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Hank the Singing Bottle draws European Glass Industry Closer to its ConsumersOn the back of some convincing consumer research, which shows that consumers throughout Europe favour glass as the preferred packaging material for their food and drink, a new character has emerged. Hank, the singing bottle, uses the famous line “I’ll be back” as he embarks on a series of cartoon adventures to spread the word about the virtues of glass recycling. The character has been devised by FEVE – The European Container Glass Association – to spearhead its “word of mouth” marketing and social networking campaign across the continent. It will appear in 14 European languages, which, claims FEVE, makes it the most international campaign of its type in the packaging industry. Web campaign signals a new departure for the industry As Hank tells us on www.friendsofglass.com, glass as a packaging material is 100% and endlessly recyclable: it always comes back to life in a new bottle or jar without any loss of quality. This means that, when glass reaches its ‘end of life’, most glass bottles or jars go back to the production cycle as substitutes for raw materials in a unique “cradle-to-cradle” recycling loop. EU glass recycling targets surpassed In Europe, nearly eleven million tonnes or 62% of container glass were collected for recycling in 2007(1). The EU target for glass recycling of 60% was then exceeded. According to the available data for the 27 member states, ten EU countries exceeded the 60% target which had to be reached in 2008 as required by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, with Sweden (94%) and Belgium (92%) recording the highest rates. The UK also exceeded the 60% target with 1.6m tonnes being recycled – of which 1m tones was returned to glass manufacturers as a raw material to make new bottles and jars. “The 62% glass recycling rate is a great result, which includes data from the new member states where recycling is still in its infancy,” explains Dominique Tombeur, President of FEVE – the EU Container Glass Association. “Now we want to focus on the huge unexploited potential of the remaining 38% of glass packaging which was put on the market but which is not yet being recycled. We hope Hank can help raise greater awareness about the importance of glass recycling, and we have created a new movement called “Friends of Glass” www.friendsofglass.com to support his efforts.” David Workman, Director General of British Glass, commented, “Hank is a great addition to our efforts to promote glass recycling and complements our own well known characters, Jenny Jar, Billy Bottle and Bertie the Bottle Bank.” Glass is best for environment According to FEVE’s Secretary General, Adeline Farrelly, glass has a very impressive story to tell. “Glass recycling dramatically helps reduce CO2 emissions: the amount of glass recycled in 2007 provided the equivalent in CO2 savings of removing more than 1.7 million cars from the road (2). Recycling glass preserves natural resources: 1 tonne of waste glass saves 1.2 tonnes of natural raw materials. And recycling glass saves energy too: for every 10% of waste glass added in the production cycle at least 2% of energy is saved.” She continued, “Consumers know about the environmental benefits of glass. When asked, 86% of consumers say they recycle their glass bottles. If given the choice, consumers state they would prefer glass in almost all food and beverage categories. Made from some of the raw materials most abundant in nature – sand, soda ash and limestone – consumers also appreciate glass for its ability to preserve original taste and its impermeability, making it one of the safest and healthiest ways to store products with the least harmful impact on the environment.” No limits to glass recycling Up to 90% of waste glass can be used to manufacture new glass containers, the only limit being the quantity and quality of glass which is currently collected. Notes to Editors Footnotes (1) – www.feve.org/statistics.html (2) – Figures have been calculated by using a methodology implemented by CO-RE.Ve (Italian Recycling Organisation www.coreve.it and the Italian Research Institute, Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro www.spevetro.it based on technical, scientific and economic parameters currently used in Italy. 1 British Glass The British Glass Manufacturers’ Confederation represents the interests of all sectors of the glass industry in the UK. Its main activity is in representing the industry at European, national and local level on a wide range of topical legislative issues. It also conducts independent research into all aspects of glass production and technology. The federation promotes glass as the material of choice and the best material for the environment. It is the one-stop shop for all glass companies and glass-related issues. 2 Friends of Glass Friends of Glass is a movement that unites people who believe that glass is the clear choice for themselves, their families and for the environment. Friends of Glass was started by FEVE. www.friendsofglass.com Link to Questions and Answers on the Friends of Glass movement www.feve.org.QAFriendsofglass.pdf 3 FEVE (Federation Europeene du Verre d’Emballage) FEVE is the association of European Manufacturers of glass packaging containers (bottles and jars) and machine-made glass tableware. Members produce glass in 22 countries in the European Union and in Switzerland and Turkey. Europe is the largest producer of glass containers worldwide. The Federation represents the glass container industry at international, and especially, European level, promoting glass packaging and glass recycling. www.feve.org Further Information can be obtained from: Rebecca Cocking
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