Indications that Defra will be consulting early next year on setting differentiated targets for glass according to whether it is recycled back into new glass products (remelt) through a ‘closed’ loop system, or used in ‘open’ processes such as road aggregate have been welcomed by leading glass recycler, Berryman Glass.
Berryman’s General Manager, Mick Keogh, comments: “We work hard to satisfy the requirements of all our customers in both the glass and construction industries, but recognise the significant carbon benefit of quality cullet that can be used to produce more bottles and jars as we move towards a carbon based economy.”
The Government’s “Packaging Strategy” document published in June 2009 stated:
Although recycling targets have been met (78% in 2008), a third of the material collected is used for aggregates rather than turned back into containers. Co-mingled collection is not the preferred option for glass as it favours aggregates, and mixed cullet has a lower value than clear cullet, but 15% of authorities currently use this type of kerbside collection. Furthermore, around a quarter of glass packaging is used in the hospitality sector that has recycling rates of between 16% and 21%. The government has said it will consult on maximising the carbon benefits of glass packaging that could potentially include colour-specific producer responsibility targets.
Weight-based targets do not always encourage the use of recycling processes with the greatest carbon reductions. For example, recycling glass into aggregate, rather than back into glass, affords minimal cuts to carbon impact, but counts equally towards weight-based recycling targets.
“ We look forward to a positive outcome following what we hope will be rapid consultation and meaningful incentives to maximise the value of glass recycling,” adds Mr Keogh.
Filed under News, Press Releases
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Wrote the following in 2005 (Butler and Hooper ‘Dilemmas in optimising the environmental benefit from recycling … ‘ In spite of the findings in the previous section, the need to divert household waste from landfill, and the legislative imperative of meeting challenging packaging recycling targets, mean that programmes to increase the possible applications for recycled glass, including its use as feedstock for aggregate and other building material production, have a part to play the short to medium term. However, these programmes should not be pursued to the exclusion of trying to find new markets for the use of cullet as feedstock in glass container production, if the environmental benefit from recycling glass containers is to be optimised. It is, perhaps, one of the missed opportunities of PRN implementation that the system does not distinguish between the different end uses to which recovered glass containers are applied. Thus, PRNs relating to the recovery of glass packaging in aggregate production have the same value as those issued for its more environmentally beneficial use as secondary feedstock in glass container production. rote as following
Glad to see that something is now being done about it.
Regards