British Glass, the UK's glass industry association, has highlighted the importance of keeping glass recycling local. Glass can be endlessly recycled, melted and moulded without degradation in quality.
Currently, a significant amount of waste glass is exported from the UK to mainland Europe. Last year, exports of used glass increased by 79,000 tonnes, up 31% on 2021. According to the association, this has a negative impact on the environment and the economy. Keeping glass processing local can reduce the use of non-renewable resources, cut carbon emissions and open up opportunities for local companies in the circular economy.
The glass industry contributes around £1.6 billion (approximately US$1.93 billion) to the UK economy each year, providing 24,000 direct jobs and over 150,000 jobs across the supply chain.
British Glass is calling on local authorities to support the establishment of glass collection points.
In Ukraine, construction glass is not sorted and has to be stored in landfills. It is rarely used as a powdered aggregate for the production of concrete products, etc.
Photo: British Glass
Experience of England: preserving local glass processing creates more jobs
ID no: 22852
