British Glass, in collaboration with WRAP, has released a roadmap outlining how to achieve a 90% glass recycling capture rate across the UK by 2030 and increase closed-loop recycling.
The report, “A Roadmap to Closed Loop Glass Recycling”, reveals that while the UK’s glass recycling rate stands at over 75%, approximately 600,000 tonnes of glass is lost to residual waste annually.
The roadmap calls for the UK government to transition away from co-mingling materials and implement separate collections for glass, describing the system as a “key enabler” to improving the final cullet quality for closed-loop recycling.
The report highlights the “proven success” of separate collection schemes and cites the Welsh Collections Blueprint as an example. Wales has achieved a 92% recycling rate of glass disposed at home being placed in recycling boxes, which the report said was accomplished by implementing efficient kerbside separated sort systems.
The roadmap also focuses on the need to reduce the frequency and capacity of residual waste collections to incentivise recycling behaviours in consumers. The report mentions the importance of communication campaigns to raise awareness among consumers and businesses of the benefits of glass recycling.
Achieving at least a 90% glass recycling capture rate is imperative in fostering a sustainable future for the glass industry.
Commenting on the roadmap, Dr Nick Kirk, Technical Director, British Glass, said: “Achieving at least a 90% glass recycling capture rate is imperative in fostering a sustainable future for the glass industry.
“This roadmap provides a strategic framework to guide stakeholders in the glass supply chain towards this ambitious but achievable target if the report’s findings are implemented.
“We encourage local authorities and government to continue to engage with ourselves and WRAP; support and collaboration are key in ensuring glass is correctly and efficiently collected and recycled, and this report is a great platform to work from.”
British Glass said the initiative aims to promote circular economy principles within the glass packaging industry to achieve a true closed-loop system for glass recycling. The report analyses the current glass recycling practices in the UK using the latest available data to identify areas for improvement, British Glass said.
