Andy Dawe of WRAP answers the question. "The amount of recycled content depends where the bottle comes from & how much quality recycled glass or cullet is available. In theory, a bottle can be made entirely from cullet. In practice, glassmakers like to use some silica sand & soda ash in the melting process, as it allows them greater colour quality control. Also, the glass recycling rate in different countries varies, which is reflected in the proportion of recycled glass that's included in the bottles that are produced in that country. Industry figures show the level of recycled glass in green wine bottles made in the EU varies from 30% in Bulgaria to 99% in France. In the UK glassmakers are currently producing green bottles with an average recycled content of 82%, with some manufacturers achieving 92%. UK firms are also in the vanguard of lightweighting, which has an important role in reducing the carbon footprint of the wind industry. The current uptake of lighter glass bottles by the UK wine industry is set to save around 6000/tpa. For a brown and clear glass the maximum recycled content in UK produced bottles is 60%. However, due to the fact that we recycle less brown and clear glass than green, the recycled content for these colours is regularly much lower. Including recycled content in glass bottles is important as recycled glass melts at a lower temperature which saves energy, reduces emissions and prolongs reserves of virgin materals. What's more, glass can be recycled again and again leading to ongoing environmental benefits.
