Recycle Glass – use bottle banks!
Glass has the unique ability to be infinitely recycled into new containers and so can increase the environmental benefits – saving energy, produce lower emissions, reduced landfill and a reduction in quarrying.
However, the main barrier to recycling glass is the shortage of clear cullet (processed/crushed glass) collected in the UK. British manufacturers predominantly produce clear and amber glass for export in the form of spirit bottles, but because consumers are reluctant to deposit jars in bottle banks, little clear cullet is produced. Moreover, the UK imports twice as much green glass as is manufactured, mainly in the form of wine bottles, which has lead to a surplus of green cullet.
What you can do
Simply put your clear glass bottles in a bottle bank, save your Custom Wine bottle! – In bottle banks, clear glass is not contaminated with others colours, particularly green and brown. By doing this, it will reduce the higher price demanded for uncontaminated clear glass, thus making it more viable for UK manufacturers to use clear cullet. British Glass maintains a bottle bank directory and provides information and advice on glass recycling. See http://www.britglass.co.uk for more details.
Interesting Facts
Glass cullet can also be used for aggregate in the construction industry, and the new road laying material glasphalt. Glasphalt comprises around 30% recycled glass and it has been estimated around 14 million crushed bottles were used in this way during construction in the M6 motorway project. These materials can use mixed coloured and contaminated glass, and may be a good market for green glass.
Recycling two bottles saves enough energy to boil water for five cups of tea
On average, every family in the UK consumes around 330 glass bottles and jars a year.
(British Glass)
