Key bodies have published a blueprint for ramping up the amount of glass recycled in the UK.
British Glass and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) released a report detailing the steps they believe could take the country to a 90 per cent capture rate for the material by 2030.
A Roadmap to Closed Loop Glass Recycling identifies 600,000 tonnes of glass lost as residual waste annually under current processes.
Measures called for in the report to boost the capture rate from its current level of 75 per cent include:
- Moves away from material co-mingling and towards, at minimum, two-stream recycling collection approaches
- Reductions in the frequency and capacity of residual waste collections to incentivise recycling
- Communications that target glass items with high rates of missed capture to increase collection rates.
- Campaigns targeted at local authorities that currently offer no kerbside glass collections – to improve citizen knowledge ahead of new initiatives
- Messaging to clearly outline the scope of DRS across nations – to improve correct disposal behaviours
- Increased business engagement on design-for-recyclability guidance – to ensure that glass is fit for high-quality recycling and adequately labelled
A detailed breakdown is published in the full report of what actions should take place in which locations at what times over the next seven years to maintain the course for 90 per cent glass recycling.
Nick Kirk, technical director at British Glass, said hitting this level was “imperative” for the glass sector to have a sustainable future.
“This roadmap provides a strategic framework to guide stakeholders in the glass supply chain towards this ambitious but achievable target,” he added.
“We encourage local authorities and the government to continue to engage with ourselves and WRAP. Support and collaboration is key in ensuring glass is correctly and efficiently collected and recycled, and this report is a great platform to work from.”
