Wrap reveals major glass savings

Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 19 May 2008

 

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) has claimed that its GlassRite scheme has kick-started a "major change in the wine industry" by making lightweight bottles a "regular feature" on UK supermarket shelves.

 

Presenting the results of the first phase of the GlassRite scheme at the London International Wine Fair at Excel today (20 May), Wrap will reveal that bulk importing and lighter-weight bottles have cut CO2 emissions by 28,000 tonnes per year.

 

More than 350 different wine labels have moved to lighter-weight bottles during the project, resulting in a saving of 11,400 tonnes of glass per year.

 

The amount of wine imported in bulk into the UK and bottled over here has increased by 79 million glass bottles each year.

 

The first phase of the GlassRite programme was undertaken from summer 2006 to March 2008 under the management of British Glass and backed by the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

 

Wrap has worked with retailers Asda, Co-op, Morrisons and Tesco, as well as brand owners such as Constellation Europe, on 10 separate bulk importing and lightweighting initiatives.

 

Glass manufacturers such as Quinn Glass, wine fillers including Kingsland Wine & Spirits and logistics specialist Trans Ocean Distribution have also been involved in the scheme.

 

Nicola Jenkin, Wrap's beverages category manager, said GlassRite "has worked with the industry to illustrate that sustainable business practices do not have to compromise commercial values or quality".

 

The second phase of the scheme will run until November 2009 and will assess the viability of sub-300g wine bottles and lighter-weight champagne and sparkling wine bottles.

 

Wrap is on stand F94 at the London International Wine Fair, which takes place at Excel on 20-22 May.

 

 

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.