It’s the festive season and we all have extra glass with all the festivities at the office and at home. Here are some great recycling tips.
Festive season celebrations bring many opportunities to recycle. There’s no excuse for not making an effort to be more green! If you have any doubts regarding how or why you should recycle, we have the answers to all your glass recycling questions!
What’s the impact of recycling glass?
- The creation of employment opportunities – both in the recycling and glass collection industries.
- Saving the earth – less recyclable packaging being sent to landfills, this is important as we are fast running out of space for our rubbish ‘tips’ or landfills
- Reduction in pollution. Glass produced from recycled glass rather than raw materials decreases air pollution by 20% and water pollution by 50%.
- For every ton of glass recycled over a ton of the raw materials used to make glass is saved and 670 kilograms of carbon dioxide is prevented from being released into the atmosphere.
How do I recycle?
- Glass containers, bottles and jars, such as those used for food and beverages can be recycled. Simply rinse and remove lids and caps, then drop them off at a glass bank.
- Collect your bottle and jars during the week or month and store separately until you have a bag or boxful.
- In South Africa, it’s not necessary to place different coloured glass into separate banks before placing it into glass banks.
- Make sure you take back returnable bottles to your retailer which will be refilled and reused – these include large beer bottles (quarts or pints), certain glass cooldrink bottles and even some of the bottles used for spirits and liquor.
Where do I recycle glass?
- If you are unsure of where to recycle your glass jars and bottles, look no further, because you can find a glass bank or recycling point near you. Many service stations, restaurants and shopping centres have recycling facilities. You can find a glass bank by visiting The Glass Recycling Company’s website.
The Glass Recycling Company says that at least 8 out of the 10 bottles and jars placed on the shelves of supermarkets each year are now being recycled instead of ending up in the landfills. How amazing is that?
At least 8 out of 10 bottles and jars placed in the market each year are prevented from entering landfills through the returnable bottling system and recycling of glass. This is the highest diversion from landfill rate in comparison to any other packaging in SA. But South Africans do need to ensure we return or recycle each bottle we use.
When wining and dining with family and friends, be sure to share these tips! Remember recycling is easy and you don’t have to start big to make an impact.
When we pop the cork of our favourite bubbly, should we perhaps not only toast the glorious contents, but also the longevity of the recyclable glass bottle as well as the fact that your bubbly bottle has over 40% recycled glass content?
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