British Glass is urging local authorities to continue the collection of household recycling, in the face of a growing threat of valuable materials being lost to landfill, as councils across the UK halt collections during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

It has been reported in recent days that a number of local authorities are reducing their waste and recycling services, including recycling collections and closures of recycling sites during the pandemic, due to staff shortages.

The Government has named the waste sector and food and drink packaging manufacturers as ‘critical sectors’ during the pandemic, reflecting the need to continue recycling collections, as well as the capture of glass to be processed and manufactured into new packaging.

“We recognise this is an unprecedented and challenging time for everyone, from individuals and businesses to local and national government and the priority must be staying safe and protecting each other and our NHS” commented Phillip Fenton, Lead Packaging and Recycling Advisor for British Glass.

“The workers collecting our waste and recycling are doing an essential job and we must do all we can to keep them safe, through practising social distancing and providing protective equipment. “But while we face this current crisis, we must not forget the critical value of recycling; for our manufacturers who take our used glass and remelt into new bottles and jars; for our environment, with every recycling collection diverting glass from landfill; and for the climate emergency, with recycled glass reducing the need for raw materials which are more carbon-intensive than recycled glass.”

www.britglass.org.uk