Furthermore, the UK figure of 61% represented glass actually recycled, while the 65% average for the 27 European Union countries was based on glass collected for recycling. This suggests the UK could be doing better than the figures suggest when glass collected for recycling but sent to landfill or incineration is taken into account.
The UK improved on its performance with a rise from 57% in 2007 to 61% in 2008, which was in comparison to the Europe-wide average rising over the same period from 62% to 64%. The Europe-wide figure adds Norway, Switzerland and Turkey to the EU-27 figures.
Consumption
In total, FEVE claimed nearly 11.5 million tonnes of glass packaging was collected for recycling throughout the year across Europe.
Based on data from the 15 original members of the European Union, FEVE claim that national consumption of glass has risen by 8% in the past decade, while glass sent to alternative uses or landfill has reduced by 26%.
“The results reached in glass collection for recycling prove that glass packaging is a fully sustainable resource,” said Dominique Tombeur, president of FEVE.
“Unlike other materials a very high rate of collected glass is actually recycled in a new production cycle with an extremely positive impact on depletion of raw material savings, energy savings and emissions saving.”
Feve launched an online tool in May 2009 utilising social networks and new media to promote glass recycling across Europe in 14 different languages called the Friends of Glass (see letsrecycle.com story).
The cornerstone of the initiative was a cartoon mascot called ‘Hank the Singing Bottle', which showed the passage of a bottle from consumption to collection to recycling.
FEVE represents 59 glass manufacturing, packaging and tableware members in 23 European countries.
Subscribe for free