Glass is infinitely recyclable – yet at the moment, around half of household glass packaging doesn’t get re-melted back to glass. Much is recycled as aggregate, or is lost to landfill or incineration.
We think that’s a shame because almost all of this could be made into new glass products – and re-melting back to glass (closed-loop recycling) is usually the best environmental option.
Recycling tool
Close the loop
Closing the loop on glass recycling reduces CO2 emissions, saves energy and drives down costs – so it benefits everyone: manufacturers, brands, retailers, consumers, waste processors... and of course the planet! In fact, increasing the recycled content of glass packaging is a key part of the UK’s Glass industry decarbonisation action plan.
But it’s a complicated journey from shop shelf to homes and then via waste processing back to a glass furnace – and achieving meaningful change will take coordinated, evidence-based intervention.
That’s why we’ve setting up our free Close the loop network – an informal group of organisations and professionals from across the glass packaging life cycle who want to improve the UK’s glass recycling rate.
Close the loop is for you if you work with glass packaging as a manufacturer, brand, packer/filler, retailer or waste processor.
Join our Close the loop network now
When you join Close the loop we promise we’ll keep you in the loop with:
- email updates on glass sustainability news, data and developments
- opportunities to discuss British Glass policy positions on packaging recycling and sustainability
- ways to shape the future sustainability agenda and practices for glass packaging
- invitations to take part in roundtables and working groups with glass manufacturers, waste processors and other key stakeholders (where appropriate)
- access to British Glass packaging expertise.