The UK“s Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has begun work on a suite of glass recycling projects aimed at tackling recent market developments which affect the collection and reprocessing of g…
The UK“s Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has begun work on a suite of glass recycling projects aimed at tackling recent market developments which affect the collection and reprocessing of glass packaging. Building on discussions with the glass recycling sector, and designed to provide accurate information for all the stakeholders involved, the projects will investigate various cost and operational issues relating to the collection, separation and reprocessing of source separated and mixed glass. “Many local authorities are focusing on increased collections of glass at the kerbside as a way of meeting their tonnage-based recycling targets”, explains Andy Dawe, WRAP“s Material Sector Manager for glass. “One of the aims of these projects is to promote a sound understanding of the different options available and the relative costs and benefits”. Three main projects form the backbone of the work planned for the next 12 months. WRAP“s ROTATE team, which advises local authorities on recycling collections, has just contracted ESYS Consulting Ltd of Guildford, Surrey, to carry out research on the economics of kerbside separation in glass collection relative to separation further down the reprocessing chain. This important work will provide some clear guidance for local authorities on how best to develop their existing and anticipated dry recyclable kerbside collection schemes. In July 2005, WRAP will be commissioning a second project to determine the viability of establishing regional colour sorting facilities. The work will determine the optimum sizes and locations for these operations, as well as assessing the relative merits of private or public ownership and the economic viability of a network of such facilities. The project will be completed in October 2005. An economic review is also due to be commissioned shortly to assess the monetary flows accompanying the material flows at each point in the glass recycling supply chain. The principal objective of this project is to identify the economics (through assessing costs and prices) which accompany the recovered glass right through from collection to the various end markets. Where markets are not yet established, an assessment of the cost benefit to that market will be made. This information, together with processing cost data, will help to develop a better understanding of the conditions under which particular markets are economically viable. “We have to understand the potential importance of the factors that impact on the end market values for collected glass,” says Andy Dawe. “Understanding the short term barriers to container glass reprocessing is a critical part of ensuring the long term success of the glass recycling sector.” These projects will complement WRAP“s work on developing alternative markets for coloured glass, which has seen eight major operational trials come on line in 2005 in the grit blasting, sports turf, cementitious product, clay product and effluent filtration industries. Once they are complete, a key task for WRAP will be to act on the range of recommendations and work even more closely with local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure the long term sustainability of coloured glass collection and reprocessing.