Blaby District Council has launched a new recycling initiative, which it claims will simplify recycling while saving the council £200,000 a year in collection costs, by ceasing the kerbside collection of glass.
For the past eight years, the Leicestershire council has operated a three-bin recycling system. From now, a two-bin system will be introduced, meaning that tins, paper and plastics will all be mixed together in the same wheelie bin. However, household glass will no longer be collected, with residents expected to drop off their glass at public bottle banks for recycling.
Blaby council claims that rising fuel costs and falling glass prices mean it is no longer considered economically viable to collect kerbside glass. As glass is colour separated at recycling sites, as opposed to the kerbside system, the council believes that it makes more economic sense to have it collected from bottle banks (In October, mixed glass was worth £5-10 per tonne, whereas individual colour streams are worth between £20-40 per tonne). The new system will nevertheless rely on a public effort to take their glass to bring banks rather than throwing it away to landfill with unrecyclable waste.
The decision was made after several trials of the new system over the last few months, with around 4,000 residents of Leicestershire villages taking part. Many local people have reacted positively, considering it a viable way for the council to save money without having to drastically change recycling habits.
The council has promised to provide more bottle banks to facilitate the new system, as well as giving each household a 240-litre recycling bin.
The total amount of household waste currently recycled in the Blaby district stands at 48 per cent. Councillor Guy Jackson, Blaby’s council member for neighbourhood services, expects a rise in this figure with the new system.
He added in a statement to local reporters at This is Leicestershire: “This new scheme will not only make recycling easier for residents but save money and reduce the council's carbon footprint." Without glass collection, the council says the number of collection vehicles needed will be halved from six to three.
Blaby District Council has told Resource that 300 tonnes of glass per annum is currently collected for recycling from bottle banks, whilst the amount of household glass collected from the kerbside is approximately 2,170 tonnes. The council estimates that at least 25 per cent of kerbside tonnage will be recycled through bottle banks under the new system –giving a total of only around 840 tonnes per year.
For more information, visit the Blaby District Council website.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.