be coming up with ideas of how they can reduce food waste in their own school.“
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Southwark IWMF opens for weekend display
Veolia’s Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility opened its gates to members of the public earlier this month as part of an annual open day scheme.
Over 850 visitors attended the South East London plant, which opened on Saturday 17 September as part of the Open House Weekend – which provides the public with access to buildings around the capital.
The day offered an insight into Veolia’s recycling process, with a display of the vehicles used onsite, a recycling bales display, face painting, an d an interactive Recycling Discovery Centre. The event also featured an ‘ask the experts’ panel and a raffle and quiz which raised £450 for FoodCycle.
Fabrice Bouchon, general manager for Veolia Southwark, said: “It has been an incredible day, this event is now in its fourth year and I believe it’s been the best so far. The children have loved the R3cycle robot, wild bird display and the junk orchestra and many people have told us how interesting and thought provoking the site tour was.
“I am very proud of the staff that took part and it was a pleasure to see so many people enthused by waste and recycling.”
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