The report titled ‘A Roadmap to Closed Loop Glass Recycling,’ developed in partnership with WRAP, charts a strategy for achieving a 90% recycling rate for glass packaging in the UK by 2030. It integrates current data and insightful analysis, emphasizing the significance of sustainability in the food and drink packaging sector.
This roadmap stresses the importance of enhancing both the quality and quantity of glass collected. It advocates for two-stream recycling systems, public awareness efforts, and harmonization with forthcoming legislative initiatives, including Simpler Recycling. These measures can significantly contribute to sustainability in food and drink packaging.
Industry analysts argue that these efforts are aligned with the glass sector’s initiative to exclude glass packaging materials from the upcoming deposit return scheme (DRS), which is set to be implemented in 2027.
British Glass asserts that the revised roadmap utilizes the most recent available data on glass in the UK, including the composition by stream, export activities, and PRN returns. This data is critical for understanding the current landscape of glass recycling and making informed decisions to enhance food and drink sustainability.
Moreover, the report highlights the best and worst performing local authorities regarding household glass collection. It identifies those municipalities that currently do not provide kerbside glass collection, indicating potential areas for improvement in sustainable packaging practices.
The updated report also presents strategies for optimizing collection and sorting processes, ultimately ensuring that a greater volume of glass is successfully recycled into new glass packaging. By adopting these practices, stakeholders can enhance their food and drink marketing efforts while also contributing to environmental sustainability.
The association remarked: “British Glass and WRAP encourage stakeholders across the glass manufacturing and recycling sectors, as well as local authorities and policymakers, to engage with the roadmap and support its implementation.”
While the current UK recycling rate for glass hovers around 75%, there remains significant room for improvement in capturing high-quality recycled glass. This is particularly relevant as food and drink consumer trends continue to lean toward sustainable practices.
The Welsh Collection Blueprint serves as an exemplar of effective recycling initiatives, with 2023 data indicating that an impressive 92% of glass disposed of at home in Wales is placed in the recycling bin.
Nick Kirk, Technical Director at British Glass, stated: “The updated roadmap is a significant step forward in our mission to transform the UK’s glass recycling infrastructure. By implementing the recommendations on the collection of glass as outlined in this report, we can move closer to a true circular economy of glass, ensuring that more glass packaging is not only recycled but reprocessed into new glass packaging here in the UK. We look forward to supporting the waste collection sector in collecting more good quality glass, to continue the increase in the recycled content of UK manufactured glass packaging.”
