WRAP unveils new standard for collected glass

WRAP hopes the BSI PAS 101 national specification for recovered container glass will provide good practice guidance for collection and delivery and improve quality of collected glass. It was developed through consultation with a broad range of stakeholders to harmonise existing independent specifications and provide a series of identifiable quality grades for all raw container glass.

Andy Dawe, WRAP’s material sector manager for glass, explained: “By providing a nationally accepted specification, PAS 101 will remove any ambiguity over whether glass collected and delivered to reprocessors meets the necessary quality requirements. It also means that all those involved in the glass recycling sector can work to the same set of quality parameters.”

A second standard from BSI is planned to be launched next year to cover glass reprocessed for higher-value alternative-end markets, a particular interest of WRAP. The PAS 102 is expected to be ready in May 2004 and it will cover recycled glass to be used in applications such as water filtration media and concrete product manufacture.

Model

WRAP has also issued a model service contract for glass collection after a survey found huge variation in local authority agreements.

Justin French-Brookes, a business analyst at WRAP, said: “Almost half the authorities who responded to the survey said they would welcome assistance with negotiating future glass collection and recycling contracts. By developing a model service contract, we can help authorities to tender their glass recycling services more efficiently, give them a benchmark against which to compare tenders and ease the process of drawing up formal contracts.”

Carole Taylor, waste management co-ordinator at Pendle borough council, who worked on the steering committee in charge of developing the model contract, said that the development of standards and models help local authorities focus their recycling activities.

She said: “The model contract and PAS 101 will go a long way to helping local authorities to maximise the efficiency, quality and cost effectiveness of the glass collection and recycling services they provide.”