Glass recycling rates rise as Friends of Glass campaign gathers pace

Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 05 January 2010

 

European glass recycling rates rose to 65% in 2008, according to new research by The European Container Glass Association (Feve).

 

An estimated 25.5 billion glass bottles and jars were recycled in Europe in 2008, Feve has revealed.

 

Feve president Dominique Tombeur said the data confirmed that a number of EU countries had "reached the ambitious 60% collective target fixed by the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive".

 

According to Feve, Belgium and Sweden are close to recycling 100% of glass bottles and jars put on the market.

 

In May 2009, Feve launched a campaign featuring a cartoon called Hank 'the singing bottle' to promote glass recycling using the 'I'll be back' line made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1980s movie, The Terminator.

 

Feve communications and operations manager Michael Delle Selve told Packaging News that the campaign had had a positive effect on consumers and that the organisation was launching a new online campaign.

 

Feve is contacting its online network of Friends of Glass, which includes Facebook members, to ask them to make a new year's resolution to buy a particular product in glass for the year.

 

Glass devotees can even sign a petition to mark their commitment.