British Glass has rebutted a claim by Coca-Cola that glass could be more damaging to the environment than plastic. Dave Dalton, Chief Executive at British Glass, said: “Recycling glass is straightforward, unlike recycling many other packaging materials. A glass bottle is re-melted back into a glass bottle. And glass doesn’t deteriorate no matter how many times it’s recycled.” Glass is infinitely recyclable back into new bottles and jars. Whether it’s a bottle of wine from Argentina or a jar of marmalade from Oxford, glass can go directly into the local recycling infrastructure. A used bottle or jam jar is always 100% recyclable. Figures from the European Glass Container Manufacturers’ Federation (FEVE) show that the amount of energy used to produce a tonne of glass has been halved over the last forty years. Mr Dalton continued: “We call on Government to invest more decisively in infrastructure to help improve the recovery of used glass. We view every gram as a precious resource. “We can see a future where glass is manufactured using only renewable energy and previously used glass, so becoming a zero carbon material. But to make this a reality, we need a robust collection of infrastructure that is convenient for consumers.” Glass manufacturers in the UK recycle almost 70% of all glass packaging sold in the UK, and are working hard with the Government and local authorities to match the levels reached in other countries. Belgium, Slovenia and Sweden have already achieved more than 95%.
