| We are all being encouraged to recycle more | | | | so we have a situation where not enough clear |
| in order to help protect our environment and | | | | glass is ending up in the bottle banks to |
| save energy and we can do this in three main | | | | meet the demand for new clear glass and there |
| ways. | | | | is a surplus of coloured glass for which |
| | | | there is less of a demand. |
| � REDUCE the amount of waste we produce | | | | |
| in the first place | | | | One of the challenges involved in the |
| | | | recycling of glass has to be the sorting of |
| � REUSE or find another use for an item | | | | it. It has to be separated first by colour |
| when it reaches the end of its life | | | | and so you can imagine the huge task involved |
| | | | in sorting out large bottle banks full of |
| � RECYCLE everything else | | | | broken bits of different coloured glass. |
| | | | This is why it is so important when placing |
| The reality is that not everyone understands | | | | bottles and jars into bottle banks that you |
| just how important this is. Take glass for | | | | put the correct colour in the appropriate |
| example. Empty glass bottles and jars are | | | | bank. |
| the most common type of glass waste produced | | | | |
| by consumers and represents approximately 80% | | | | How to recycle your waste glass |
| of all recycled glass. However, despite | | | | |
| increased numbers of roadside collections and | | | | � Try to reuse bottles and jars in the |
| bottle banks, there is still a lot of glass | | | | home as much as possible. Perhaps for storing |
| that is being thrown away along with regular | | | | odds and ends or buy refills for glass |
| household rubbish and ending up in landfill. | | | | containers you already have |
| | | | |
| Although glass is not harmful to the | | | | � When buying glass containers, if you |
| environment directly, it doesn't degrade | | | | have a choice, try to buy ones that are |
| (break down) and so if it finds its way into | | | | returnable and don't put these into bottle |
| landfill, that is where it will stay, | | | | banks when they are empty, make sure they are |
| forever. Glass is also a valuable commodity | | | | actually returned |
| and so any ending up in landfill is a waste | | | | |
| of a resource and here's why. | | | | � Always deposit your empty jars and |
| | | | bottles in bottle banks if kerbside |
| Why recycle glass | | | | collection for glass is not in place in your |
| | | | area |
| Glass is an easy material to recycle and one | | | | |
| of the advantages in recycling glass is that | | | | � Before recycling your glass |
| it can be recycled over and over again to | | | | containers, rinse them out and remove any |
| make new bottles and jars without | | | | metal clips or tops or corks |
| compromising the quality of the glass itself. | | | | |
| Recycling glass also reduces the amount of | | | | � Don't deposit window panes, Pyrex, |
| resources needed to produce new glass and | | | | light bulbs or toughened glass into the |
| uses a lot less energy. According to the | | | | bottle banks, they are made in a different |
| British Glass website, the energy saved by | | | | way and are not suitable for recycling in the |
| recycling glass in 2001 would have been | | | | same way that other glass is |
| enough to launch 10 space shuttle missions | | | | |
| and the energy saved from recycling just one | | | | Conclusion |
| single bottle is enough to power a computer | | | | |
| for 25 minutes. | | | | If every household simply got into the habit |
| | | | of recycling not only glass but as much waste |
| So if glass is so easy to recycle and saves | | | | as possible we would help to preserve the |
| so much energy, why are recycling rates in | | | | earth's natural resources for future |
| the UK lower than some other countries in | | | | generations, cut down on the CO2 emissions |
| Europe? Even though we are becoming more | | | | released into the atmosphere and make |
| aware of the importance of recycling, the UK | | | | significant energy savings too. Finally, it |
| still recycles less than 50% of its glass and | | | | is estimated that we will run out of space |
| is lagging behind other European countries, | | | | for landfill within the next decade and so we |
| some of who are recycling as much as 90% of | | | | have to find new ways to dispose of our waste |
| theirs. | | | | that doesn't harm the environment or our |
| | | | health. At the moment, reducing, reusing or |
| One problem here in the UK is that clear | | | | recycling our waste is the best solution we |
| glass cullet is very much in demand. We | | | | have. |
| produce a lot of clear glass but we also | | | | |
| export a large amount of it too meaning there | | | | Dave McEvoy is a waste disposal and skip hire |
| is less clear glass to recycle. At the same | | | | expert. To learn more about skip hire in |
| time we are importing a lot of coloured glass | | | | blackpool, please visit Value Skip Hire. |
| in the form of wine bottles for example, and | | | | |